Today it's exactly 90 years since it ended. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars. It was called the Great War and happened on several continents, on the ground, at sea and in the air.
It involved guns, machine guns, tanks, ships, submarines, bayonets, planes and shells. And trenches.
Everyone thought it would be over in four months – a victory of patriotic glory and the troops home by Christmas 1914. It ground on for four relentless and bloody years killing over 20 million people (mostly soldiers, but also civilians), and severely wounding 21 million.
It killed a generation of men in countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, and Russia. Several other countries such as Australia, New Zealand , the United States, Turkey and South Africa suffered heavy losses. More than 7 000 South African soldiers were killed, mostly in the Battle of Delville Wood and the Battle of the Somme (both in 1916).
No comments:
Post a Comment