Historia Infinitus

I’ve just finished reading The Fourth Horseman: One Man’s Mission to Wage the Great War in America by Robert Koenig. It is the story of American-born Anton Dilger and his treasonous actions during World War One.

Dilger was the son of a Civil War hero and grew up in Virginia. His family had very close ties with relatives in Germany. With the unification of the Germany after the Franco-Prussian War it went through an economic boom. A number of the Dilgers from Virginia moved back to Germany, Anton among them.

Anton was a brilliant doctor who had specialized in germ research. When the War broke out America claimed neutrality but sold weapons and horses to the Allies. Given his American citizenship, German loyalties, and knowledge of germs and horses Dilger was an ideal agent work on a biological sabotage campaign in the United States.

From the basement of a home in Chevy Chase Anton Dilger grew Glanders and Anthrax . The diseases would be spread among the horses and mules that were to be shipped to Europe in an effort to reduce the supplies of these important animals to the Allies.

When America officially entered the war against Germany, Dilger made his way down to Mexico and tried to arrange a Mexican invasion of the United States. That mission ultimately failed and he ended up in Madrid, Spain towards the end of the war. He would supposedly die of the Spanish Flu, but was more likely assassinated by German intelligence.

Overall an interesting story, especially in today’s world. Anton Dilger was “respectable, professional, firmly embedded in American society, but radicalized abroad and trained to wreak havoc.”

However, as the story of Anton Dilger I feel this book should have been half the length it was. First there is not enough real evidence to the full activities of Dilger, which is not uncommon for spies. A number of sections of the book do give theories of what he was doing or thinking. Also, there were numerous tangents about his fellow saboteurs involved in the biological attacks on America, as well as details on some of the more mundane acts of sabotage. There were entire sections of the book that had nothing to do with Dilger.

This book should have been written more as a overview of biological sabotage during World War One instead of focusing on just one man. That is the kind of book it was trying to be as it continually lost focus on Dilger. Some of the tangents exploring Dilger’s life not directly related to espionage could have then been replaced with more details on the entire campaign against America, possibly with more details on activities in Romania and South America that were related.

All-in-all it’s not a terrible book. It has some interesting insights into an aspects of the War that is often overlooked: the important role horses played in the war and the full extent of German sabotage in America.

Some people might think that France has always loved the United States, at least until George W. Bush became President. However, according to John J. Miller and Mark Molesky they have spent much more time in opposition to America than as its friend.

It all started with the French & Indian Wars. The French did their best to use various Amerind tribes as cannon fodder in their war against the British colonies. Their heinous actions would be remembered by the colonists for many years to come.

When the American Revolution started the French didn’t like the concept of democracy at all, it was an abomination in the minds of the monarchy…. However it wasn’t as bad as their old enemy, Britain. The French were able to put aside their distaste for democracy just long enough to get some cheap shots in on their more despised enemy. French assistance to the Americans was limited and at times did more harm than good.

When the Revolution ended the struggle against the French continued. The French were willing to cede all the territory occupied by the British to the British Empire leaving the rebel colonies a shell of a new nation. Luckily Ben Franklin and others made sure that the French didn’t negotiate on behalf of the America.

Next came the Quasi-War, an undeclared war on the high seas between the Untied States and France. More lives are lost.

During the American Civil War the French attempted to gain control over Mexico…. The problem was the Mexicans didn’t want them and when the Civil War ended there were two large and battle hardened armies staring down at the French occupation forces. The French went home.

With the arrival of the twentieth century came a couple of world wars. In the first one America joined the fight against Germany and saved France. In return the French forced a harsh peace with Germany despite Wilson’s Fourteen Points and calls for leniency. This led to the United States saving France in the Second World War.

However liberating the French people in the Second World War brought America and France into violent conflict yet again. During Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, American and British forces were attack, and some killed, by French forces. In addition the Allied leaders didn’t fully trust Charles De Gaulle and did their best to leave him out of many operations.

During the Cold War France withdrew from NATO and threatened to aim its nukes at the United States. A strange way of saying thank you.

Even during the War on Terror France has not been one of America’s staunchest allies.

Details on all of these events, as well as others, are covered by this book. While it has a strong anti-French slant, it does bring an interesting perspective to Franco-American relations.

It also doesn’t bash the French people. It goes after their various governments and the French elite. An interesting read.