Comics Nerd, Book Worm, Cynical Idealist, Mad Historian in Training (WWI and its place in the pop cultures of the major combatants, specifically), Feminist, Whovian, typo-prone, Grrl Dandy, incurable pottymouth, internet-ruining asexual heathen, so-called "Dirty Commy Basturd," and Neurasthenic Farceur. My aim is to study 1900-1950 in Europe and make comics about it, and my general policy is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. I also greatly enjoy tea.

08

Nov.. '11

hierophanthistorian: polyesterspectre: polyesterspectre: uncdan: instahlgewittern: Guarding Ypres (A better version) The British fought several battles over Ypres, a small town in Belgium. Each one involved tens of thousands of casualties and months and months of fighting.  Though the Somme was a tragedy for the British on the first day, I think the Many Battles of Ypres explain far more the British attitude to the war. They fought and died for the same territory, paying the ultimate price thousands and thousands of times over.  It often strikes me that the Second World War is more popular with casual readers of history. It had more dynamic battles, lots of tanks, and to the victors sounds a lot more like a great story. For America and Britain, they tell it as one of Good Versus Evil.  In short, WW2 sensationalizes war, and people learn the wrong thing from it: that war is necessary in the face of evil. They don’t realize how much benefit we have from hindsight.  People should learn more about the First World War. Even though far more civilians died and many, many horrific things happened in the Second, there is so much literature about the First which reminds us why war is a horrible horrible thing, should never be taken lightly, and at its very best can only be necessary.    With casual readers in the US, yes, but in many places, especially places such as the UK/Can/Aus, WWI* is still a pretty culturally significant topic/setting, even for more casual works. November 11 is still Serious Business in many places. As you had mentioned, the UK has a well-known canon of literature dedicated to the war.  In Canada, John McRae’s In Flanders Fields is still often read aloud to mark the day (albeit with McRae’s last stanza “take up the battle with the foe” almost always cut). Heck, the Canadian $10 bill has a clip from the poem on it. However, in the US, WWI is definitely the forgotten middle child to the US Civil War and WWII, much of which is for the reasons you’ve stated above. Also keep in mind that the US didn’t officially enter the war until ‘17**, and US troops spent a year training in western France before being sent up the line. In many parts of Europe/UK/various empires, the war had four years of fighting and deprivation to dig itself into the national psyche; in the US it only had about two, and was even then it was seen as the war “Over There.” Contrast that with the US in WWII, which saw the massive mobilization of both troops and civilians, extensive rationing systems, and extensive military involvement on multiple fronts. And then, of course, there’s the Hollywood Factor. WWII is the much more “America, Fuck Yeah!” war. I wonder if the to what extent the Cold War years, coming right on the heels of WWII, had an impact on this; WWII was still fresh on many people’s minds, and Good Guy America versus an evil foe narrative would likely be a much more appealing to both studios and audiences than the (generally) more morally grey narratives of WWI. Of course, Good Guy America versus evil foe is still a popular story, and moral greyness is not, so there we are. TL;DR: in the US, is WWI  seen as “Their (Europe’s) War,” while WWII is seen as “Our Victory.” And this needs to change, but I’m not entirely sure how to go about that. Quoting for truth: uncdan: “there is so much literature about the First which reminds us why war is a horrible horrible thing, should never be taken lightly, and at its very best can only be necessary.” ——- *Especially the Western Front. **Although yes, the US had been trading extensively with France/UK before then. Re-reblogging because I had made a few edits. Also let’s talk about the Eastern Front of both wars which were way worse than the Western Front. ^YES, for the love of god, yes!^

hierophanthistorian:

polyesterspectre:

polyesterspectre:

uncdan:

instahlgewittern:

Guarding Ypres (A better version)

The British fought several battles over Ypres, a small town in Belgium. Each one involved tens of thousands of casualties and months and months of fighting. 

Though the Somme was a tragedy for the British on the first day, I think the Many Battles of Ypres explain far more the British attitude to the war. They fought and died for the same territory, paying the ultimate price thousands and thousands of times over. 

It often strikes me that the Second World War is more popular with casual readers of history. It had more dynamic battles, lots of tanks, and to the victors sounds a lot more like a great story. For America and Britain, they tell it as one of Good Versus Evil. 

In short, WW2 sensationalizes war, and people learn the wrong thing from it: that war is necessary in the face of evil. They don’t realize how much benefit we have from hindsight. 

People should learn more about the First World War. Even though far more civilians died and many, many horrific things happened in the Second, there is so much literature about the First which reminds us why war is a horrible horrible thing, should never be taken lightly, and at its very best can only be necessary. 

 

With casual readers in the US, yes, but in many places, especially places such as the UK/Can/Aus, WWI* is still a pretty culturally significant topic/setting, even for more casual works. November 11 is still Serious Business in many places. As you had mentioned, the UK has a well-known canon of literature dedicated to the war.  In Canada, John McRae’s In Flanders Fields is still often read aloud to mark the day (albeit with McRae’s last stanza “take up the battle with the foe” almost always cut). Heck, the Canadian $10 bill has a clip from the poem on it.

However, in the US, WWI is definitely the forgotten middle child to the US Civil War and WWII, much of which is for the reasons you’ve stated above. Also keep in mind that the US didn’t officially enter the war until ‘17**, and US troops spent a year training in western France before being sent up the line. In many parts of Europe/UK/various empires, the war had four years of fighting and deprivation to dig itself into the national psyche; in the US it only had about two, and was even then it was seen as the war “Over There.” Contrast that with the US in WWII, which saw the massive mobilization of both troops and civilians, extensive rationing systems, and extensive military involvement on multiple fronts.

And then, of course, there’s the Hollywood Factor. WWII is the much more “America, Fuck Yeah!” war. I wonder if the to what extent the Cold War years, coming right on the heels of WWII, had an impact on this; WWII was still fresh on many people’s minds, and Good Guy America versus an evil foe narrative would likely be a much more appealing to both studios and audiences than the (generally) more morally grey narratives of WWI. Of course, Good Guy America versus evil foe is still a popular story, and moral greyness is not, so there we are.

TL;DR: in the US, is WWI  seen as “Their (Europe’s) War,” while WWII is seen as “Our Victory.”

And this needs to change, but I’m not entirely sure how to go about that.

Quoting for truth:

uncdan: “there is so much literature about the First which reminds us why war is a horrible horrible thing, should never be taken lightly, and at its very best can only be necessary.”

——-

*Especially the Western Front.

**Although yes, the US had been trading extensively with France/UK before then.

Re-reblogging because I had made a few edits.

Also let’s talk about the Eastern Front of both wars which were way worse than the Western Front.

^YES, for the love of god, yes!^

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    damn good photograph.
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    Personally I’m fascinated by other fronts. Serbia standing alone against the Austrians, the Italian front, the British...
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    ^YES, for the love of god, yes!^
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    Guarding Ypres (A better version)
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