Hew Strachan and the Sociology of War

Hew Strachan’s contribution to military history has been widely recognized. Signally, he brought a new global perspective to the study of the First World War, while simultaneously arguing for the irretrievably political nature of war. This article makes an unusual and implausible argument. It maintains that in addition to Strachan’s undoubted historical contribution, his work can be read as a form of sociology. Specifically, Strachan’s analysis of the politics of war and the armed forces highlights the way in which interest groups at every level influence defence policy and the conduct of war itself. By prioritizing political interests as a prime explanatory factor, Strachan has, perhaps unwittingly, developed a highly sophisticated sociology of war.