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90 years since the end of World War I

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#5
90 years and people are still suffering. The tens of relatives of mine that died in WWI alone should've lived. They should've been happy, should've got married and had children. I should have met those children. I should have met their children too.

There hasn't been a Christmas since in Britain that isn't missing faces around the table from one war alone. Imagine all the faces missing from all the tables in the world as a result of all wars.


When war is played like lazer tag I won't have to feel guilty for thinking the tanks and guns are cool. :)
 
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#6
I had numerous family also serving in the Austro-Hungarian army.
One of my great-Grandfathers was "blown-up" during an artillery barrage in Doberdo. He survived but his left side was screwed up for the rest of his days.
Another one of my Great-Grandfathers was a sniper serving on the Italian front, was a great shot! He was captured and spent a few years in Sicily as a POW.

Too bad, that November 11 is only really marking the end of the hostilities on the Western Front. We must not forget, that savage wars still raged in Eastern Europe right into the 1920's, and these wars were direct "relatives" of WW1
 
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#7
Too bad, that November 11 is only really marking the end of the hostilities on the Western Front. We must not forget, that savage wars still raged in Eastern Europe right into the 1920's, and these wars were direct "relatives" of WW1.
Click to expand...

That's right. I think Russia attacked Poland.

There was also an Allied (Entente) intervention in the Russian Civil War between the Bolsheviks and the Mencheviks.

Britain, Australia, I think the newly formed Czech Republic, and the United States sent armed forces mostly in northern Russia and Siberia.

A lot of the American troops were from Michigan.

Here's an article and some photos about the American involvement:

http://apps.detnews.com/apps/history/index.php?id=178
 
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#8
You can count the number of living verified WWI veterans on two hands (9).

There are no known living veterans who fought on the Axis side. The last known living Axis veteran was Hungarian. He died in May of this year.

Only one man (he's from the UK) who actually fought in the trenches on the Western front is still alive.

The youngest (verified) veteran is 107 years old. The youngest veteran who can't be verified is 105 years old.

There is one Ukrainian who claims to have fought on the eastern front but any records of his service were either lost or destroyed during the revolution. If it could be verified it would make him the last man living who fought on the eastern front on either side.
 
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#9
Hans_klempner said:
I had numerous family also serving in the Austro-Hungarian army.
One of my great-Grandfathers was "blown-up" during an artillery barrage in Doberdo. He survived but his left side was screwed up for the rest of his days.
Another one of my Great-Grandfathers was a sniper serving on the Italian front, was a great shot! He was captured and spent a few years in Sicily as a POW.

Too bad, that November 11 is only really marking the end of the hostilities on the Western Front. We must not forget, that savage wars still raged in Eastern Europe right into the 1920's, and these wars were direct "relatives" of WW1
Click to expand...

Was he in the Austrian Landwehr, the Hungarian Honved or the regular Austro-Hungarian K.u.K. Army?

And yes, we must not forget the wars which were fought for new national aspirations and independence, most notably with what happened with the Ukrainian National Republic. Let me give you all some insight of the Polish-Soviet war from my book Galicia Division by Michael Logusz...

But while the discussions were under way in Paris, critical military events in distant eastern Europe were rapidly deciding the issue. Russia's Civil War of 1918-21 was largely fought in Ukraine. In turn this conflict placed a heavy strain on the Ukrainian National Government and its army, the UNRA. (Ukrainian National Republic's Army). Because of the UNRA never evolved into a well organized and powerful force, it could not effectively engage and destroy Russia's Red Armies, the various roving anarchist bands and the numerous foreign interventionist forces operating within Ukraine. In desperation, the Ukrainian National Government would occasionally request the services of the elite Ukrainian Galician Army (whose core was composed of former members of Austria's army) to assist the UNRA in battles outside of Eastern Galicia. Such was the case, when from 16-19 July 1919, Galicia's 100,000 troops marched eastward into central Ukraine. Coordinating their actions with the remnants of the UNRA, the combined forces repulsed Red Russia's forces and by 31 August, had recaptured Kiev. But such temporary victories only prolonged the inevitable defeat. Needless to say, once the Ukrainian Galician Army moved the bulk of its strength eastward, Poland's army encountered lesser resistance.

Overwhelmed by superior Russian, Polish and foreign forces, shattered by internal strife and receiving very little foreign assistance, the Ukrainian goverment (to include the one in Eastern Galicia), began to collapse. In late 1919 Simon Petliura, who continued to head the Ukrainian National Republic, fled to Poland proper. In desperation, in April 1920, he negotiated a join Polish-Ukrainian treaty with Pilsudski to wage war on Soviet Russia. Many Ukrainians, especially the Galician Ukrainians, were unhappy with such a move but, for the moment, Petliura had no choice. On 25 April 1920, Pilsudski encountered, with the support of anti-Bolshevik Ukrainians launched an offensive. On 7 May, the combined forces captured Kiev. Although Poland's military had grown in quanity and quality, Pilsudki's plan was too ambitious and his army lacked effective logistical backup. That same month, reinforced Red Army forces under Mikhail Tukhachevsky and Semen Budenny began to repel Poland's forces. By 25 July, Pilsudski had retreated to Poland proper. For the Poles, the situation looked bleak.

As Red Russia's armies poised to take Warsaw and overrun the rest of Poland, Pilsudski's resistance stiffened. At this critical moment, France tremendously assisted Poland by dispatching French advisors under General Weygand with massive amounts of military aid. On 16 August 1920, Pilsudski's and Weygand's forces struck the Bolsehviks both north and south of Warsaw. As the combined forces shattered the Red front, Tukhachevsky's forces fell back. Rapidly exploiting their initial breakout, the Poles quickly advanced eastward.

On 12 October 1920 a ceasefire was proclaimed. On 18 March 1921, as a result of Poland's sucessful war with Soviet Russia, the treaty of Riga, concluded between Red Russia and Poland, concded to Poland many of the lands it coveted. By virtue of this treaty, Ukraine was divided between Poland and Russia. A large part of western Ukraine, 132,000 square kilometers with a population in excess of 8 million, of which at least 6 million were Ukrainians, was allocated to Poland.

It must be noted, however, that before the Treaty of Riga was signed, the Council of the League of Nations declared in Paris on 23 February 1921 that 'the territory of Eastern Galicia, although under temporary Polish military control, still officially lay outside of Poland and therefore, the Poles have no legal mandate for any permanent administration of Eastern Galicia. On 10 September 1919, by the Treaty of St. Germain, the Ukrainian territory of Bukovyna was ceded to Rumania. this was done despite previous American efforts at the Paris Conference to attach the former Austro-Hungarian area of Bukovyna, which was home 85,000 Ukrainians and appproximately 300 Rumanians, to the disputed East Galician territory.

During this period the Turkish war for independence was also brewing.

A bit off subject, but I thought I would give insight to everyone for this rather unknown event in history. Thanks for your recognition everyone.
 
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