100th Anniversary of the start of WWI-What are you doing?

[Chap15]

July 28th is the hundredth anniversary of the start of WWI and the assassination of the Archduke of Austria.

 

Any special events, traditions?

 

Edit: Thanks for the correction...July, not June

[Sabrejet]

28th July, 1914 was actually the beginning when the first shots were fired in anger...notwithstanding the assassination. In the UK there are many official commemorative events planned but these will mostly be in early August. What about the USA, as your country didn't officially join the party until April 1917. Will you be having your "special" commemorations then?

[Sabrejet]

July 28th is the hundredth anniversary of the start of WWI and the assassination of the Archduke of Austria.

 

Any special events, traditions?

 

Edit: Thanks for the correction...July, not June

 

I should qualify that be saying that you are indeed correct about the date re the assassination of the Archduke, which was of course the catalyst. However, it's generally accepted that the "shootin' war" didn't begin until July 28th when the Austro-Hungarians took a swipe at the Serbs!

[Sabrejet]

Here's the UK govt's official WW1 website and also that of the British Legion, both of which contain such info.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

 

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary

[Johan Willaert]

Numerous events coming in Flanders' Fields....

 

http://www.flandersfields.be/en/events

[Sabrejet]

As Johan says, many of the key commemorations will be centred upon the old WW1 battlefields and cemeteries / memorials etc., in Flanders for obvious reasons. For example, a new memorial to fallen Welsh soldiers is scheduled to be unveiled in Flanders on August 16th. Below is an artist's impression of how the finished monument will look. The base echoes ancient Celtic standing stones and the Red Dragon / y Ddraig Goch is taken from our national flag. The other photograph is of the existing monument to the 38th (Welsh) Division at Mametz Wood, which will also be the centre of formal commemorations.

 

https://www.facebook.com/welshmemorial

 

[YankeeSpirit76]

I like the British practice of "Lights out". From 10 PM to 11 PM, they shut their lights off and just leave a single candle burning.

What a class act! So very respectful and just a great way to remember all of their young men that served. Nice touch UK.

[Johan Willaert]

Not forgetting this daily act of commemoration which has been held every day since 1928!!!!

 

http://www.lastpost.be/

[Sabrejet]

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/media/3940691/LIGHTSOUTposter.pdf

 

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/media/3942802/LightsOutPoster_Welsh.pdf

[Garandomatic]

I haven't heard any buzz of the 100th anniversary of the US' entry into the war.

 

I am figure the average American will observe the 100th of the start of the war much the same way we did 100 years ago (War in Europe? hmm, oh well, back to whatever we were doing before on this side of the pond), and after enough ruckus is raised over, there, we'll take notice, and get around to commemorating it, sometime around our own anniversary, hopefully in 2017, right before Europe commemorates the end of the war in 2018!

 

Disclaimer:

 

I hope that doesn't come across as blasphemy. I know a million men died by Christmas of '14, so I don't really intend to be disrespectful of those losses. Just kind of cracking a joke about In the early parts of the war, when it was seen as Europe's issue. I know locally, we cared way more about rebuilding from the great 1913 flood. Sadly, I imagine most American "isolationism" for the 100th will focus much more on whatever the Kardashians are doing...

[BEAST]

I spoke with the Infantry branch historian at Fort Benning last week. And while he is doing work preparing for 100th anniversary, he said that most of the requests for support that he is receiving is for the 50th anniversary of America's fight in Vietnam.

 

I am assuming that the ceremonies held in 2018 commemorating the 50th anniversary of Tet will eclipse the 100th anniversary of the end of the WWI.

[bertmedals]

Well, the 100th Anniversary of Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Serbia has actually arrived. To commemorate it, I'll post the only relic of that event I have.

 

When the declaration of war was made, Emperor Franz Joseph penned a manifesto commonly referred to as the "To My People" manifesto since those are the words it begins with (which was the usual opening words for the Emperor's manifestos). In the manifesto Franz Joseph lays out his case for taking the Empire to war. The manifesto was translated into the main languages of the Empire and sold as newspaper extras or printed as broadsides and posted in the towns and villages around the country.

 

Not many of them survived since they were mostly printed on newsprint. Nevertheless, I have one in my collection. So below, in commemoration of the centennial of declaration is a photo of it.