Welcome back to the Randomizer, to a slightly special
edition.
Here's a picture of a street.
Some of you may think now looking at this: It looks pretty,
but why the picture? What's to do? Looks more appropriate for a high street
shop promotion.
Yet this little small haven is much more than that. This was
the street where 100 years ago today, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of
Austria-Hungary and his wife Sophie were shot, setting off a chain of events
that have led to this:
100 years since the start of World War One.
You'd probably think why is that worth celebrating, the
start of the 'War to End All Wars'. To me it's still an anniversary, an
important date to remember the start of war as well as remembering the end of
war. It's something we probably shouldn't ignore because really, no matter how
much we think of the beginning of war as a bad thing, one date is the
culmination of everything that has happened to that point.
And.....where do I start?
World War 1 is in itself a broad subject to talk about. The
battles, the leaders, the countries involved, the aftermath, there is a lot to
talk about when it comes to such a tremendous, painful and perhaps
other-worldly affair. To my mind, we always talk about it in past context, or perhaps
for a better word, SEE it in past context because it is the past, an event to
be remembered in great detail and free of the shackles that held it in place.
And you'd be wrong. The First World War reaches out all
around the world, even today. Those events of the past SHAPED the world as it
is today. If not for the aggression of the Treaty of Versallies, we would have
had a possible different interpretation of World War II, or perhaps the Russian
Revolution might have come later in years intervening. Some events are
inevitabilities, but the little things in life can make a difference and a
change in shaping the future. At least that's my philosophy. Wonder if Vladimir
Putin feels the same way? Maybe it's just his way of celebrating the anniversary.
So what do I talk about? Well....I'm sure a lot of you will
know about the beginnings of the war from history classes years ago (no pun
intended). But maybe a reminder wouldn't go amiss.
In 1871, the various German States unified into one empire.
No points for guessing what it was called. For over 40 years Germany expanded
its industrial and military prowess, becoming a threat to its neighbours France,
Russia and subsequently Great Britain. In turn to the first Dual Alliance
between the former two, Germany made an alliance with Austro-Hungary and Italy.
It was with the Austro-Hungary that everything came down to war, for their empire
invaded the Balkan region in the early 20th century, coming into
conflict with Serbia. In 1914, one hundred years ago to this very day as I've
mentioned, The Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot by the
terrorist Black Hand member, Gavrilo Princip. Those two shots would count as
the beginning of 4 years of war.
1914-1918 showed the world how devastating and revealing we
can be as a human race. The countryside was laid waste in the west. Trenches,
giant holes and rats were commonplace all around as young boys and men took
ample time to machine-gun each other as they all went 'Over the Top'. In the
east the Russians, considered to be a giant, was slowly grinded down by the
Germans and eventually collapsed in on itself. The monarchy abdicated, captured
and massacred, Russia controlled by a new communist regime headed by Vladimir
Putin Lenin. At sea, both sides expected a clash of ships everywhere. But the
sea became the U-boat haven as they unleashed their weaponry and only twice did
the battleships take to fire.
In 1918, after Germany was finally pushed back to its own
frontiers and systematic defences breached, an armistice was finally signed
between both sides on 11th November. And so, at the 11th
hour, of the 11th day and the 11th month, the guns fell
silent.
Everyone had lost something dear to them in the war. Family
members, friends, even themselves lost in the mindset of what they had
suffered. It brought entire people together to remember the cost they had paid
for victory. For the dead, their names live on the grave stones and momuments
made for us to remember the greatest sacrifice given to them. As the old poem
goes:
They shall not grow old, as we are left to grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
Something has grown out of my research on what to do for
this particular anniversary, and it's really the strange facts that crop up
every now and then. I like watching the panel game show QI and some of the
stuff they find out on there and pass on are very strange and for lack of a
better word, interesting. History of course has all sorts of different layers,
some swept under the carpet on purpose (ahem), but some that just passed over
our heads without so much a scratch on our psyches. So this is what today's
article is going to be about:
10 bizzare facts and other interesting stuff in World War 1
Some of the information I'm sure you'll be saying:
......What the f***?, some others you'll be like 'ooh that is interesting', and
some you'll raise an eyebrow too, like The Rock. These little tidbits may not
be necessarily important to contributing in the war, but the way they are just
hidden away lurking the depths of the internet and books, they do make for
strange interesting reading. I will try to back up each piece with some
evidence to show how true they are and silence any witness who say otherwise.
