Title: The Illusion of Victory: America in World War I
Abstract: The Illusion of Victory: America in World War I Thomas Fleming Basic Books, 2003 As title indicates, this book is more than a detailed scholarly history. It is also a work of hard-hitting analysis. Thomas Fleming has written an extended essay about American involvement in World War I that gives an informative factual account while also expressing a definite point of view. His perspective runs counter to conventional wisdom that reveres Woodrow Wilson and counts him as among best of American presidents. In Fleming's account, Wilson emerges as a man who, although deeply caring and confident, is uncompromising, vindictive, naive, duplicitous, craving of fame, and Utopian. Fleming has written more than twenty books. These include several histories and biographies on a variety of subjects, as well as nine works of fiction. When he writes about illusion that United States was a victor in World War I, however, he has something of a personal stake in subject: his father, a sergeant in 78th Division, received a battlefield commission when all officers of his company were killed or wounded. The American intervention into World War I is arguably most pivotal event of twentieth century. Before leading country into war, Wilson, he says, first pursued a period of sham that applied a double standard to British and Germans. Fleming ponders what would have happened if United States had followed a true neutrality that would not have provided abundant material support to Allies. He concludes that the war might have ended in 1916 with a negotiated peace based on mutual admission that conflict had become a stalemate. Had this occurred, stage would have been set much differently for rest of century than it turned out to be. Among countless other things, millions of lives would have been spared, Europe would not have depleted itself internally and on world stage, Treaty of Versailles with its aftermath of national socialism in Germany would not have come about, there would have been no Second World War, and Russia would not have fallen under sway of MarxismLeninism that towered over world for seventy-some years and itself took millions of lives. Without Communism in Russia, it is doubtful that Mao would have conquered China and that Korean and Vietnam wars would have come about. Some readers will be content to value book merely as an excellent chronicle of war years and of Wilson in context of politics and personalities of time. Its greater worth, however, lies in its analysis. It has much to teach. In a final chapter summarizing his conclusions, Fleming comments about messianic utopianism that we know today is central to debate about United States' role in world affairs. Fleming sees it as foolish and dangerous: Idealism is not synonymous with sainthood or virtue. It only sounds that way. The most dangerous aspect of American idealism is its tendency to become Utopian, to propose as ideals a foreign policy or political reforms or a world order that ignores realities of way men and women - and nations - live and prosper. He then refers to utopian derangements. This goes to heart of matter. Much of thrust of book has been to show vast extent to which messianic outlook of Wilson administration and, through it, of much of American people was based on misinformation, disinformation, myth, and conceptual blindness. The Illusion of Victory may be seen as a case study in folly that seems so chronically a prime mover in much that humanity does. The derangement that Fleming speaks of is seen in cliches that prevailed in Wilson's thought: 1. Democracy. Wilson famously said the world must be made safe for democracy, which was to be accomplished by defeating German threat. There was, however, no consensus for democracy either in world in general or among major powers, as was evident at time and was made clear during decades that followed. …
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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