Samuel Loh's Reviews > Strange Defeat

Bloch approaches a subject matter which, I feel, few writers of his time could have with the same extraordinary level of emotional collectedness, clarity, or finesse—the complete disintegration of one’s nation, both military and social. True to the historian’s craft, his writing is passionate but never impulsive, his judgments piercing but never unfair; with the exception of mostly infrequent, minor generalisations about different groups of people/organisations (which I nevertheless believe were made in good faith) e.g. when examining the Franco-British alliance’s shortcomings.

In hindsight, the actual reasons which Bloch identifies as central to the French capitulation are not entirely unheard of. The manner in which he presents them, however, is uniquely refreshing. His critique of High Command’s bureaucratic inefficiencies is often accompanied with sharp, sometimes even humorous, personal anecdotes that draw upon an insider’s perspective. He discusses these issues with the fervor and energy of a devoted soldier. The language (even if at times slightly scholarly/academic) is absolutely beautiful and a pleasure to read.

It is difficult to think of Strange Defeat as a strictly historical account for the fall of France in 1940. Indeed, as Bloch himself acknowledges quite often, his wartime appointment did not offer as telescopic a vantage point as he had hoped to pass comment on the more technical or strategic aspects of warmaking (as one might expect from other more conventional titles of military history). Most of the specific military failures he acquaints us with concern a small group of army elements operating in northern France/Belgium, and can scarcely be taken to be representative of the entire French war effort. Rather, Bloch’s work is a patriot’s (historian’s?) very insightful attempt to make meaning of the senselessness of defeat in war, and impose some kind of order to the chaos of total defeat.