Just saying :P. No skin off my nose........much.
Ok, I'm going to stop wasting your time now. Let's start
with Number 1!
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1st Battalion, the Random Tidbits in the War
Generally:
1. PRIVATE THE MAN WHO CANNOT SLEEP!
You all know the term 'insomia'? At least I hope you do!
Where you just feel as if you can't sleep a wink and you stay awake even if you
want to just snooze off. I know a few people that have such a problem
sometimes, and just feel bleugh the next morning? Just imagine a moment where
you actually cannot fall asleep. Literally cannot doze off and dream, where you
have to stay up all day AND night, watching Game of Thrones or other shows.
Such a thing did happen to a Hungarian soldier in 1915. Except Game of Thrones
wasn't invented yet.
Paul Kern was serving in the Hungarian Army on the Eastern
Front when he was shot in the right temple by a Russian soldier, the bullet
going through his head. It also damaged nerves centres in his brain,
particularly one such needed for slumber. Taken to Lemberg hospital and
transferred to Budapest later on, he eventually woke up, but did not fall back
to sleep. Baffling doctors and others alike with no changes in brain pattern,
they were absolutely convinced that he should be, by all rights and purposes,
dead. Yet here he was, walking around like nobody's business!
What?........WHAT?
Over two decades later, he was interviewed by various
newspapers and told of his condition, how he organised his life around his new
found ability, keeping his job as a social insurance worker, talking walks
around the block, reading, it's pretty much a second life he has, independent
of social activities from family and friends. According to The Milwaukee Journal
from 1938, he was given all sorts of offers to join up for circus acts, world
conferences and scientific experiments from mad Americans. However he refused
all of those, wishing to live out the rest of his life in peace.
One piece of information oddly enough is that he was told by
doctors to have a resting period, which he considered the dullest part of the
day. This meant closing his eyes in keeping the optic nerves from being
strained too much, and relaxing on his bed for one to two hours. 'Hang on a
minute' you're probably saying, but wait. To show that he wasn't actually
making it up, he lights up a pipe to show glimmering in the dark, proving
experiments that he wasn't actually asleep. Helps to read a book as well I
guess.
It's not really known when Kern actually died. Wikipedia has
it in 1955, but that's as close as I have come so far. He does sort of hit the
nail on the head when interviewed in the Milwaukee Journal:
'I don't really know what it is
to sleep. I don't know any more what a dream is. Now and then I try to force
myself to retrieve that sensation, but my imagination is not strong enough to
recapture it. Perhaps in my grave I shall find sleep'
1.
LIUTENANT TITANIC SISTER SHIP
Again, you all know the story of the Titanic and how it sank
on its maiden voyage. But did you know Titanic had two sister ships, called
Olympic and Brittanic?
All built by White Star Line, they were the largest sea
vessals at the time to appear on the ocean. Oltmpic was the first to be built,
setting sail on 14th June 1911 from Southampton. Only a few months
later, the ship actually collided with the British warship HMS Hawke off the
Isle of Wight, and had to be repaired. Oddly enough, resources to fix Olympic
came from its younger sister Titanic. Whether that affected its maiden voyage
in anyway, I have no idea. After the sinking of its sister, Olympic was fitted
with extras to make sure it wouldn't come to sink itself.
O: Thanks for the spare parts sis!
T: I want them back when we get to New York
When war broke out, Olympic became packed with Americans
waiting to return home from Europe. With the onset of the German U-Boats, the
figures fell sharp and it was considered to withdraw the ship from commercial service.
