The Guns of August The Guns of August ( 1962 ) , also published as " August 1914 " , is a volume of history by Barbara Tuchman . It is centered around the first month of World War I . After introductory chapters , Tuchman describes in great detail the opening events of the conflict . Its focus then becomes a military history of the contestants , chiefly the great power s . " The Guns of August " thus provides a narrative of the earliest stages of World War I , from the decisions to go to war , up until the start of the Franco - British offensive that stopped the German advance into France . The result was four years of trench warfare . In the course of her narrative Tuchman includes discussion of the plans , strategies , world events , and international sentiments before and during the war . The book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for General Non - fiction for publication year 1963 . It also proved very popular . Tuchman would later return to a subject she had touched upon in " The Guns of August " , i . e . , the social attitudes and issues that existed before World War I , in a collection of eight essays published in 1966 under the title " The Proud Tower : A Portrait of the World Before the War , 1890 - 1914 " . The book . A funeral . In May 1910 the funeral of Edward VII of the United Kingdom drew the presence of ten kings , prominent among them being Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany . Wilhelm , or William , was King Edward ' s nephew . This opening chapter [ at 15 - 30 ] begins and ends with a description of this royal funeral [ 15 - 18 , 26 - 30 ] , and in between provides a discussion of the continent ' s political alliances and the diplomacy of royalty , all amidst the national rivalries , the imperialism , and social Darwinism , in the years leading up to the Great War ( 1914 - 1918 ) . Plans . Chapters 2 to 5 [ 33 - 87 ] are grouped into the first section called " Plans " . Addressed here is pre - war military planning , as done by the major powers in Europe . Included are the German Schlieffen plan , France ' s offensive Plan XVII , joint British and French arrangements , and Russia ' s approach to a future European war . Outbreak . The section " Outbreak " starts with a short introduction [ at 91 - 92 ] which briefly mentions the trigger event that caused World War I . On June 28 , 1914 , in Sarajevo , Serbian terrorists ambushed and murdered the heir apparent to the throne of Austria - Hungary , the Archduke Franz Ferdinand , age 50 , and his wife Sophie , Duchess of Hohenberg ( the former Sophie Chotek ) , age 46 , mother of three . European - wide diplomacy and military preparations during July are then referenced . Chapters 6 to 9 [ 93 - 157 ] commence with August 1914 . Discussed and probed are maneuvers by leading politicians , diplomatic affairs , and actions undertaken by various armies , during the opening days of the war , August 1st to August 4th . Covered are the Kaiser ' s hesitation , the struggle by Russia to ensure her ally France would join in the war , France ' s attempts to win a guarantee from Britain of her involvement , and then Germany ' s ultimatum to Belgium . Battle . The bulk of the remainder of the book , chapters 10 to 22 [ 159 - 483 ] , is essentially devoted to the battles and tactical planning on two fronts , the Western ( chapters 11 to 14 , 17 , and 19 to 22 ) and the Eastern ( chapters 15 and 16 ) . Yet Austria , and the Balkans , are omitted . Chapters 10 and 18 are devoted to the war at sea . Intertwined in this narration are the adverse effects of the vanity of the various leaders , and insubordination . Also addressed are some perceptions made among those in the rest of the world , including a critical interpretation of events that cemented various political views ( e . g . , chapter 17 ) . The short " Afterward " then reflects on the horrific events of August , 1914 . Mediterranean . Tuchman starts the " Battle " section by covering the search by Allied naval forces for the German battlecruiser in the Mediterranean ( chapter 10 , at [ 161 - 187 ] ) . The " Goeben " finally took refuge in the Dardanelles , waters of the then neutral Ottoman Empire [ 182 - 184 ] . Such naval actions set off diplomatic maneuvers , yet the event precipitated Turkey ' s entry into the war on the side of Germany . This development worked to block Russian import / export via its year - round ports on the Black Sea . This in turn led to the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign . Western Front . Chapters 11 to 14 [ 188 - 296 ] cover the war in the west Europe . First discussed are the German invasion northeast of Belgium [ 188 - 207 ] and the general " western front " , especially the situation in Alsace [ 207 - 220 ] . Next Tuchman describes the arrival in France of the British Expeditionary Force or BEF ( chapter 12 [ 221 - 233 ] ) . As they crossed the Belgian frontier , the German armies were engaged by the Belgian army in front of Liège and , in the East of France , by five French armies and , in the south of Belgium , by four British divisions ( known as the British Expeditionary Force or BEF ) . The French were said to be labouring under the delusion that Gallic élan would be crucial in countering German attacks while the English fought hard to Charleroi . During August each side deployed its armed forces in order to effect its own strategies developed in advance of the war ( discussed in detail above : " Plans " ) . The French High Command had made incomplete allowances for dealing with the large massed attack by the German army that now came quickly bearing down on them . It was perhaps through the decisions of one corps commander , Charles Lanrezac , who timely acted before getting permission from Joffre , that the entire French line was eventually saved from envelopment and general collapse . Although his pleas were ignored , Lanrezac withdrew his forces at Charleroi from an untenable position ( and probable destruction ) , and redeployed more favorably [ 236 - 240 , 275 - 279 , 282 - 286 , 295 ] . He was later relieved of command [ 465 ] . The Battle of the Frontiers