Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914 (War, Technology, and History Series)
Rapid and momentous technological changes at the turn of the 20th century forced military professionals and educated civilians to envision the future of war and warfare, especially during an age where nations found themselves aggressively competing for dominance on the world stage. Antulio J. Echevarria II offers a comparative study of these predictions to assess who "got it right" and why. He concludes that professionals were particularly adept at predicting the warfare of the immediate future by framing their discussions in terms of solving tactical problems, but they were much less successful at thinking of the long-term. Unburdened by the necessity of strategic problem-solving, educated amateurs were allowed more flexibility to imagine the long-term future of warfare, and, at times, proved to be remarkably accurate.

Echevarria organizes his study by comparing visions of future wars on land, at sea, undersea, and in air. In each instance professionals and amateurs had their own distinctive imaginings. Among the notable speculators included in this book are science fiction author H.G. Wells and military theorist Ivan Bloch. This approach to the study of warfare is one of those rare examples of a book that can appeal to and inform a wide cross-section of readers.

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Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914 (War, Technology, and History Series)
Rapid and momentous technological changes at the turn of the 20th century forced military professionals and educated civilians to envision the future of war and warfare, especially during an age where nations found themselves aggressively competing for dominance on the world stage. Antulio J. Echevarria II offers a comparative study of these predictions to assess who "got it right" and why. He concludes that professionals were particularly adept at predicting the warfare of the immediate future by framing their discussions in terms of solving tactical problems, but they were much less successful at thinking of the long-term. Unburdened by the necessity of strategic problem-solving, educated amateurs were allowed more flexibility to imagine the long-term future of warfare, and, at times, proved to be remarkably accurate.

Echevarria organizes his study by comparing visions of future wars on land, at sea, undersea, and in air. In each instance professionals and amateurs had their own distinctive imaginings. Among the notable speculators included in this book are science fiction author H.G. Wells and military theorist Ivan Bloch. This approach to the study of warfare is one of those rare examples of a book that can appeal to and inform a wide cross-section of readers.

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Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914 (War, Technology, and History Series)

Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914 (War, Technology, and History Series)

by Antulio J. Echevarria
Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914 (War, Technology, and History Series)
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Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914 (War, Technology, and History Series)

Imagining Future War: The West's Technological Revolution and Visions of Wars to Come, 1880-1914 (War, Technology, and History Series)

by Antulio J. Echevarria

Overview

Rapid and momentous technological changes at the turn of the 20th century forced military professionals and educated civilians to envision the future of war and warfare, especially during an age where nations found themselves aggressively competing for dominance on the world stage. Antulio J. Echevarria II offers a comparative study of these predictions to assess who "got it right" and why. He concludes that professionals were particularly adept at predicting the warfare of the immediate future by framing their discussions in terms of solving tactical problems, but they were much less successful at thinking of the long-term. Unburdened by the necessity of strategic problem-solving, educated amateurs were allowed more flexibility to imagine the long-term future of warfare, and, at times, proved to be remarkably accurate.

Echevarria organizes his study by comparing visions of future wars on land, at sea, undersea, and in air. In each instance professionals and amateurs had their own distinctive imaginings. Among the notable speculators included in this book are science fiction author H.G. Wells and military theorist Ivan Bloch. This approach to the study of warfare is one of those rare examples of a book that can appeal to and inform a wide cross-section of readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780313051104
Publisher: ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date: 04/30/2007
Series: War, Technology, and History
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

ANTULIO J. ECHEVARRIA II is Director of Research at the Army War College and the former Director of National Security Affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute. From 1998 to 2000 he was the speechwriter for the Army Chief of Staff. He is the author of numerous articles in Military History Quarterly; Joint Forces Quarterly; Army History; Parameters; Air & Space Power Journal; Marine Corps Gazette; Naval War College Review; Naval Institute Proceedings; Journal of Strategic Studies; Military Review; and others.

Table of Contents


Series Foreword     ix
Introduction     xiii
The Times     1
The Future Then     13
War Before the Great War     27
War and the Future     41
Wars on Land     57
Wars at Sea     69
Wars in the Air     81
Conclusion     95
Notes     101
Index     115
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