The Centenary of the British Publication of Jean de Bloch's Is War Now Impossible? (1899-1999)

Abstract

This article is a celebration of Jean de Bloch's contribution to military thought. Bloch is generally well known among military historians, if not the general public. For some historians he was the unheeded economist hero who correctly predicted the nature of the Great War. For others he is a somewhat overrated figure who actually failed to grasp the true complexities of `modern warfare'. Depending on their point of view, the British army is therefore seen by some as being foolish to have ignored Bloch's work prior to 1914, or to have actually grasped the essentials of a future conflict without the necessity of his aid. This article will discuss the debate between Bloch and the professional officers of the British army and the insights historians and military theorists have contributed this century, and will offer a new perspective on the issue. Broadly, it will argue that the importance of the engagement between Bloch and the British army is not simply a matter of reputations. The debate is of continuing importance because it illustrates one of the key problems of our time; how social scientific theories and findings, articulated by a professional community, are established as a body of knowledge; and how non-members, laymen, actually fare when challenging or criticizing this professional knowledge.