Soldier and Warrior: French Attitudes toward the Army and War on the Eve of the First World War

by H.L. Wesseling

In France the decade preceding the outbreak of the First World War was characterized by a revival of nationalism and militarism. Wesseling analyzes the ideas current in France in this period about the use, value, and beauty of war, the army, and army life. In examining the French army of the period, Wesseling found that at the same time that new forms were sought, old values were being emphasized. Attempts at reforms were most frequent in those areas where antimilitarist writers had concentrated their criticism. Next to this there also was a new glorification of traditional military disinterestedness, submission, and discipline.

In conceptualizing war, as Wesseling shows, a distinction can be made between speculations on war as a concrete phenomenon and as an abstract notion. During the period, war was looked upon as a factor of renewal and regeneration. The years from 1905 to 1914 were of great importance for the history of the military problem in France. A new appreciation of the ideals that were preached in the army came into being. Though this did not lead to militarism in the sense that the military determined politics, as Wesseling illustrates, it did lead to a militarist attitude.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 30, 2000

About the author

Hendrik Lodewijk (Henk) Wesseling studeerde geschiedenis aan de Universiteit Leiden. Van 1973 tot 2002 was hij aan deze universiteit hoogleraar Algemene Geschiedenis. Hij was tevens van 1995 tot 2002 rector van het NIAS in Wassenaar. Hij is lid van de KNAW, de Academia Europaea, de Académie des Sciences d'Outre-Mer (Parijs) en de Académie Royale des Sciences d'Outre-Mer (Brussel). Samen met Wim van den Doel en Freddy Heineken ontwierp hij het plan Eurotopia.

Wesseling begeleidde kroonprins Willem-Alexander tijdens diens geschiedenisstudie aan de Leidse Universiteit. Daarnaast heeft hij diverse malen in verband met staatsbezoeken koningin Beatrix advies gegeven. Eind 2004 ontving Wesseling op het Paleis Huis ten Bosch van koningin Beatrix de 21-ste Eremedaille voor Kunst en Wetenschap van de Huisorde van Oranje. In 1996 hield Wesseling in Leiden de Huizingalezing onder de titel 'Zoekt Prof. Huizinga eigenlijk niet zichzelf? Huizinga en de geest van de jaren dertig'.