1) George Weigel on WWI: After reciting in some detail the effects of the assassination across the network of alliances, he shelves the question of why it started to ask the possibly more interesting one of why it continued, long after stalemate and mutual, interminable misery had set in. His answer, in so many words: the eschaton had been immanentized. That is, the painstaking analysis of who-said-and-did-what-to-whom-when only applies to understanding the start of war; thereafter world-historical forces simply run their blind course - and that’s all we need to know.
2) John Burgess on the Orthodox Church in Russia: it makes you rub your eyes to take a second look, but following the systematic elimination of religion in Russia under Stalin, the church is back in full force, or close to it. Where 50,000 parishes were active prior to the October Revolution, 30,000 have returned. Monasteries and seminaries are flourishing. Some 80% of Russians (I believe, it was pretty late last night when I went through this) identify as Orthodox Christians, and the churches are packed on Easter. Our countless prayers for the conversion of Russia appear to have kicked in. One difficulty: getting these newly avowed Christians to pack the churches for the rest of the year - that perennial challenge - and to move away from the consumerism that has accompanied the end of Communism. Another, and more profound, difficulty: to promote the proper function of the church independently of the influences of the state that has so vigorously backed its return.