The Last Days of Mankind

With relentless wit and bitter satire, Karl Kraus exposes the inhumanity and absurdity of war. The most improbable actions reported here actually took place; I have painted what they merely did. The most unlikely conversations held here were spoken literally; the most glaring inventions are quotes... This is written by Karl Kraus, one of the greatest publicists and writers in Austria, right in the preface to his dramatic monument "The Last Days of Mankind," in which he engages with World War I. The special aspect: Kraus does not focus on the hell at the front. Instead, the emphasis is on those who, from a safe distance in the rear, experience, follow, cheer for, and profit from World War I. Tragic and absurdly comedic elements go hand in hand. Over a quarter of the text consists of original material from newspapers, military daily orders, court proceedings, letters, sermons, and conversations of his contemporaries. It is not a coherent narrative but rather 220 scenes with real figures. Among them are Emperor Franz Joseph and Wilhelm II, soldiers, pastors, journalists, and newspaper subscribers, and many more. The quotes reveal thoughtless ruthlessness, stupidity, and deceit. With relentless wit and bitter satire, Karl Kraus exposes the inhumanity and absurdity of war. We meet war correspondents who seek to increase their media's circulation through sensationalist descriptions, and we witness business owners who fear peace because they are making large profits from the war. Officers are depicted indulging in feasts in safety while their soldiers starve and freeze. The scenes are connected by two characters who comment on the events in debates. The optimist advocates for the war: "The good become better and the bad become good. War purifies." The grumbler, to whom Karl Kraus gives his own voice, despises the war: "It takes away the faith of the good, if it does not take their lives, and it makes the bad worse." According to the grumbler, one of the worst illusions about war is the talk of its regenerative power and the belief that civilization will emerge renewed from the catastrophe. The message of this monumental work is clear: peace is the prerequisite for all political action. "The Last Days of Mankind," created between 1915 and 1922, is today considered one of the most significant pacifist texts in modern literary history. It reveals the mechanisms that lead to wars and keep them going, and it makes clear how all civilizational certainties dissolve under the influence of propaganda.