AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR
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'Yet during those last months, staring on 18 July with the Second-the unknown-Battle of the Marne, and continuing through the Battle of Amiens, 8 August, Germany's 'black day', and 29 September, the breaking of the Hindenburg Line, right to the very end, great feats of arms were performed and great victories won as deserving of commemoration as Austerlitz or Waterloo.''Successive British governments bear a heavy load of responsibility for what followed the armistice. They gave their name to a peace dictated to a beaten enemy on the assumption of victory, but allowed the victory which was the sanction of that peace to be forgotten, and the sinews that should have upheld that victory to wither away.
In short, by disparaging the soldiers capacity to win a war, the politicians made certain that they would lose the peace.'
Extracts from To Win A War, 1918 The Year of Victory: John Terraine March 1978
posted by Uriah Robinson at 2:16 AM
3 Comments:
As it never fails to do The Last Post playing on the radio at 11 this morning brought tears to my eyes.
It brings tears to my eyes as well and I think of myself as a tough old git.
So you are allowed to cry Bernadette especially as Australia gave so much in both world wars.
The photo on the left is my wife's grandfather, a petty officer in the Royal Australian Navy who was lost in a submarine in Jan 1918.
On the right my uncle [my mother's brother] killed September 27, 1918 in the Royal West Kent's assault on the Hindenburg Line.
Norman - Thanks for sharing this with us. We should not ever forget, and I'm glad you've reminded us....
Those photos really brought a lump to my throat, too, and no spring chicken, myself.... So many people gave so much....
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