One hundred years ago saw the declaration of a war that would forever change our understanding of war. With a staggering loss of life, World War One was, by all accounts, a brutal and devastating tragedy. One-hundred years later, countries around the world are preparing to commemorate the Great War not with regret but with nationalist pride. Conservative forces, already well into a program to elevate the place of the military in society, are embracing the opportunity to replace today's apparent cynicism with an unquestioning patriotism similar to that which existed a century ago. Noble Illusions examines the use of propaganda to glorify racist colonial wars and, in the wake of those, the Great War. Concerned that the rise of militarism is leading today's youth in a similar direction, Stephen Dale offers this examination as an inoculation against the blind patriotism politicians are working so hard to instill.
One hundred years ago saw the declaration of a war that would forever change our understanding of war. With a staggering loss of life, World War One was, by all accounts, a brutal and devastating tragedy. One-hundred years later, countries around the world are preparing to commemorate the Great War not with regret but with nationalist pride. Conservative forces, already well into a program to elevate the place of the military in society, are embracing the opportunity to replace today's apparent cynicism with an unquestioning patriotism similar to that which existed a century ago. Noble Illusions examines the use of propaganda to glorify racist colonial wars and, in the wake of those, the Great War. Concerned that the rise of militarism is leading today's youth in a similar direction, Stephen Dale offers this examination as an inoculation against the blind patriotism politicians are working so hard to instill.