"What Do Americans Know About WW I" by What Do You Know About World War I

What Do Americans Know About WW I

January 19, 2012

Two years from this August will mark the 100 year anniversary of World War I. Most Americans, including myself, know very little about this war because it didn’t consume the everyday lives of Americans as World War II did. One reason for this was the war ended in November of 1918 and the US didn’t enter the war until 1917 and of the 11 million casualties, only 107,000 of those were US soldiers. For those Americans whose grandfathers fought in WW I, we know a little bit about the war because world history classes still covered elements of the war, but I’m not sure if this is the case in today’s world history classes, other than perhaps a footnote. I do know that my 24 year old son and 49 year old son-in-law know practically nothing about the war.
I suppose the lack of this knowledge isn’t critical to anyone’s future, but it does show disrespect for the millions of soldiers from other countries that gave their lives. A case in point is Veterans’ Day. If someone would asked anyone over the age of 50 what is the meaning behind Veterans Day, they may or may not know. For those that think they know might say that it is meant to honor those American soldiers that died in previous wars, which is partially correct, but I dare say that the meaning becomes less clear for those younger than 50. Actually the 11th of November was set aside to honor those that died in the “Great War”, and it was called Armistice Day. For it was on the 11th of November 1918 at 11 o’clock in the morning that all hostilities ended. For many years US WWI veterans would occupy highway intersections and sell paper poppies to help disable veterans as well as honor those soldiers buried under the poppies fields in Flanders, France. It is only in the US that Armistice Day has changed to Veterans Day. The change took place sometime after WWII when the US Congress decided that November 11th should honor all US soldiers that died during all wars not just those of WW I, which I agree with, but I also acknowledge that it further dilutes our awareness of WW I. Like most people I didn’t give Armistice or Veterans Day a great deal of thought until I came into possession of my paternal grandfather’s WWI journal. As a child I remember hearing that my maternal grandfather served in the US Army during the war, but I didn’t know that my other grandfather served with the British Royal Field Artillery during the war. In fact it was during transcribing and researching his journal that I started to learn the history surrounding WW I. Now I believe that it is time for all sources available for the distribution of information within the United States to make a concerted effort to inform the American citizens the basic history of World War I. If this can be achieved, I’m certain that in August 2014 Americans will have a greater appreciation of the sacrifices that were made 100 years ago.

emb6683 4 months, 1 week ago

"as well as honor those soldiers buried under the poppies fields in Flanders, France."

Actually, Flanders Field and specifically the American Cemetery in Flanders, is in Belgium.

emb6683 4 months, 1 week ago

And not to continue to be picky with you, but as far as the USA is concerned, World War I began in April 1917, with the congressional declaration of war after Germany began unrestricted submarine attacks and the release of the Zimmerman telegram. We remember our entry into the war, not the beginning of the war way across the ocean.

In a similar way, we observe the beginning of WWII as 7 Dec 1941, the date which will live in infamy. We forget about 1 Sept 1939, when Germany invaded Poland and the war actually started.

pinevista 4 months, 1 week ago

You are correct in both the date and reasons why the US entered the war. I wonder how many under the age of 50 know how and when the US entered the war? I just turned 65 and I'll admit that until I read my grandfather's WW I journal I knew very little about the war. Now when the world honors those that gave their lives, I'll understand why. I feel if the US learns a little more about the war then they'll dirive more meaning from the events that will take place in 2014.

Thank you for correcting my error about Flanders. Most of my research focused on the events of 1914 and 1915 as they relate to the journal entries so I'm a little less knowledgeable about the battles that took place in the later years of the war. You seem to know more about the war than most, which indicates you have an interest.

Nezumi 4 months, 1 week ago

Pinevista - I appreciate your blog. WW1 is a fascinating historical period and there is so much more to it than many people imagine (trenches, mud, and stalemate). "The Guns of August" remains a gripping read 50 years after its publication.

pinevista 4 months, 1 week ago

I'm currently reading "The Guns of August" and it is very compelling. I'm currently in the final process of self publishing a book on WW I that is based on my grandfather's WW I journal, it is titled, "The Great Promise". The book is about a promise that my grandfather made to three of his chums prior to their first battle, which was the first battle of Mons. The has the entire contents of the journal and I used the journal entries in my attempt to keep my grandfather's promise. I sent a digital copy of the journal to the Imperial War Museum in London and after reviewing it they said the journal was of significant historical value because it is well written and contains details of the early part of the war when the armies were still mobile. One statement that my grandfather wrote that remains in my mind was that trench warfare is much like laying siege to a castle. The armies wait long periods of time, and when the decision is made, the soldiers run across open land in the attempt to breach the enemy's trench instead of a castle wall. I appreciate your input.

emb6683 4 months, 1 week ago

Respects to your grandfather, but that isn't the best analogy. The medieval soldier would walk toward the castle and when he was a few hundred feet away, the defenders would start shooting arrows at him.

