OSHER 47 - World War I: Mayhem Made Manifest

No war was as devastating or as avoidable as World War I. Supposedly learned men created a diplomatic system of the most fragile sort and in the process created consequences beyond comprehension. The Great War, as it was called, showcased the disparities between emerging technology and military doctrine. The frontal assault that had been the bedrock of military actions for centuries produced unimagined casualties when pitted against the technologies of machine guns, rapid fire canon, and airplanes. As with its predecessor series of lectures on World War II, this lecture series focuses on specific events and campaign, but even more on the decisions and results. We will carefully examine the pros and cons of the major decisions, the factors in play, and why the final decisions were as they turned out to be. This course should be an eye-opener to many.