What is the main message of The Sleepwalkers?

The main message of The Sleepwalkers is the complex web of events and decisions that led to World War I.

How long does it take to read The Sleepwalkers?

The reading time for The Sleepwalkers varies depending on the reader's speed, but the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of The Sleepwalkers?

The author of The Sleepwalkers is Christopher Clark.

Politics

The Sleepwalkers Book Summary - The Sleepwalkers Book explained in key points

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The Sleepwalkers summary

Name: The Sleepwalkers
Rating: 4.5 (254 reviews)
Author: Christopher Clark

Christopher Clark

How Europe Went To War in 1914

4.5 (254 ratings)

22 mins

Brief summary

The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark is a historical account of the lead-up to WWI, detailing the political, social, and cultural reasons behind its outbreak. Clark highlights the missteps and miscalculations made by the major powers, resulting in a catastrophic war.

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European History Wars

Table of Contents

The Sleepwalkers
Summary of 10 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 10

What’s in it for me? See for yourself whether or not the Great War was inevitable.

The year 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War.

But, one hundred years later, do we really understand how the Great War started?

As you’ll learn in these blinks, the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife by the Serbian terrorist group Black Hand was the trigger for a far bigger crisis.

Following the assassination, Austria-Hungary issued Serbia an ultimatum. When the demands weren’t met, Austria declared war on Serbia. Russia, Germany and then France followed suit by mobilizing as well.

In these blinks, you’ll find out what each of these nations did and why to escalate the aggression.

You’ll also discover

how a single altercation between two countries could lead to a global war;
why several countries needed to go to war as soon as possible; and
why it was extremely difficult for any country to anticipate the actions of the others.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“These blinks present a clear and convincing explanation of how the world slid into the First World War. They suggest that the nations and empires of Europe ended up in conflict almost by accident. I found them fascinating, not only because of their description of politics 100 years ago, but also because of what they tell us about the world today.”

– Thomas, English Editorial Lead at Blinkist

The many alliances and connections between policymakers played a crucial role in the war’s outbreak.

The First World War was one of the biggest catastrophes of the twentieth century. It pitted the armies of most European countries and their empires against each other and led to millions of deaths.

But why did it start in the first place? Which country was to blame?

Although there is no simple answer, many historians have put much of the blame on the alliance system, a network that aligned each country either with another or against it. Most of the European powers had alliance treaties with others, meaning that if one country in the chain should be attacked, that country could depend on its allies to come to its aid.

For instance, the tiny country of Serbia was allied with Russia, which protected it from an attack by Austria. Austria itself was allied with Germany, which promised to respond if it were attacked. And Russia was allied with France, against the threat of a German attack.

However, while the purpose of the alliance system was to combat the threat of conflict, it actually increased the inherent risk in European power politics. If a war broke out in one region, the alliance system could trigger a chain reaction that would lead to a Europe-wide conflict.

The risk was further amplified because the alliance system had associations with some of Europe’s most unstable regions, such as the Balkans.

The Balkans, in the south-eastern corner of Europe, had once been dominated by the Ottoman Empire. But the Ottoman Empire was in the process of collapse, and in the power vacuum, both Austria and Russia aimed to expand their interests to the area and were prepared to use force.

However, their objectives were complicated in that many different nationalities shared the same space: Slavs, Germans, Bosnians, Hungarians, Romanians and Bulgarians all lived, unsegregated, in the area. This made the area hard to control, and volatile.

The alliance system in Europe split the continent into two polarized camps, greatly increasing the risk of war.

The alliance system began as an anti-war strategy, but eventually led to large polarized factions that raised the climate for war in 1914.

Before Europe divided itself into two groups, it was possible to prevent wars from spreading. In 1887 there were multiple, non-polarized, interlinked alliances that were designed to contain and de-escalate any conflict. Each alliance included a neutral power whose interests lied in brokering peace.

Germany and Austria-Hungary are partly responsible for turning a crisis into a world war.

The traditional historical view is that Austria, in response to the assassination of their Crown Prince and aggressively encouraged by Germany, first bullied and then declared war on Serbia – and in doing so, triggered a fatal chain reaction.

But is this accusation fair? Well, partly.

Russia and France also share responsibility for the war’s outbreak.

The role that Germany and Austria played in provoking the outbreak of war is a well-known fact.

But two other nations also share the blame – Russia and France.

Most people believed that, in the long run, a war was inevitable.

So far, we’ve looked at the war’s development in terms of nations’ actions. But, of course, nations are abstractions. It is the individuals and the governments the individuals comprise, who ultimately made the decisions to send their countries to war.

To understand how the Great War came about, we need to examine the popular opinions of this time.

Many policymakers in different countries saw an advantage in an early war.

As the inevitability of war became obvious to all involved, a Europe-wide realization took hold: better that this war occur sooner rather than later.

Why did the policymakers of each country come to the same conclusion? Let’s examine each country’s.

Anticipating the actions of other countries was difficult, due to disorderly governments and misinformation.

When we consider the actions of politicians and diplomats leading up to the First World War, one question stands out: Why did certain countries make such great mistakes when anticipating the actions of others? Why, for example, didn’t the Austrians anticipate Russia’s reaction to its invasion of Serbia? Or why did Russia mobilize against Germany when their dispute was with Austria?

One reason is that, in many countries, the system of government was muddled, to say the least.

The alliances often proved to be fickle and unreliable.

To answer the question of whether the First World War was truly inevitable, it will help to look at one of the main factors in the outbreak: the alliance system and the resulting polarization of Europe.

While the various alliances appear strong in hindsight, the truth is they were malleable.

There were various promising attempts to end the crisis peacefully, even in the last days before it started.

The assassination of Austria’s Franz Ferdinand was a shock to many, and triggered a major crisis.

But while it may appear that all hope for peace was lost, the fact is that several political leaders had tried to end the crisis peacefully.

It’s difficult to make definitive statements from old historical sources.

In the previous blinks, we looked at many details and arguments on how the First World War broke out.

But many other facts remain unclear. For various reasons, it’s difficult to make definite statements about the war, based solely on old historical sources.

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What is The Sleepwalkers about?

Christopher Clark’s The Sleepwalkers takes a fresh look at the outbreak of the First World War, focusing on the alliances established among Europe’s nations in the years leading up to 1914. In his compelling and masterful account, Clark examines the decisions, both big and small, that led to the outbreak, and investigates the common belief that the war was an inevitability.

The Sleepwalkers Review

The Sleepwalkers (2012) by Christopher Clark is an eye-opening exploration of the political and social landscape of Europe in the years leading up to World War I. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:

With meticulous research and detailed analysis, Clark sheds light on the complexities of the period, challenging common misconceptions and revealing new perspectives.
The book delves deep into the motivations and actions of key players, offering insights into the origins of the war that are both enlightening and thought-provoking.
Clark's narrative weaves together multiple threads of European history, providing a comprehensive understanding of the interconnected factors that led to the war.

Who should read The Sleepwalkers?

Anyone who wants to learn more about the outbreak of the First World War
Anyone interested in European history and international relations
Anyone interested in how wars can start

About the Author

Christopher Clark is a historian from Australia, who is currently Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge. Among his other books, he is also the author of Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947.

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