Armistice day is marked on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month

[rooster59]

Armistice day is marked on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month

 

 

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918 the guns fell silent. World War One was over.

 

It was a day marked at Buckingham Palace in London as Queen Mary appeared on the balcony with thousands in the Mall celebrating.

 

Armistice Day was born, an event that set the trend across the world for decades to come.

 

Two years ago the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge marked the centenary of the start of World War One by planting ceramic poppies at the Tower of London in memory of almost one million British and Empire soldiers who died in the trenches.

 

The red flower has become a potent symbol of the blood which was spilled and the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in the conflict.

 

The poppy flourished in the fields of Flanders in Belgium which was engaged in the war from its start to end. It is here that thousands of soldiers of many nationalities rest.

 

On the walls of the Menin Gate in Ypres – a sector where five battles took place during the four year conflict – visitors can see the names of their ancestors who perished. More than 54,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers whose bodies have no known grave are included in the list. Australian Stephen Vassee placed a poppy beside one name.

 

“It’s my wife’s great-uncle. He was killed at Polygon Wood on October 7, 1917,” he explained.

 

The memories of those who died in what was one of the bloodiest conflicts have been handed down from generation to generation so great was the trauma of the war and the effect it had on families.

 

But it is not only for those who lost a distant relative. It is also to mark four years which transformed the world in which we live. It changed beyond recognition and set in motion future events.

 

“It was a hundred years ago, World War One, but it is still shaping the world in which we live. Without that war, we might not have had the disappearance of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empires. I think we most certainly wouldn’t have had the Bolsheviks seizing power in Russia in 1917. And when you think of what flowed from that – it shaped the whole of the 20th century. And the First World War also created the circumstances within the Second World War became possible,” opined Professor Margaret MacMillan, Oxford University historian.

 

More than thirty nations were involved in what is known as the Great War. There are no survivors.

 

The poppy was first worn in 1921 and has now become a symbol of those who fell in the World War II and in other conflicts like Afghanistan.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-11-12

 

[Rooo]

A day late for us?

[The Deerhunter]

A day late for everyone.  Not really a helpful advance warning for those wishing to observe a minute's silence for the end of the "Great War."  

I have never been able to understand how the assassination of one man (and his wife) could inevitably plunge the whole world into war.   It could have caused local problems but how it went global I have never been able to quite understand.

Probably I guess it was by interlocking mutual defence treaties like Britain & Poland had before WW2 & creating a domino effect.  Hitler, of course, was thinking like me, that his invasion of Poland wouldn't really bring the Brits in & start WW2 and that was wrong too.

[kokopelli]

14 hours ago, Rooo said:

A day late for us?

Better a day late than a day forgotten; it's a pittance of time.

 

 

[kokopelli]

 

[JAG]

18 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

A day late for everyone.  Not really a helpful advance warning for those wishing to observe a minute's silence for the end of the "Great War."  

I have never been able to understand how the assassination of one man (and his wife) could inevitably plunge the whole world into war.   It could have caused local problems but how it went global I have never been able to quite understand.

Probably I guess it was by interlocking mutual defence treaties like Britain & Poland had before WW2 & creating a domino effect.  Hitler, of course, was thinking like me, that his invasion of Poland wouldn't really bring the Brits in & start WW2 and that was wrong too.

Not really an answer, but one theory I read was that Railway Timetables played a part!

 

The continental powers (France, Germany and Austro-Hungary had huge (millions strong) armies of recalled reservist conscripts. The assembly and moving to the borders of these vast numbers with their equipment required  immensely complicated railway operations, laid down in intricate details in mobilisation plans created by the staffs. Once started, if not followed complete chaos and military paralysis would result. So once the decision to  mobilise was taken, you ended up inevitably with huge armies poised to strike on the borders.

 

Once you had that, the temptation to go for it would have been almost irresistible , and of course it would all have been over by Christmas...

 

Of course for The British Army, (much smaller and all volunteer ) complete chaos and military paralysis is the normal starting point of any operation!

 

 

[bannork]

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, one hundred years ago to this day our ancestors were sitting in trenches in the cold and mud, getting shot at and shelled for King and country whatever that means. And those who wouldn't go were vilified as cowards. What a life! or should I say death .

Max Hasting's view is interesting

 

 

[ClutchClark]

2 minutes ago, bannork said:

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, one hundred years ago to this day our ancestors were sitting in trenches in the cold and mud, getting shot at and shelled for King and country whatever that means. And those who wouldn't go were vilified as cowards. What a life! or should I say death .

Max Hasting's view is interesting

 

 

 

Don't forget being gassed !

 

You don't understand why they fought for "king & country"?

[bannork]

The reasons the UK had to fight WW2 were plain but WW1 was entirely different. They say they thought it would be over by Xmas 1914 but instead it was 4 years of  hell with millions killed and wounded over advances and retreats of a few hundred yards.

God knows how many must have wondered what they were doing there and how the appalling waste of life  could have had anything to do with King and country apart from jingoism.

 

[JAG]

On 12/11/2016 at 0:49 PM, The Deerhunter said:

A day late for everyone.  Not really a helpful advance warning for those wishing to observe a minute's silence for the end of the "Great War."  

