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According to secular humanists, the world was said to be getting safer and more morally just, and in complete confidence, it was thought that warfare could very well be an occurrence of the past. Then came World War I. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars.
The Great War shocked the world’s conscience. New warfare techniques entered the battlefield, from mustard and chemical gases to rapid machine-gun fire and heavy artillery. World War I was utterly devastating.
During and at the conclusion of the war, women outnumbered men 2 to 1 in places such as England, France and Germany. Many women went unmarried in England, as their churches were typically filled with the elderly and fellow ladies.
Great Britain viewed its entrance into the war as a moral obligation, seeking to rid Europe of darkness, and proudly asserted it fought on the side of Christ and His example of delivering Europe from evil. Prime Minister David Lloyd George famously declared it should be “Christ or chaos” when surveying the disorder in the world.
In the United States, the nation sat anxiously aside, with Americans learning the fate of Europe mostly from newspapers. America, a nation of immigrants—mostly of European descent at the time—remained a peculiar place, as most citizens had profound connections to the lands being hit by ruin.
The German sinking of the Lusitania (a civilian passenger ship) and the discovery of the Zimmermann Telegram, in which British intelligence reported a secret correspondence of Germany attempting to sway Mexico to invade the southwest United States, seemed to be the boiling points for U.S. entrance into the war.
In 1917, the United States entered the war, decisively pushing the Allied forces to victory. The entrance into conflict broke a sharp doctrine of isolation, one which most U.S. presidents not only embraced but felt obligated to reinforce through the unique American spirit.
While the U.S. eventually left Europe and attempted to return to its isolationist position, it was World War I that shaped America’s future. The American people rescued Europe, and this alone set a precedent that continues to this day.
All U.S. presidents since Woodrow Wilson have had to follow in his footsteps, knowing the free world expects the U.S. to be the anchor for democracy and freedom.
While in this generation the nation celebrates Veterans Day with profound gratitude to the service members who have served in every hour of need, it should also be remembered as a date that changed America. The Great War claimed the lives of about 116,000 Americans, an enormous amount for an involvement that lasted only nineteen months.
The patriotism and idea of liberty initiated by the Founding Fathers and patriots of the Revolution served as a catalyst in WWI and nearly every engagement since.
Is freedom worth fighting for? The very principles of the Revolution and WWI still enable souls across the globe to pick up arms against tyranny.
The Red Poppy, proudly worn in the British Commonwealth and seen worn by some Americans, is a remembrance of the sacrifice and courage of countless soldiers from WWI to today.
From Britain, Canada, the ANZACs and Americans, a shared experience has shaped foreign policy that continues to be the bell of freedom.
In a day when socialism and communism continue to gain momentum, even in these historically democratic lands, it remains important to remember the mission of the patriots who fought in 1776 and 1917.
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction,” President Ronald Reagan said. May we never be the generation that forgets.
