What does the First World War mean to you?

[Wagriff]

I do know that One catalyst for the Second World War was strenuously argued by John Pershing who did Not want to leave Germany off until it was Totally defeated and humbled."They never knew they were beaten in Berlin. It will have to be done all over again." was his comment on the subject. And he was correct.

[StefanM]

It was easy for Pershing to say; afterall the US had only lost 116,516 servicemen (including 43,000 due to the influenza pandemic) in the 8 months that the US was a combatant nation in WWI whereas France had lost 1,357,800 Russia 1,700,000 and Great Britain (and Empire) 908,371. Unless Pershing was planning to go it alone where was the manpower going to come from to continue the war?

[guns ltd]

My Grandfather was in the Army medical corp. in France during WWI. he didn't talk about it much. Except he did say "he lost friends in France." He did hate the trip by ship to France. I think he got sea sick. He servived a gas attack and I have some of his WWI stuff in my War room. The only good thing he mentioned was he Learned how to make wine from an old french couple he became friends with down the road.
We as Allies during this time in history made many mistakes. Charging Machinegun fire so think that a fly couldn't get through it and not learning from Previous Wars on Tactics.
Just my Thoughts.

John

[Spitace41]

Hi All.

Thanks for all the great replies. It has been great to hear so many varied opinions, but it still seems to boil down to the squalid misery of the trenches and the futility of the attacks. As one member said, there is nothing wrong with revisionist histories and I believe we must give credit where credit is due (as historian Gary Sheffield has argued, we sometimes get so wrapped up in the casualty figures that we forget that the Allies did actually win the War). That being said, we must never forget those who paid the price for that victory, or indeed those on the opposite side of the wire who equally deserve the utmost respect. It is in many ways good to see that this subject sparks up strong feelings as it ensures that it will never be forgotten.

Many Thanks.

[Doppelgänger]

Slightly off topic but do you remember or have you ever see the movie "A very long engagement"? I remember liking it quite a bit, a little off beat story of WWI. I'd recommend finding it, watching it.

[sargetom]

As a US Army Wartime Veteran myself I always found it amazing the fact that in one day during the Battle of the Sommes that the British Army lost over 50,000 casualties-just unbelievable slaughter!

[Paul D]

This isn't a criticism but i find this a very interesting comment from a young American to say that WW1 is a forgotten moment in History !! In Europe in particular the nations that slogged out WW1 , Britain , France and Germany the memories are still very current and still very much remembered as most familes Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers were involved with millions KIA and tens of millions WIA , certainly every family in Britain across the whole social structure was affected by the conflict and although the last of our WWI generation have gone that still continues. Next year is the 100th Anniversary of the start of WW1 , the retreat from Mons , First Battle of Ypres etc and National commeorations will be held throughout the year both at home and in France and Flanders.

Although Americas involvement was only in the last couple of years of the war significant casualties resulted but i take it that the original " Doughboys " don't feature that much in the National Memorials of remembrance in the States or in history that is taught within the school / college system ??

I see WWI as a forgotten moment in history. It was overshadowed by the greater conflict that happened afterwards. Twenty million people were killed during WWI, but sixty million were killed during WWII. One could argue that WWII happened because of WWI. WWI was only a stepping stone leading to something far worse.

I have not put much study into WWI, although I have a few dusty books on my shelf, so I am not up to date on the current theories. I don't think there is anything wrong with revisionist theories. History needs to be updated and rewritten when new information comes to light. Thinking about this has sparked my interest, and I think I might dig into a few of my WWI books.

Regards,
Corey

[Paul D]

As a US Army Wartime Veteran myself I always found it amazing the fact that in one day during the Battle of the Sommes that the British Army lost over 50,000 casualties-just unbelievable slaughter!

Saturday 1st July 1916 , the blackest day of the British Army , 60,000 casualties including 20,000 KIA , most in the first two hours of the attack .

[AmericanKraut]

[QUOTE=4thskorpion;794984]Was the First World War really the catalyst for the Second?

IMHO the catalyst for WWII was the 1917 Russian October Revolution (which had its antecedents in the earlier 1905 Revolution) which led to the 14 nation Allied Intervention together with the world Communist movement strategy to spread the communist revolution across Europe leading to the Polish-Bolshevik War, the German Revolution, the Bavarian Soviet Republic, the Hungarian Revolution, Biennio rosso in Italy, the Bulgarian September Uprising plus other smaller abortive communist inspired uprisings.

We seem to have swallowed the interbellum German propaganda that it was the unfair terms of the Treaty of Versailles that led to WII rather than a social revolution being fought out with its roots established well before WWI. A social conflict that started before WWI, continued through WWI, through the interbellum, through WWII and through the Cold war and on to today.

The Treaty of Versailles was merely one focal point on which the National Socialist Party could hang its propaganda around the other propaganda hook of course was Jewish-Bolshevism and the spread of the communist revolution abroad through Europe."




I think that the ending terms of WWI caused WWII, I do not think that the allies left Germany in a stable enough state which lead to chaos in Berlin imediate postwar and a weak nonexistant government. This combined with radicals and the returning soldiers and no concrete government left the door open for WWII
Yes the treaty of Versailles had restrictions etc but they were not really enforced

Paul to some extent I would say that WWI is becoming "forgoten" in all countries in the mass media. Yes everyone is taught about it generaly in every country genrally with bias towards their own involvment but it has no where near the impact and vividness that it did since no one is still aliave and can recall the brutality of the war. All history transitions from memories to statistics and stories in a book, and with todays culture most people are more concerned with so called celebrities... You have to take in account that us members here enjoy this history so it is well know to us but generally this is not the case for the general public IMO

[AmericanKraut]

It was easy for Pershing to say; afterall the US had only lost 116,516 servicemen (including 43,000 due to the influenza pandemic) in the 8 months that the US was a combatant nation in WWI whereas France had lost 1,357,800 Russia 1,700,000 and Great Britain (and Empire) 908,371. Unless Pershing was planning to go it alone where was the manpower going to come from to continue the war?

The German army surrendered and knew that if they continued the war that they would be totaly defeated thus they surrendered before hand. It would not have cost many lives to make sure the German government was not left in an ustable state. To me other countries suffered statistically higher casualties and was in their homeland but why do you think it is easier for him to say? Especially since those US lives lost were not in defense of their homeland to me all casualties come at a high price and that if proper action were taken it could have severly lessend the chance for WWII and the 10s of millions of more lives lost in WWII so the cost would have been relativley less... IMO