Has World War One Ended Yet?
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World War I has been called “the war to end all wars.” Perhaps wars will end when it’s finally over.
On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, in 1918 the shooting stopped, and the world was changed forever. Known as Armistice Day, the war to end all wars was over. But was it, or did it just reload and maneuver to other fields of conflict.
Oh what a lovely war
In 1914 Russia was ruled by a Tsar, four years later, Lenin was in charge, internal strife followed, then came Stalin and the term ‘rivers of blood’ became synonymous with his name. Although Russian today gives us a facade that looks like elections and democracy, the face of totalitarianism still peers into the Russian soul.
The assassination of the Austro-Hungarian ArchDuke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Serbia, sparked the conflict, by the end of 1918 the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved. And the festering resentments of Serbia, Bosnia and the Baltic states simmered.
Kaiser Wilhelm II was the leader of the German nation before the war, in 1918 he was forced to leave the country and the reparations forced upon Germany led to rampant inflation and the rise of Adolf Hitler.
The Ottoman Turks or the Ottoman Empire had existed for centuries, reaching deep into Europe, Egypt and Arabian peninsula. The British and French relieved them of influence in Arab lands after the war. That didn’t work out too well.
Canadian, Australian and New Zealand involvement gave them a new sense of nationhood and a streak of independence that has grown. A shame it took 10s of thousands of casualties to achieve it.
The millions of casualties suffered by the British and French robbed them of a generation and bankrupted both countries. Britain lost it’s sea power forever and didn’t recover economically until 1950s.
Reluctant to become involved, the USA’s hand was forced by German U-Boat activity and it got a taste for sending thousands of it’s young men overseas to fight.
The majority of the “hot” spots in the world today and the nightmare of endless war, can trace it’s roots back to World War One. Will it ever end.
War always brings forth innovation and World War One was no exception, poison gas, tanks and war in the air were three big contributions.
Today is Veteran’s Day and we all know know someone who served and fought in one war or another. Today’s military is a volunteer force and one volunteer is better than 10 pressed men. Agree or not to what they do and where they go, we owe them something. The majority of citizens are more concerned about the economy, their jobs and their houses, war is on the back burner, but if you lose your job, nobody dies.
A familiar sight in France and Belgium in 2010
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I used to be recommended this web site through my cousin. I’m now not certain whether or not this publish is written by way of him as no one else realize such specified approximately my difficulty. You’re amazing! Thank you!
i just learned obout this war and its sad well all the wars are sad.i just learned the story of the dairy of anne frank .
In your last paragraph Craig, you make an excellent point, I hadn’t really thought of it that way.
The book “1919:The Year Our World Began” by William Klingaman is an excellent survey of the results/damages from this war.
I served in the US army during the Vietnam War as an enlisted man and later as a commissioned officer. Based on that experience and later experiences in the anti-war movement during the Vietnam war, the American involvement in Central America and then Iraq, I take exception to your apparent anti-draft stance. During the V’nam War I found the draftees most likely to protest immoral orders. The volunteers more readily obeyed as some thought to make the militrary a career.
I know there are many factors such as media snuggling up to the military, etc…but when your family is not forced into the military and put at peril then you more likely turn a blind eye to it all. If you are not put at risk of being drafted then you are less likely to protest and turn a blind eye to it all.
I don’t like the draft. I don’t like war. I don’t like the military. However, a volunteer army is not something a democracy or peaceloving nation should have. All citizens should bear the burden and when the burden is something they find abhorrent they need to rise up and change it. Letting a few shoulder the burden gives power to the war mongers and chicken hawks.
Excellent post, Holte. Wasn’t it just this year that Germany finished paying off it’s WWI reparations?
Yes it was this year, but I believe they probably missed a few years between 1939-45.
Paying for losing a war, jeez a lot of nations would be broke.
You guys have me learning new things every day. Thanks for that.
I remember the time when the war was at my door. It’s gone now I believe but sometimes I get frightened in the night by loud noises. I am silly old sod I suppose but I loved this bit of sit…thanks Ender.
A magnificent piece of writing. Hats off to you Holte. You and Mike are prolific indeed and always manage to produce quality stuff even when “ripping” the wires. The contributor staff is equally as magnificent. They should be proud to be a part of this “Next Great Adventure.” At the moment I’m in South Korea. Love it here for a lot of reasons but one is the broadband speed. It is right now at 95mps. In America we’re lucky if we can get 6mps. I’ll be stopping by more regularly now that my primary business is done. Again kudos all around.
Was this war the one that made the Germans so mad and the reason why the second war came about? My brother is a big fan of these days. Thanks.
Holte, I am sure you know of it, but others might find “The Great War & Modern Memory,” by historian/critic Paul Fussell a useful entry-point into this whole subject…
Thanks a lot for that info Woody.
Never really thought about WWI having that impact, makes you wonder what impact will the Iraq war have in years to come.
I visited a museum in Canada an there it was a picture of an association of British and Canadian women demonstrating against the British military imperialism after the end of WWI. Do you know the name of this association ?
What did Germany do to Australia, New Zealand and Canada for them to declare war on Germany ?
I visited another museum where I learnt that Canadian soldiers were sent to South Africa in 1899. Which war was that ? Against who did they fight ? Was it against Germany ? Does it have to do with the 50 thousand Dutch people killed by the British over there ? No long ago the British apologized for that, didn’t they ?. I hope you can give me more information because it will be very difficult for me to go back to those museums. (learnt is written in British English).
Australia, New Zealand and Canada were coming to the aid of the Mother Country, it wouldn’t happen today.
The war in 1899 was the Boer War in what is now South Africa, both the Boers and the British were fighting over someone else’s land.
The British and Canadian women’s association I can’t help you with, but I know there was a lot of anti-imperialist sentiments at that time. Quite rightly too.
Thanks for stopping by Carlos, come back.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Scott, Holte Ender. Holte Ender said: RT @madmike1 Has World War One ended yet? http://bit.ly/aN1sTO […]
Great post. I think a lot of people don’t even think about World War I anymore. This was a potent reminder of the outcome of that war and how it shaped the rest of the 20th century and beyond.
When World War One started, people who experienced the American Civil War were still living. People who experienced World War I are all gone.
Well written article, Holte. My grandfather and great-grandfather fought in WWI. I have a portrait of them in their WWI uniforms taken in 1918 in Austria during WWI. The portrait hung in my grandmother’s house and I would marvel at it every time I visited. Neither one of them was killed during the war but today is a sad remembrance day for me… *sigh*
Thanks Karen, when I was a kid I knew lots of WWI veterans, a lot within my own family. At times they were the saddest people I ever met. The horrors of trench warfare. 11/11 means a lot to me too.