Abstract
At the beginning of the First World War, a fifty-something German academic, vigorous but not fit enough for the frontline, was appointed to the Military Hospitals Commission and told to organise several reserve hospitals in Heidelberg in quick time. On arrival, sociologist Max Weber found the institutional preparations for his task non-existent, the supply contracts outdated and unusable, and the local tradespeople unable to meet agreed-upon prices. So much for German bureaucracy. So much for German efficiency.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 32-42 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Griffith Review |
| Issue number | 51 |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2016 |