was brutal . The Belgian army was rushed against the German army , but the Allies were forced to slowly retreat under the German onslaught until finally the Germans were within 40 miles of Paris . The city was saved through the courage and verve of a semi - retired territorial general , Joseph Gallieni , who brilliantly marshaled his limited resources and saved the day . The city was preparing for siege and possible complete destruction and the government had fled south , when two divisions of reserves suddenly arrived and were rushed to the front by the city ' s fleet of 600 taxi cabs . Tuchman cynically notes that Joffre later took complete credit for saving Paris and the French army — after having the commander who ordered the tactical retreat , Charles Lanrezac , relieved of duty , and the older commander and his former superior , Joseph Gallieni , pushed back into obscurity . Tuchman is also careful to point out that , although many of Joffre ' s actions were shameful , when he was finally pushed into action he showed great skill in guiding the hastily improvised counter - blow that crashed into the invader ' s flank . The Germans greatly contributed to their own undoing by outrunning their supply lines , pushing their infantry to the point of physical collapse , and deviating from the original invasion plan , which called for the right flank to be protected from counterattack . At this stage of its offensive the German army lacked troops used by the siege of the fortress of Antwerp held by the Belgian army . Both sides were plagued by poor communication and general staffs that were heavily invested with politics and sycophancy . Dire warnings from commanders in the field were ignored when they did not fit preconceived notions of quick victory at low cost ( a recurring problem that has beset armies up to this day ) . Tuchman carefully introduces us to all the key players , both the Allied ( French , British , Belgian and Russian ) and German commanders . With her characteristic attention to detail , we learn of their personalities , strengths , and weaknesses . Russia and Germany . Only chapters 15 and 16 are devoted to the Eastern Front . These chapters center on the Russian invasion of East Prussia and the German reaction to it , culminating in the battle of Tannenberg . Here the Russian advance was stopped , decisively . In these chapters , Tuchman covers the series of errors , faulty plans , poor communications , and poor logistics which , among other things , decidedly helped the French in the west . For example , the Germans mistakenly transferred from the west two corps to defend against what the book refers to as the ' Russian Steam Roller ' . The great misery which developed on the eastern front is adumbrated . Flames of Louvain . Woven into the text about the battles in Belgium are threads of fact which allied governments would employ in the formation of the west ' s eventual opinion that Germany had been " the aggressor nation " against Belgium , notwithstanding the initial attack on Austria by Serbian terrorists . Such facts and conclusions would be repeated for the duration of the war , and greatly affect the future involvement of the United States . Also here in chapter 17 " The Flames of Louvain " , Tuchman places a selection of German views from a variety of sources as to the aims and desires of the German Empire . She cites [ at page 348 - 349 ] Thomas Mann saying the goal was " the establishment of the German idea in history , the enthronement of " Kultur " , the fulfillment of Germany ' s historical mission " . She then conveys the American reporter Irvin S . Cobb ' s account of an interview with a ' German scientist ' : " Germany [ is ] for progress . German " Kultur " will enlighten the world and after this war there will never be another . " Yet further , a ' German businessman ' opines that the war will give Europe " a new map , and Germany will be at the center of it " ( aims similar to a " grandiose " imperial working paper [ mentioned later at 360 - 361 ] ) . Yet such outspoken menace , Tuchman notes , worked to solidify opposition to Germany , caused George B . Shaw to become " fed up " at Prussian Militarism , and H . G . Wells to condemn the German " war god " and hope for an end to all armed conflict [ at 349 ] . Chapter 17 ' s main focus is the German army ' s atrocities in Belgium , in particular against the historic university city of Louvain [ at 356 - 359 ] . Tuchman frames her remarks by describing [ at 350 - 351 , 359 ] the German military ' s " theory of terror " . Accordingly , in a failed attempt to suppress the " illegal " " belgians franc - tireur " ( civilians shooting at German troops ) [ 354 - 355 ] , hundreds of nearby citizens at several Belgium towns had been executed [ at 351 - 353 ] . Her accounts of the ferocity of such German army reprisal s against the general population , and of the willful burning of Louvain , e . g . , its university library , leave little doubt as to why the western allies might feel themselves justified to condemn Germany and Germans wholesale . The war at sea . Chapter 18 [ 363 - 380 ] describes the British fear that , their island nation being dependent on overseas imports , the German navy would manage to disrupt their international trade . Although Britain ' s navy was superior in ships and experience , perhaps the German navy ' s " best opportunity for a successful battle was in the first two or three weeks of the war " [ 397 ] . Yet then the German fleet remained in port , ordered not to challenge the British warships watching the North Sea [ 368 - 369 ] . Consequently , a substantial control over the world ' s seaways was then exerted by Britain ' s Royal Navy [ 376 ] . Surrounding the neutral role of the United States of America , diplomatic politicking quickly intensified . On August 6th Washington formally requested the Europeans to agree to follow the 1908 " Declaration of London " , which " favored the neutrals ' right to trade as against the belligerents ' right to blockade " [ 371 ] . Germany agreed . Britain " said Yes and meant No " [ 372 ] , supplemented by an " Order