Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914

by Antulio J. Echevarria II

Rapid and momentous technological changes at the turn of the 20th century forced military professionals and educated civilians to envision the future of war and warfare, especially during an age where nations found themselves aggressively competing for dominance on the world stage. Antulio J. Echevarria II offers a comparative study of these predictions to assess who got it right and why. He concludes that professionals were particularly adept at predicting the warfare of the immediate future by framing their discussions in terms of solving tactical problems, but they were much less successful at thinking of the long-term. Unburdened by the necessity of strategic problem-solving, educated amateurs were allowed more flexibility to imagine the long-term future of warfare, and, at times, proved to be remarkably accurate.

Echevarria organizes his study by comparing visions of future wars on land, at sea, undersea, and in air. In each instance professionals and amateurs had their own distinctive imaginings. Among the notable speculators included in this book are science fiction author H.G. Wells and military theorist Ivan Bloch. This approach to the study of warfare is one of those rare examples of a book that can appeal to and inform a wide cross-section of readers.

152 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Bianca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a great source of information. I especially liked how the writer distuinguishes between fictional and professionally military opinions on future war. The sociocultural context was also very helpful.
I also have a few issues, however. Although the historical timespan indicated in the title is 1880-1914, I felt there was a very pronounced emphasis on post-1900 material. Moreover (and this is a personal thing for me), it annoyed me that there was almost no material on Griffith. I don't see why the author would dismiss his Angel of the Revolution after mentioning that it was one of the first novels with such explicit aerial warfare, and I definitely don't understand why he does so on the basis that H.G. Wells's narratives have a better sense of characterisation. 1) For someone writing a book on past and future, you're judging a past text by modern standards. 2) Your book isn't about characterisation, it's about machines, and Griffith's airships deserve a more prominent place in this work, if only because they're mode of operating is so specific.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries was a period of vast technological and social change. This prompted speculation about how things would change in the future, not least of which was how war-fighting would be different in years to come. Echevarria looks at some of those forecasts in both popular and professional military literature, and compares them to the real-world results in the First World War. A comprehensive and entertaining look at turn-of-the-last-century military futurism. And there are some helpful illustrations from the original publications.