Those plans changed when in October 1914, Olympic answered a distress call to
save crewmembers of HMS Audacious (the navy has such weird names for ships!)
when the ship struck a mine off the coast of Northern Ireland. A year later, it
was requisitioned by the navy and turned into a troop transport ship, with its
own dazzle camouflage and guns. The third of the sister ships called Brittanic
was also requisitioned and turned into a hospital ship, completing a number of
voyages before being struck by a mine off the coast of Greece.
In the spring of 1918, Olympic spotted a surfaced U-Boat
while en-route to drop American troops off in France. Immediately firing its
guns at the submarine, it then launched itself right towards it. The U-Boat attempted
to dive after failing to flood its tube compartments, but it was too late.
Olympic rammed through, her port propeller slicing into the pressure hull and
blowing the tanks. Just to show off in the aftermath of the incident, she
carried onto Cherbourg and went for repairs in Southampton. It was the only
merchant ship proper to sink a U-Boat. To be fair, it did have some experience
with HMS Hawke earlier so nobody can complain too much!
After the war, it went back into civilian service and lasted
another 14 years in service before being retired in 1935, and sadly sold for
scrap later on. However there are surviving implements of the ship dotted
around, partly in the White Swan Hotel in Northumberland. It's kind of ironic
as well when compared to Titanic. Titanic sunk on its maiden voyage, Olympic
seemed to dish it out whenever it pleased. Maybe it had an anger problem? I
don't know.
You like my dazzle? YOU BETTER DO!
1.
CORPORAL AUSTRALIA
This is slightly cheating a bit because this isn't part of
the period really, but it did involve ex-soldiers from the war, as well as some
British veterans who fancied a nice tan in the sun. When the war ended, they
were given nice land in Western Australia to farm on and at least make a
living. Unfortunately, there was one problem with this set-up.
G'Day mate
Yes, Emus. Because there was a number of droughts in the
area the soldiers were given, the emus called a fun day of eating the remaining
crops, which incensed the farmers no end. Being soldiers of course, they
decided to shoot them, killing 3000 of them in 1928. Despite that, the emus
carried on being a hassle for the new farmers, more so when The Great
Depression hit home. Wheat prices hit sky high, and the farmers soon reached
the end of their rope.
In 1932, as many as 20,000 emus had come upon the farms, and
the farmers had enough. Not trusting of the Minister for Agriculture, they
decided to go to the Minister for War. You read that well, they were going to
declare war on these birds. The Minister for War, Sir George Pearce, actually
gave the go-ahead and the soldiers were effectively armed with machine guns,
10,000 bullets and military experts to take down the annoying birds. How did it
go?
Emus were the better fighter, somehow in every possible way,
even without actually attacking. They enjoy the shades of trees, which didn't
help the soldiers trying to shoot them off, and even stayed out of range of the
machine guns whenever possible. The soldiers caught on that the emu was very
fast, and used the idea of a truck to take them down with one of the machine
guns. It worked as well as Justin Bieber actually coming to respect people in
any way shape or them. Not a single emu was killed, or even a bullet shot off
because the gunners had little control holding to the truck! Eventually, the
military support was called off after a week. One person in the Australian parliament
said that medals should be given to the emus, since they had 'won every round
so far'.
Over the next years, emus still posed a problem in culling until
eventually, bounty hunters came to the front and claimed many of them. But
still really think about this for a moment. These soldiers who had fought for their
country had been basically owned by emus. Emus! Then using bounty hunters to
cheat! It's just not proper. On the other hand though, I think this calls for a
chant at the next Ashes series.....
YOU LOST TO EMUS, YOU LOST TO EMUS
1. SERGEANT CONAN DOYLE
In the summer of 1914, Britain formally declared war on
Germany and her allies after their requests for Germany to respect neutrality
were unheeded. The number of young men and others alike were probably
indescribable as they all joined up in the coming months, going into the next
year of the war. Many of them were quite obviously enthusiastic to join up to
go to war, as scenes from the BBC documentary 'The Great War' can attest, with
singing, cheering and presumably loads of beer to drink. But perhaps none were
as manically and superbly enthusiastic for the war, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The man who created the world's famous detective (Basil the
Great Mouse I think he was called), celebrated pipe smoker, and hopping
spiritualist in later years, seemed mad enough in an attempt to be the poster
man for patriotism in Great Britain, considering the events that I will list
down to the best of my knowledge and research.
