Today marks the 90th anniversary of the Armistice which ended World War I, a cataclysm which, among other outcomes, destroyed many of Europe’s monarchies and two of the world’s largest empires (the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman), bankrupted Britain, allowed the emergence of international communism as a powerful social movement, created a model for technologically-driven total warfare, and made the U.S. into the world’s leading industrial power. The Great War also killed about 20 million people, created several states which still trouble the world today (Yugoslavia, Iraq), and of course led to a flawed “peace” which only led to an even greater war 21 years later.
Amazingly, there are still a few veterans of World War I among us. At least ten men who served in the war are still alive, including the American doughboy Frank Buckles. Several of these servicemen are also their country’s oldest known citizens, and several – including Buckles – also witnessed the violence of World War II. It’s not suprising, given the way the histories of wars are written, that there’s is no parallel list of the women who witnessed the war.
In light of WWI being named “The Great War”…
WWII was known as “The Super Duper War”
The Civil War was retroactively tagged as “GangreneFest1.0”
The Korean War was changed to “The Pretty Neat War”
The Vietnam War became known as “The Groovy War, Man”
The current Iraq War is now called “The Best War EVER!”
WI is the current Nintendo video game system.
You forgot some, man:
Seven Years’ War = Cage Match for World Domination
Hundred Years War = Best War o’ the French and the English until the Next One
Peloponnesian War = Awesomest War With a Name You Can’t Pronounce
War of Jenkins’ Ear = War of Jenkins’ Ear
Yes, and WII is the current Nintendo video game system… left off one o’ the ‘i’s.
I’ve always been a big fan of WW0, myself – “The War To Start All Wars”