Today marks the 93rd anniversary of the end of the First World War, perhaps one of the most earth shattering events of modern times, when the guns finally went silent on the front lines. The end of WWI profoundly shaped Europe and the rest of the world forever. Not only should this day mark the millions of those who perished in the trenches for both the Entente and Central Powers, but also the huge political changes that coincided just before, during and after the armistice. The German Empire collapsed with the Kaiser abdicating, plunging the nation into an armed revolution between the left and right. In Germany's eastern sphere, Poland declared outright independence on 11 November, shortly afterwards sparking Polish uprisings in other German controlled territories. Austria-Hungary collapsed spectacularly in the days just before 11 November. Czechoslovakia declared independence in late October. Leftist revolutionaries took control of Hungary, declaring independence and sparking a bitter see-saw of control between Romania and Hungary. In the Balkans, pan-Slavic minded Slovenes, Croats and Serbs declared independence, creating a state that would later become Yugoslavia. Meanwhile in Russia, the civil war between Bolsheviks and Whites intensified. And of course, while all of this was happening, there was the Spanish Flu. The number of events that happened around 11 November are just mind-blowing to think about. What are all of your thoughts of this day?
In the US today is Veteran's Day, where we celebrate the veterans of all wars but it was founded initially with WWI in mind. On Wednesday I volunteered to help with my school's Veteran Meet and Greet where a bunch of veterans donated their day to talk to the students. One of the veterans was a Vietnam air force vet and he was publishing an article about a friend of his who went to my school and died in 'Nam. I took him to see our Vietnam War memorial in our courtyard (the first ever built in the country actually) and he took some pictures to supplement his article. We started talking about the memorial and then it drifted over to the memorial in Washington DC. He said that before we invaded Iraq, the first time, he used to think the memorial held some kind of national importance. That it symbolized something profound and necessary that we learned from the Vietnam War. Then, when we invaded Iraq, he said he realized that we hadn't learned anything, and that the deaths of over 50,000 people were all for nothing. He said he felt that the wall was just something personal to the families of those who died, and didn't mean anything to our government. I had never thought about it like that before, and I realized he was right. We didn't learn that lesson and it kinda ruins the spirit of the holiday for me, seeing as we're still in Afghanistan after 10 years. So, after my long rant I'll just conclude with saying, those are my thoughts today. Happy Veteran's Day
In the US its Veterans day so I would like to thank all are Veterans. Now about November 11, 1918 my Great Grandfather was part of the 77th Infantry Divison in the US Army that fought in World War I. I never met my Great Grandfather but after see was divison is was in I looked at what battles they took part in During the war they took part in four campaigns -- Baccarat, Oise Aisne, Aisne-Marne, and Meuse-Argonne. I hope that one day we find other ways to solve our problems without war but I fear that; that day will never come
No school! But yeah Duke that's pretty awesome, my area doesn't have anything like that. Back to the topic at hand, indeed, it's hard to comprehend just how much history was being made, and how the common men and women knew so little of how these events would shape the future. Cool stuff.
Same here veterans day I volunteered to help some Vietnam vets and Korea vets, They tell VERY interesting stories.
Yeah they do. We had this Veteran's day thing at our school last year and we got to meet like a whole bunch of veterans from our area.
To me the worse thing about November 11, 1918 was that they sent man to their deaths right up intill 11:00 am.There were 10,944 casualties of which 2,738 men died on the last day of the war. Private George Lawrence Price was a Canadian Soldier. He is traditionally recognized as the last soldier of the British Empire to be killed at 10:58 a.m., November 11, 1918. Augustin Trebuchon, last French soldier killed in World War I, 10:45 a.m. November 11, 1918. Private George Edwin Ellison,The final British soldier to be killed in action. At 9.30am Henry Gunther an American, was killed at 10.59 and is now recognised as the last soldier to be killed in action in WWI. The last reported German casualty occurred after the 11 a.m. armistice. A Leutnant Tomas, in the Meuse-Argonne sector, went to inform approaching American soldiers that he and his men would be vacating houses that they had been using as billets. However, he was shot by soldiers who had not been told about the ceasefire.
Fun Fact : Truman kept his company firing all the way up to the ceaserfire and shot one of the last shots of WW1. He then fired the last shot of WW2 when he dropped his atomic bomb.
