We want so badly to believe that August 4, 1914 was a time long, long ago. The reality? It really isn't, especially when you figure my great-gram was born in 1913, and died in 2013. Suddenly, a century doesn't seem like such a long time.
Yes, August 4, 1914 was when the start of the Great War began. But does anyone remember what prompted it? It all started with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Chotek in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. And thus sparked the beginning of a war that would last until November 11, 1918.
Canada was still a very young country at the time. We had only been an independent nation for 47 years. And yet, between us and Newfoundland, who hadn't joined our nation yet, over 650 000 went to Europe to fight on the side of the Allied forces. Around 66 000 were killed, with at least another 172 000 wounded.
For a young country, we certainly made sure that the rest of the world knew who we were. We made our presence known at Passchendaele, Ypres, Amiens, the Somme, but perhaps most famously Vimy Ridge, where we took back this crucial vantage point for the French on an assault that started on Easter Monday 1917. April 9 at 5:30 in the morning to be more precise. After four days, we succeeded, but was the cost ever bloody...
And we were known as Stormtroopers, a force to be reckoned with, and not taken lightly. Success at major battles, and some serious intimidation. Not bad for a country that had yet to make half a century. Definitely boast-worthy.
And now here we are, 100 years later. Have we learned anything? Do we understand what it's truly like to be free? We recite MacCrae's In Flander's Fields every year, but does it mean anything now to the generations that have followed since that end in 1918? We've learned that PTSD and shell-shock are legitimate mental health issues, and not excuses for desertion. But really, what have we learned? I've learned that Canada has much to be proud of with its military history. I've learned that if I don't share the stories of veterans- their lives so that we may live- they could be forgotten. I've learned that warfare changes over the decades, but sometimes the end goal remains the same... and that there's always a good side and a bad side. Do people care as much as we want to believe, or do they wear poppies because it's what you do in November? I may need another 100 years before I find all the answers.
I'd quite like to know your thoughts on this. What does 100 mean to you?
For more on Canada's role in the First World War, please follow the link to Veterans Affairs below:
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/first-world-war
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