of Council " on August 20th ( the 100th anniversary of Britain ' s burning of Washington ) [ 373 - 374 ] . Despite the equitable intent of international law , Britain sought to receive supplies from America while their naval blockade denied them to Germany . President Wilson had already advised Americans on August 18th to be " neutral in fact as well as in name , impartial in thought as well as in action " so that America might become the " impartial mediator " who could then bring " standards of righteousness and humanity " to the belligerents in order to negotiate " a peace without victory " in Europe [ 375 - 376 , 377 ] . Yet war - time paper profits from a nearly fourfold increase in trade with Britain and France , and " German folly " , eventually would work to undo America ' s neutrality [ 376 , 377 ] . Paris defended . The book ' s last four chapters ( 19 - 22 ) describe the fighting in France up to the beginning of the First Battle of the Marne . The French and British forces , united at last , fall on von Kluck ' s exposed right flank , in what would be the first successful offensive by the Allies . In the subsequent attack , the Germans were forced back north , with both sides suffering terrible losses . While Paris had been saved , the war took on a new cast , with both sides settling into a defensive trench system that cut across France and Belgium from the Channel to Switzerland . This became known as the Western Front , and over the next four years it would consume a generation of young men . Afterwards . In the brief Afterwards [ 484 - 489 ] , Tuchman offers reflections on the First Battle of the Marne , and on the world conflict in general . The war ' s opening " produced deadlock on the Western Front . Sucking up lives at the rate of 5 , 000 and sometimes 50 , 000 a day , absorbing munitions , energy , money , brains , and trained men . . . , " it ate up its contestants . " The nations were caught in a trap . . . . " With time such a war would become intolerable . " Men could not sustain a war of such magnitude and pain without hope - - the hope that its very enormity would ensure that it could never happen again . . . " [ at 488 , 489 ] . A Tuchman theme : errors made . Throughout the aforementioned narrative , Tuchman constantly brings up the numerous misconceptions , miscalculations , and mistakes that she believed resulted in the tragedy of trench warfare . Among these were : Overall , Tuchman argued that none of the war ' s major combatants wanted a prolonged war , but the above factors caused it nonetheless . Likewise , she argued that even successes , such as the First Battle of the Marne ( a French victory ) , were to some extent accidental victories that were won despite , not because of , military leadership or strategy . Cultural effects . The book was an immediate bestseller and was on the " New York Times " best - seller list for 42 consecutive weeks . The Pulitzer Prize nomination committee was unable to award it the prize for outstanding history because Joseph Pulitzer ' s will specifically stated that the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for history must be a book on American history . Instead , Tuchman was given the prize for general non - fiction . According to the cover notes of an audio version of " The Guns of August " , " [ President John F . Kennedy ] was so impressed by the book , he gave copies to his cabinet and principal military advisers , and commanded them to read it . " In " One Minute to Midnight " on the Cuban Missile Crisis , Michael Dobbs notes the deep impression " Guns " had on Kennedy . He often quoted from it and wanted " every officer in the Army " to read it as well . Subsequently , " [ t ] he secretary of the Army sent copies to every U . S . military base in the world . Kennedy drew from " The Guns of August " to help in dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis , including the profound and unpredictable implications a rapid escalation of the situation could have . The British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan , who had served on the Western Front during the First World War , was also profoundly affected by the book . In his diary for Monday , 22 October 1962 , he wrote : Graham Allison , a political scientist who covered the Cuban Missile Crisis in " Essence of Decision " , noted the effect of the Tuchman ' s book on Kennedy , but also its implications for the proper study of decision - making and warfare . Allison created an entire model of decision - making , which he called the " Organizational Process Model , " based on such issues as those covered by Tuchman , a model which directly countered game theory and other rationalistic means of explaining events . Tuchman in narrative . While she did not explicitly mention this in " The Guns of August " , Barbara Tuchman was a witness to one of the pivotal events of the book : the pursuit of the German battle cruiser " Goeben " and light cruiser " Breslau " . In her account of this pursuit she writes : " That morning [ August 10 , 1914 ] there arrived in Constantinople the small Italian passenger steamer which had witnessed the " Gloucester " ' s action against " Goeben " and " Breslau " . Among its passengers were the daughter , son - in - law and three grandchildren of the American ambassador Mr . Henry Morgenthau . " As she was a grandchild of Henry Morgenthau , one suspects that she is referring to herself . This is confirmed in her later book " Practicing History " , in which she tells the story of her father , Maurice Wertheim , traveling from Constantinople to Jerusalem on August 29th , 1914 , to deliver funds to the Jewish community there . Thus , at age two , Barbara Tuchman was a first - hand witness to the pursuit of " Goeben " and " Breslau " , which she documented 48 years later . Critical comments . Tuchman [ at 314 - 316 ] mistakenly followed Fritz Fischer in thinking that the " Septemberprogramm " statement of Germany ' s war aims in September 1914 was actual policy , while most historians such as Raffael Scheck agree that it was a discussion document that was never formally adopted .