Fighting for Peace

When Henry Van Dyke accepted a diplomatic appointment to the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1913, he hoped to help strengthen international peace. His account opens with Holland's quiet canals, green pastures and autumn woods, then considers the warning signs he recognised after war began. Writing from his experience abroad, he explains why his belief in arbitration became an argument for peace supported by justice and the ability to defend it.

Diplomatic documents concerning Austria's ultimatum and Germany's support for its ally become the basis for a closer examination of the conflict. Van Dyke compares official messages and public statements, building a forceful case about responsibility for the conflict. These chapters offer readers interested in the First World War a diplomat's personal recollections alongside his political reasoning. The contrast between the calm of his arrival and the disputes he later examines gives the account its particular perspective on the difficulties of securing peace.