On Nov. 11, 1918, the contending armies signed an Armistice Agreement that ended World War One. By this time, 9 million were dead, 21 million wounded with many of those maimed, and uncounted civilians were casualties. What was unique about WWI, in addition to the use of advanced weaponry built at an industrial scale--submarines, aircraft, poison gas, tanks, and flame throwers--was the use of home-front propaganda. Each side depicted their cause as just, their enemies as brutish, and their own casualties as minimal. On the U.S. side, the New York advertising world was mobilized to generate public support for war bonds and enlistment. This was an especially intense effort because President Woodrow Wilson had been re-elected on a peace platform and immigrants to America were divided about the conflict.
Hiding the cost of war included covering up evidence of the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 that eventually struck 500 million people and killed 50 million. The average lifespan of American men fell by 12 years to 36.6 years in a decade due to "the flu", which spread across the country from military camps as infected soldiers were repatriated.
In retrospect, it seems that little was achieved by WWI beyond planting the poisonous seeds of deprivation and resentment in Germany that bloomed into Nazi nationalism and a yet more horrendous war. But at least, now we know. We know that global conflict means mutual destruction, especially in an age of atomic weapons delivered by stealth aircraft such as the F-35.
Raise your voice! Join Peace Activists Sunday, 12:30 PM at the top of Church Street for a procession to the BCA Gallery for music, poetry, a panel discussion, and refreshments commemorating this conflict in the hope that current wars can be ended and future wars prevented.
Karl Novak
Dec 21, 2024, 7:30 to 9:30 PM
Love Came Down at Christmas TimeDec 24, 2024, 6:30 to 7:30 PM
Soup, Bread & Ale at the Sinclair InnDec 27, 2024, 5 to 7 PM