I have never been able to understand how the assassination of one man (and his wife) could inevitably plunge the whole world into war.   It could have caused local problems but how it went global I have never been able to quite understand.

Probably I guess it was by interlocking mutual defence treaties like Britain & Poland had before WW2 & creating a domino effect.  Hitler, of course, was thinking like me, that his invasion of Poland wouldn't really bring the Brits in & start WW2 and that was wrong too.

 

Thinking more about it, the primary "Causus Belli" for Britain was that it was the guarantor of Belgium's neutrality. When the Germans invaded Belgium, to outflank the French, that guarantee (by treaty) dragged us in to war.

[7by7]

On ‎12‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 5:49 AM, The Deerhunter said:

A day late for everyone.  Not really a helpful advance warning for those wishing to observe a minute's silence for the end of the "Great War."  

 

Maybe it's just me; but I don't need a reminder in order to observe 2 minute's (not one) silence at 11am on the 11th November.

 

 

Just as I didn't need a reminder to do so again today; Remembrance Sunday in the UK.

 

[7by7]

Both England and Scotland defied FIFA and wore black armbands bearing a poppy for their World Cup qualifier on Friday. Well done to both teams.

 

Also very pleased that, despite the usual booing of each others anthems, the supporters showed respect during the pre match remembrance ceremony and fell silent.

 

 

 

[Grouse]

On 12/11/2016 at 3:48 AM, Rooo said:

A day late for us?

 

The Cenotaph Memorial Service was at 11.00 this morning. Sobering. Elgar.

 

Please let's avoid war again here in Europe ?

[Grouse]

On 12/11/2016 at 5:49 AM, The Deerhunter said:

A day late for everyone.  Not really a helpful advance warning for those wishing to observe a minute's silence for the end of the "Great War."  

I have never been able to understand how the assassination of one man (and his wife) could inevitably plunge the whole world into war.   It could have caused local problems but how it went global I have never been able to quite understand.

Probably I guess it was by interlocking mutual defence treaties like Britain & Poland had before WW2 & creating a domino effect.  Hitler, of course, was thinking like me, that his invasion of Poland wouldn't really bring the Brits in & start WW2 and that was wrong too.

 

May I suggest "The Sleepwalkers" which example explains the events leading up to WW1

 

With regards to Poland, we failed to help them in 1939, betrayed them in 1945 and are now insulting and humiliating their people post Brexit referendum. Shameful. Poland got it worse than anywhere.

[Grouse]

5 hours ago, JAG said:

 

Thinking more about it, the primary "Causus Belli" for Britain was that it was the guarantor of Belgium's neutrality. When the Germans invaded Belgium, to outflank the French, that guarantee (by treaty) dragged us in to war.

 

And how do you explain the German action?

 

Keep reading....

[Grouse]

5 hours ago, JAG said:

 

Thinking more about it, the primary "Causus Belli" for Britain was that it was the guarantor of Belgium's neutrality. When the Germans invaded Belgium, to outflank the French, that guarantee (by treaty) dragged us in to war.

 

And how do you explain the German action?

 

Keep reading....

[7by7]

Many a true word spoken in jest:

 

 

Who can forget the final moments:

 

 

[tonbridgebrit]

[JAG]

1 hour ago, Grouse said:

 

And how do you explain the German action?

 

Keep reading....

Russia and Serbia were allied. France and Russia were allied. Austro-Hungary and Germany were allied. Austro-Hungary went for Serbia after the Sarajevo assassination. Germany backed them. France and Russia together outnumbered Germany, so Germany tried for a quick knock out blow against France (as in the Franco Prussian war- in which many of the German generals had fought as junior officers). The idea was to finish the French before the ponderous Russian steamroller could get moving. They went through Belgium to outflank the French . They nearly  did it too, but the French managed to stop them outside Paris at the Battle of the Marne.

 

A bit of a thumbnail sketch but basically what happened . 

[Grouse]

39 minutes ago, JAG said:

Russia and Serbia were allied. France and Russia were allied. Austro-Hungary and Germany were allied. Austro-Hungary went for Serbia after the Sarajevo assassination. Germany backed them. France and Russia together outnumbered Germany, so Germany tried for a quick knock out blow against France (as in the Franco Prussian war- in which many of the German generals had fought as junior officers). The idea was to finish the French before the ponderous Russian steamroller could get moving. They went through Belgium to outflank the French . They nearly  did it too, but the French managed to stop them outside Paris at the Battle of the Marne.

 

A bit of a thumbnail sketch but basically what happened . 

 

Yes, in a nutshell!

 

The Russians were rapidly building railways to the west. A sure precursor to war in those days. Germany felt they had to act immediately to avoid Franco/Russian Hegemony.

 

I thoroughly recommend "The Sleepwalkers" - Chris Clark. Great stuff

 

Totally unnecessary slaughter. 

 

 

 

 

[optad]

It is an indictment that this was posted by the TV news team, after the fact.

 

Other stories, it might be okay .....but to think remembrance is latent defines this generation.

[optad]

makes me a little sick actually.

 

Lest we forget, huh!