Lest We Forget

[ciroccoj]

Ninety years ago today, World War I ended. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars. It's a little depressing, telling that to the kids, and trying to explain why it was called that, and why the name was wrong.

Comments

[woffproff.livejournal.com]

Also extremely depressing is teaching it to college kids and realizing they know nothing about it, may not have even heard of it!!!!!. Rah-rah for the great American educational system....:(

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

Also extremely depressing is teaching it to college kids and realizing they know nothing about it, may not have even heard of it!!!!!
Oh ow ow ow ow. Yeah, that's... not good :(

[daf9.livejournal.com]

When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, the only set of encyclopedias my family had was published in 1927. Articles on the Great War (as WWI was referred to prior to WWII) and baby layettes were two of my favorites.

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

Articles on the Great War (as WWI was referred to prior to WWII) and baby layettes were two of my favorites.
I swoon over old encyclopedias, maps, texbooks, etc. It's just so neat to get a glimpse of how differently the world was viewed, not that long ago.

Did you ever read Rilla of Ingleside? Anne of Green Gables' daughter, growing up during WWI. Lovely book, far better at teaching about WWI than any textbook (especially the Canadian wartime experience) but somewhat depressing, in the pervading belief that they were living through the worst and last terrible war. Damn.

I also find it sad that LMM wrote it in 1921, when those beliefs would've been semi-justified, but died in 1942. Right in the middle of the next Great War.

[daf9.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have read Rilla of Ingleside. In fact, LM Montgomery was a very distant relative - my grandmother's second cousin or something like that.