The Great War: Myths About Myths
by Dr. John T. Kuehn
Dr. John T. Kuehn is the General William Stofft Chair for Historical Research at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He retired from the U.S. Navy 2004 at the rank of commander after 23 years of service as a naval flight officer. He authored "Agents of Innovation" (2008) and co-authored "Eyewitness Pacific Theater" (2008) with D.M. Giangreco, as well as numerous articles and editorials and was awarded a Moncado Prize from the Society for Military History in 2011. His latest book is "A Military History of Japan: From the Age of the Samurai to the 21st Century."
Why was World War I such a blood bath? So asked Adam Hochschild in a recent New York Times op-ed, directly confronting one of the most enduring and haunting questions of modern history.
His answers centered on four illusions, but in giving these he instead perpetuates some of the worst myths of the Great War.
Here they are, followed in turn by my reasons for naming them “myths.” Remember, a myth is not a lie, but rather a narrative based on some truth...
