Structure

“The Guns of August” by Barbara W. Tuchman consists of twenty-two lengthy and detailed chapters. The story begins with the funeral of English King Edward in 1910 when talk of war was stirring in the hearts and minds of military and political men in Europe and Russia. German Kaiser Wilhelm attended the funeral but detested the dead King. Part of the sentiment fueled the Kaiser’s desire for war. He wanted Germany to rule Europe including the hated British. From this starting point, the story proceeds in a generally chronological order with infrequent references to past events.

“The Guns of August” tells the story of the first days of the war that started on August 1, 1914. It also tells the complicated story of the lead-up to the war – how the leaders of each country viewed the war, what their part would be in such a war, and what the...