The Psychology of the Great War

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The outbreak of World War I marked the collapse of socialist class solidarity and underscored nationalism's strength, as workers turned against each other in a devastating conflict. While many have sought to explain the war's origins, few have approached it from such an intimate perspective as LeBon. He explores why German scholars attempted to deny their country's guilt and examines the French army's remarkable resolve amidst adversity. LeBon's answers are grounded in psychological principles, which he argues better elucidate the causes of German academic denial and the roots of French valor. He contends that psychology is essential for understanding collective behavior, dismissing purely economic or political interpretations as inadequate. His work bridges the study of crowd and battlefield behavior, illustrating how ordinary individuals can become savages in the face of monumental events. This idea influenced thinkers like Georges Sorel, who observed similar transformations during strikes and revolutions, and later, Hannah Arendt, who termed this phenomenon the "banality of evil." The book appeals to social theorists, psychologists focused on group behavior, and historians of the era.