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). The diesel engine’s international debut allowed governments to seize its military potential: Britain’s Lord Kelvin “was early to recognize an aspect of the engine that others would soon see as a key military differentiator: the ‘cold start” (112). In Germany, the Kaiser and Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz also immediately saw that the diesel engine could be key to their goal of rivaling the British navy. Britain and Germany used the engines to build up their militaries, applying the technology to battleships, tanks, and other instruments of war, so nationalist pressures made all diesel engine innovations into state secrets, ending Diesel’s idealistic vision and becoming a major turning point in the diesel engine’s history.

As soon as the engine was inextricably linked to military uses, some of its potential was stifled. One of the most exciting features of Diesel’s innovation was the ability to use many different fuel sources; however, each country adapted its version of the engine to suit the fuel it could access best. The environmentally friendly possibilities Diesel promoted were ignored.

Eventually, Diesel himself became as valuable as the technology he had developed. Despite its international manufacture, Diesel was still the leading expert on the complexities and applications of his engine. Brunt imagines that this meant that Britain and Germany did their best to ensure Diesel’s continued efforts for their side: “not only did the Kaiser need to enhance his nation’s expertise with Diesel technology, but it was equally important that Great Britain not enhance its own” (254). This undergirds Brunt’s theory that rather than dying on the SS Dresden, Diesel defected and was smuggled to Canada to continue his work for the Allied nations.