A Farewell To Arms

I know this is a few days late, but it works.

November 11 is an extremely important day in world history. Before all, it is Veterans’ Day in the United States. As an American, I would like to thank all of our veterans whose sacrifices made our country what it is. I would also like to thank all the troops who continue to fight for our country overseas. Whether you agree with the War in Iraq or not, I think that we should support our fellow citizens who choose to serve this country. It is ridiculous to criticize them, just because you don’t agree with the Bush Administration. So THANK YOU to all veterans; we really appreciate your service.

Turning to my current continent, November 11 marks one of the most significant days in European history. Ninety years ago today, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was signed, formally ending World War I. For France, Armistice Day is incredibly important. I think that Americans tend to lose scope of how destructive this war was. The United States entered the war very, very late (1917) and suffered fewer casualties, compared to Europe, which was involved from 1914-1918. I feel that in American history, we tend to focus on World War II much more, because of the absolute need to stop Nazism and the horrors that encompassed a truly global war.

However, we cannot lose perspective of the impact that World War I had. It was completely devastating to all of Europe. In this war, traditional warfare met “modern” weaponry, creating the perfect storm for a big, bloody battle. Many, many of these long and bloody battles were fought to protect--literally--a mere mile of land. I won’t get into how much the world was affected by World War I, but this morning, as I watched a live broadcast of the memorial ceremony in Douaumont (as the weather was too bad to go to Verdun, or even the ceremony in Lunéville), some incredible numbers were presented. The casualties that France and Germany (living in the Lorraine, you get both sides) suffered are mind-boggling. For example, 900 French soldiers and 1300 German soldiers died EACH DAY. Think about that. France lost one million young men in FOUR YEARS. Consider that 11 percent of France's population was killed or wounded as a result of World War I. That’s an entire generation, gone.

Yes, World War II is incredibly important, possibly the most significant event in human history. But we shouldn’t forget the impact of World War I. November 11, the 90th anniversary of the armistice, should be a day to remember everyone—American, French, German, British, etc—who changed the world forever in World War I.