27. Winners and
T
he twentieth century divides neatiy at two points: 1914 and 1945.
The first date marked the start of the so-called Great War—one
of the most absurd conflicts in human history. These four years of
combat left 10 million dead and many more maimed and stunted.
They also took a prosperous and improving Europe and left it pros
trate. The tragedy lay in the stupidity of kings, politicians, and gener
als who sought and misfought the conflict, and in the gullible vanity of
people who thought war was a party—a kaleidoscope of handsome
uniforms, masculine courage, feminine admiration, dress parades, and
the lightheartedness of immortal youth.*
Colonial wars should have provided a warning, but the use of re
peating and automatic weapons against "savages" left the confidence
of the white man intact. Still, the Boer War in South Africa, where the
British took terrible casualties, should have instilled a prudent fear.
Not at all: a decade later, the havoc wrought by machine guns in Flan-
- On the arrogant stupidity of the generals, see the comments passim in Len
Deighton, Blood, Tears, and Folly. Deighton is primarily a writer of adventure and spy
novels, but he also does nonaction, and when he does, he has the story right.