Cultural Genocide and Mass Devastation in World War One
A Critical Review of Alan Kramer Dynamic of Destruction, Culture and Mass killing in the First World War
Kramer, Alan. Dynamic of Destruction: Culture and Mass Killing in the First World War. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-19-280342-9
Dynamic of Destruction is a secondary source written by Alan Kramer which analyses European cultures during the First World War. The book primarily focuses on cultural genocide, which the German army was responsible for in Belgium and also the Italian involvement in the battlefront of the war. In Kramer’s view the First World War was not only an atrocious event that solidified a new era of warfare, but it also created a culture …show more content…
Majority of individuals would think of mass killing when discussing the war, however in terms of overall deaths it did not differ from the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Kramer writes “ in the Franco- Prussian War of 1870–1 the annual death rate in the German army was 30 men per 1,000, while the rate was 34 per 1,000 in 1914–18. The First World War was therefore proportionately not very much more lethal”(Kramer 2). Kramer’s argument and also the thesis for this book is that It was in fact the link between mass killing and cultural destruction which made World War One so significant in human history. The first chapter in the book “The Burning of Louvain” focuses on the atrocities in the town of Louvain. Kramer does this by using contemporary accounts from Belgian civilians, international press, and the German army. The main focus Kramer draws in this chapter is the deliberate destruction of the Library of Louvain, which was a historical cultural monument in the town of Louvain, and also the cold-blooded destruction and killings the German army was responsible for. The civilian accounts Kramer uses in his books best capture the mayhem in the town of Louvain “The home of his father had been burned and the home of his brother; his friends and colleagues had been murdered before his eyes, and their bodies thrown into a cistern; long lines of …show more content…
Kramer incorporates hundreds of different sources varying from civilian accounts, army journals, and the international press. Furthermore Kramer is a renowned historian who is very knowledgeable in the field of World War One, which makes him a credible author for a book of this content. Dynamic of Destruction provides detailed insight into World War One and helps the reader understand and visualize the atrocious events which took place. The book is a great research tool for University students. Although, some may argue that it is not a primary source, the book contains a great deal of primary sources and the opinions and perspective of a
A Critical Review of Alan Kramer Dynamic of Destruction, Culture and Mass killing in the First World War
Kramer, Alan. Dynamic of Destruction: Culture and Mass Killing in the First World War. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-19-280342-9
Dynamic of Destruction is a secondary source written by Alan Kramer which analyses European cultures during the First World War. The book primarily focuses on cultural genocide, which the German army was responsible for in Belgium and also the Italian involvement in the battlefront of the war. In Kramer’s view the First World War was not only an atrocious event that solidified a new era of warfare, but it also created a culture …show more content…
Majority of individuals would think of mass killing when discussing the war, however in terms of overall deaths it did not differ from the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Kramer writes “ in the Franco- Prussian War of 1870–1 the annual death rate in the German army was 30 men per 1,000, while the rate was 34 per 1,000 in 1914–18. The First World War was therefore proportionately not very much more lethal”(Kramer 2). Kramer’s argument and also the thesis for this book is that It was in fact the link between mass killing and cultural destruction which made World War One so significant in human history. The first chapter in the book “The Burning of Louvain” focuses on the atrocities in the town of Louvain. Kramer does this by using contemporary accounts from Belgian civilians, international press, and the German army. The main focus Kramer draws in this chapter is the deliberate destruction of the Library of Louvain, which was a historical cultural monument in the town of Louvain, and also the cold-blooded destruction and killings the German army was responsible for. The civilian accounts Kramer uses in his books best capture the mayhem in the town of Louvain “The home of his father had been burned and the home of his brother; his friends and colleagues had been murdered before his eyes, and their bodies thrown into a cistern; long lines of …show more content…
Kramer incorporates hundreds of different sources varying from civilian accounts, army journals, and the international press. Furthermore Kramer is a renowned historian who is very knowledgeable in the field of World War One, which makes him a credible author for a book of this content. Dynamic of Destruction provides detailed insight into World War One and helps the reader understand and visualize the atrocious events which took place. The book is a great research tool for University students. Although, some may argue that it is not a primary source, the book contains a great deal of primary sources and the opinions and perspective of a