In WWI trench warfare, as soon the soldiers left the trench, they would start to be killed by machine gun and artillery fire from THOUSANDS of feet away, and the killing would continue until there were no more left, or the ones who were left ran back to their trenches.

Barbra Tuchman writes a good book, but she doesn't do enough to emphasize the complete and utter stupidity and arrogance of the generals, specifically the French and British ones, who directed this type of fighting.

In the Battle of the Somme (Jul-Nov 1016) alone, the British Army sustained 420,000 casualties. 20,000 of these on the FIRST DAY alone, and of this number, 6,000 were killed.

More soldiers killed in one day of one battle than the US has lost in 10 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. And they kept doing the same thing.

British losses in the First World War decimated an entire generation of British manhood. The impacts of this were felt for decades and effected the British strategy for how they fought in WWII.

pinevista 4 months, 1 week ago

Actually my analogy is correct. The only difference, as you pointed out, is that the weaponry could reach out further with more accuracy than bows and arrows. The stupidity was not limited to the French and English, Germany used the same tactics. The war was fought using the same military tactics that were used in our civil war with the same out-come of thousands of soldiers killed. Because of the advancement in weaponry, machine guns, heavy artillery, and air craft, the loss of life was even greater.

journal excerpt

March 11th At dawn we opened fire on the Bois Du Beiz, which was still held by the enemy. We learned that the 7th division had advanced as far as possible on our left, but had failed to take the Aubers Ridge. In an effort to coordinate our division, [Lahore] was ordered to consolidate the position we had won and hold it, which we did in spite of numerous German counter-attacks. It was awful to see the Germans mowed down by our guns, for they made attack after attack in close formation and were literally blown to pieces. Every attack caused the ground in front of our trenches to grow thicker with bodies. A column of their reinforcements were caught plumb by our 15 inch Howitzer; one round made a gap in the column of about 60 yards. Men, horses and vehicles were gone into thin air, resulting in mass confusion amongst the enemy.

Nezumi 4 months, 1 week ago

Have either of you read Peter Hart's "The Somme"? It sits on my bookshelves in line behind other books and I'm tempted to move it up.

Emb, Tuchmann's lack of condemnation of trench warfare could be because TGOA deals with the mobile part of the war and ends at the British/French victory at the Marne. It has been a few years but if I recall correctly, her portrayal of John French and Joffre was anything but flattering.

pinevista 4 months, 1 week ago

I haven't read Peter Hart's book and I agree that prior to the first battle of Ypres trench warfare didn't exist. Even when the armies were still mobile there was a great loss of life because the military tactics hadn't kept pace with the development of weapons. It seems that they still believed that battles could be won by over powering your enemy with volumes of soldiers.

There wasn't a lot of love between Sir French and Joffre. From my research Joffre was old school and wasn't open to any plan other than his own, which cost the Allies dearly when Joffre wouldn't send French troops into Belgium to help the Belgium's stop the German advance.

Trench warfare started with the first battle of Ypres when both sides realized that they couldn't defeat the other and the use of artillery was taking such a heavy toll that the only alternative was to dig trenches to protect the soldiers. Eventually there was a continuous line of trenches from the North Sea to the Swiss boarder. This prevented either army to outflank the other. Since conventional methods of warfare didn't work, in April 1915 the Germans introduced a new weapon, chlorine gas, which was the most horrific weapon ever developed. Those exposed to gas experienced a horrible death one could imagine. The first time it was used on the Western Front it killed over 10,000 men within minutes and opened a 4 mile gap in the allied trenches.

Nezumi 4 months, 1 week ago

Channel 4 (UK) did a nice 10 hour documentary: "The First World War" - great stuff for listening (or watching) on a slow Saturday. Particularly memorable was the scene where the ruins of Gavril Princip's home lie scattered, destroyed in the 1990's Yugoslav civil war.