The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I

Brunt makes the connection between technological breakthroughs and military aims clear from the beginning of this book, stressing that many inventions were co-opted for wartime use in spite of their creators’ hopes: “Throughout history, the world has often adopted technological advances in ways the inventor never imagined, and certainly never intended [...] the unintended consequences of an inventor’s brainchild could wreak havoc and terror” (2) as nations used them for war.

The twin forces of nationalism and militarism defined Diesel’s world. When he was a child, Diesel and his family had to flee Germany for France, and then France for England, as European nations fought each other over territory and power. As he was developing his engine, Diesel was caught in the complex diplomatic dance of Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary jockeying for position via treaties and agreements that threatened the others.

Concerns about national security derailed Diesel’s dreams for his engine to be a tool for international cooperation and to become accessible and efficient for the working class. Although the licensing agreements he signed with manufacturers across the globe mandated they participate in a shared global knowledge base for engineers to pool their breakthroughs and improvements, “the sharing of new developments was tempered by the nationalism of the age” (122).