A General Sketch of the European War

Writing while the European conflict was still unfolding, Hilaire Belloc sets out to explain its causes and opening movements to readers puzzled by daily reports. This first volume divides the subject into political causes, the strength and position of the opposing powers, and the initial campaigns in East and West. Prussia, Austria-Hungary, the Balkan states and the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum enter his account of how competing national aims became armed conflict.

Belloc builds his explanation around simplified maps, diagrams and comparisons of military resources. A discussion of troops arranged at the corners of a square shows how one force can hold an advancing enemy while others move to support it. The practical demands of marching, retreat and coordination give substance to his strategic arguments. For a reader today, the book offers both an introduction to early First World War operations and a view of how a wartime commentator interpreted events as they developed.