Remembering WW1
In his non-fiction book, Ends and Means, Aldous Huxley describes the conditions which bring forth war. Primarily among them is the build-up of weapons along national borders. This kind of preparation creates tension and necessitates a conflict. Although historically begun after the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand, tension between countries and alliances were the chief cause of the conflict's scale. War was declared on many fronts along the lines of alliance agreements seen as protection and a guarantee of superior strength. At the time, WW1 was declared the war to end war. It was deemed the last necessary war.
Along the Eastern front, the Germans delivered an almost total defeat to the Russians. Under the weak and inbred leadership of Nicholas II, Russia suffered nearly endless defeat to the technologically superior, professional German forces. The result of this was the end of Imperial Russia and the beginning of the Soviet Union. The Treat of Brest-Litovsk signed by Leon Trotsky offered the Germans unconditional surrender and gave up the largest land concessions of any treaty ever signed.
The Western front saw high casualties and symmetrical warfare. It was defined by trench warfare and rapid technological advancement on both sides which continued in perpetuity. Eventually after many years of fighting and millions of casualties on both sides, the German forces were defeated totally and surrendered. The German surrender occurred the same year of the Russian surrender in November, 1918.
The greatest lie of the war was that this would be a war to end all war. It was in fact the beginning of the modernization of weaponry and the dawn of intelligence and central planning. The need for newer and better weaponry and the lust of countries willing to pay for it did not end after WW1 nor after WW2. Today technological advancement continues into the fields of UAVs and AI. Today, more people live in oppressive conditions under threat of violence than ever before.
Were we successful at preserving the counties of France and Great Britain during a German invasion? Did we end all war? Did we remember what we were doing? Did we remember what we were fighting for?
Thanks for that! The sad thing is that there was no real Peace time between the wars. After the postwar time, unfortunately, we have the prewar time. When the Berlin wall came down it was a break like in a theatre play to change the stage scenery.
What we have to focus on is not to repeat the errors of the past. Among the facts that you mention we have to point out this: the ambitions of the reigning royal families of the time gave a "blank check" to unscrupulous politicians to involve their countries is such a conflagration. WW1 didn't solve the geopolitical problems present then. It left some "frozen in time." They resurfaced in WW2 with more deadly and technological intensity that lead to some of the unresolved situations of today. For instance the division of both the Korean and Vietnamese Peninsulas...