THE LAST OF THE RATIONALISTS
BOOKS OF THE DAY
By W. T. WELLS . . . To lose faith in false gods," writes Captain Liddell Hart in an appreciation of T. E. Lawrence contained in his new book,* " is a positive gain." The remark is part of Captain Liddell Hart's reply to a comment on Lawrence to the effect that the latter " went to his grave without delivering any message." By the " discard of vanities," he says, Lawrence " c:ame nearer to complete freedom than any man I have known." But this confession of faith in losing faith is much more than a link in a chain of argument concerning one man's place in history. It is, rather, a thread which runs through the whole of Captain Liddell Hart's thought, and he consciously allows it to draw him into situations and arguments Which any man, to whom comfort and ease weighed as of any importance, would be careful to avoid.
Captain Liddell Hart has a reputation as an iconoclast and as, on occasion, a hard hitter, but those who open this volume in the hope of finding either destructive attacks on military .reputations or displays of verbal fireworks will be sadly dis- appointed. Nor will those who approach this new volume of essays find, perhaps, a great deal of information which they could not have gleaned from the author's earlier writings. Viewed as a whole, the book is an attempt to set not only the War of 1914-1918, but also the author's own writings about it, in perspective, and by mature reflection to inculcate lessons which may guide us through the perils of the future. This he is able to do in a calm and studied fashion because the lapse of time, his own work and that of other writers, have created in the wide public which he aims at, and succeeds in reaching, a critical interest which can be satisfied by quiet discussion.
This, then, is the predominating tone of the book, and it suits to an astonishing degree the author's aptitudes and powers. It is probable that these have nowhere been so clearly displayed as in the essay on Haig. That this should contain criticism, and severe criticism, will surprise none. That it will, even at this time of day, pain and anger some Captain Liddell Hart recognises—and he recognises that there may be other causes of this pain and this anger than personal feelings or mere stupidity :
" . . . the military hierarchy shows a natural anxiety lest a know- ledge of the fallibility of the generals of yesterday should disturb the soldier's trust in the generals of today and tomorrow. A realisation of the cycle of familiar errors, endlessly recurring, which largely makes up the course of military history may lead one to think that the only hope of escape lies in a more candid scrutiny of past expe- rience and a new honesty in facing the facts. But one should still be able to appreciate the point of view of those who fear the conse- quences. Faith matters so much in times of crisis. One must have gone deep into history before reaching the conviction that truth matters more."
This is probably putting the case for obscurantism as high as it can reasonably be put. Having put it, the author goes on to paint the picture of the man with a delicacy and a firmness which leave nothing to be desired. He repudiates the view that Haig was " a stupid man." On the other hand the intrigue with Robertson to get rid of French, and the disgraceful suppres- sion of vital facts from the Cabinet, of which Mr. Lloyd George has complained with such good reason, are presented not as the manifestations of the character of a backstairs politician, but as the errors of a man led astray by self-importance, " the blend of a deeply religious trend with an ever-growing self- confidence." A slight irony is permitted to enter into the account of Haig's rise to prominence : •
44 Haig was far from a failure at Camberley. He definitely
made an impression on the instructors as well as on his fellow-
* Through the Fog of War. By Liddell Hart. (Faber and Faber. 125. 6c1.)
•
students, and that impression was deepened when he attended shooting parties, given by his sister Henrietta, in the company of the Prince of Wales. This was natural."
As an instance of the caution and moderation which some Of his criticswould deny Captain Liddell Hart; the final passage, in which he says that " It is only by measuring his handicaps that we can appreciate how much Haig accomplished in spite of them," deserves, though it cannot receive,- quotation in full. In this essay he shows himself armed at almost every point, as historian, literary critic, military thinker, and philo- sopher. In the essay on Robertson, he must, indeed, stand astonished at his own moderation,•for it is difficult, even at this distance of time, not to burn with anger at, for example, the stupid and arrogant way in which this promoted trooper once dismissed a suggestion by Balfour that we might consider a reversion to our historic strategy in the conduct of the War.
, Robertson shared with Haig and a great many other soldiers an astonishing ignorance of British institutions and their inner meaning. One of the themes to which Captain Liddell Hart constantly returns throughout the volume is the relationship between statesmen and soldiers, and in particular the superior strategic insight generally in our history displayed by the former. Of this he offers an interesting explanation. The soldier, even if he finds time to study strategy, " has no real practice until war comes. In contrast, there is a close relation between military and political strategy. War, like politics, is a two- party contest. A sense of time and of the opponent's psychology is indispensable to both. A successful political strategist has such constant practice that, with study, he ought to be able to adjust himself to war more easily than a peace-trained soldier to strategy."
It is impossible here to analyse in any detail the book as a whole. Beginning with a survey of the War in a nutshell, Captain Liddell Hart passes 'on to discuss War persortalities and personal views of the War. Parts Four and Five consist of historical views of the War—in form mainly reviews of different volumes of the Official History. There follow accounts of three episodes, including the invasion of Belgium, in which the wisdom and insight of King Albert are saliently contrasted with the delusions of the French and Belgian General Staffs. Finally, in an epilogue, there are set out some of the historical lessons which the author draws: It is almost superfluous to say that, even if a little uneven in interest, all the essays are a delight to read. It would appear that, inverting the process of development of Latin literature, Captain _Liddell Hart's .prose is passing from its Silver to its Augustan Age.
As these lines are being written, it seems that, once again, the lights in Europe are going out, and that we are to be enveloped in the fog of war. At such a time not only has this book a peculiar relevance, but also its underlying message has a quality of piquancy.. " How differently the affairs of the world would go—with a little more decency, a little more honesty, a little more thought. Especially a little more thought." For Captain Liddell Hart our present situation is but the natural result of our short-sighted attempt " to play the old diplomatic game " while in fact giving our opponents the chance " of manoeuvring for position before the main stroke is delivered." " What can the individual learn from history—as a guide to living ? Not what to do, but what to strive for . . . The importance and intrinsic value of behaving decently. The importance of seeing clearly—not least ourselves." The author's creed gives a light by which to steer, but it will not of itself give men the courage by which to die. And this, he might reply, is its greatest merit. He is the last of the rationalists, and offers us a way, not of death, but of life.
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