Needless to say, it is interesting!
Conan-Doyle first caught wind of the possibility of war in
1911 through the Doctor as he was busy battling the Osiran alien
Sutekh.....oops sorry wrong source material! He got wind of war from an
automobile event hosted by Prince Henry of Prussia, and noted the hostile
attitudes of the Germans he met there, hearing the possibility of war in the
end.
Surprised by this he began to study German war literature,
reading up on the plane and submarine and deducing that these two would be
major factors in the war, more so worried with the submarines possibly able to
block imports coming into Britain. So he talked and endorsed an idea of a
Channel Tunnel between France and Britain, to make sure Britain would not be
cut off from its allies. His words were ignored by the British, though the
Germans claimed (for possible propaganda purposes) that they came up with the
idea reading Conan Doyle's words!
When war finally came, he tried to enlist in the army
despite not being young enough to do so. He cited that: 'I am 55 but I am very
strong and hardy, and can make my voice audible at great distances, which is
useful at drill'.
I BEG TO DIFFER YOU BASTARD!!
The army politely refused his request, but he didn't stop
there. He even put together his own band of civilian volunteers! Robin Hood
would be jealous (Ha-ha!) The war office ordered these units to be disbanded
and replaced them with their own administered ones. Conan-Doyle's unit became
the Crowborough Company of the Sixth Royal Sussex Volunteer Regiment, and
himself actually took on a Private's Commission, wanting to show that everyone
was equal in defending their country.
In those first few weeks, three British cruisers were lost,
with all 1,400 crew on deck. Conan Doyle was upset by this great loss and wrote
to the War Office, urging them to give each sailor an inflatable rubber belt,
the forerunner for lifejackets, to help sailors should they strike with the
Germans. The plan was a great success, and the government were soon issuing
them to the Royal Navy. He would employ the same tactic for lifeboats on
military vessals, and with body armour for soldiers on the frontline. Whether the
latter two were successful I don't know, someone let me know! Also I think the
body armour for soldiers on the front might not have worked so well,
considering the mud, water and bombs going everywhere.
Still you can't deny now he was a great enthusiast to help
in the war effort. Even Winston Churchill gave his support to the plucky
forerunner to Brian Blessed. He was First Lord of the Admiralty after all.
Conan Doyle's great planning and debating skills did seem to help the war
effort in many ways, his forthright understanding in how the German war machine
might work and how to better improve lives on a great scale. He was the sort of
person Britain needed to give morale at the time: Intelligence and patriotism
wrapped in a deerstalker hat. He was an idealistic soldier.
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2nd Battalion, the Mining for Layers Regiment:
1. CAPTAIN AFRICAN SOLDIERS
The British Empire stretched for 1/6th of the
world, from Britain to India to Hong Kong, considered (ahemforcedahem) by
everyone to be the greatest empire in the world. That is until Germany tried to
move in on its path by trying to create its own empire. Taking up countries and
areas in Africa and partly in Asia brought it into conflict with Britain's own
interests and when World War 1 came about, things were a little more
interesting. We were brought up in history more or less focused on the Western
Front, and the Treaty of Versallies, allowing us to view some of the important
aspects in our history.
In Africa, it's a different story. We had our asses handed
over a thousand times, thanks to the efforts of the German General Paul von
Lettow-Vorbeck. When British warships attacked the port of Sphinxhafen at the
beginning of war, German command in African wanted to sue for peace.
Lettow-Vorbeck said in response: "Really? You want to surrender? Well ok I
guess, I'll just move back quietly behind the line and settle down for a nice
glass of lemonade, watch the sun rise up and F**K THAT, I'M ATTACKING!"
(Words may not be necessarily true). Lettow-Vorbeck actually gained a great
number of victories against the English, becoming one of the most successful
German commanders in the war, probably second only to....those other two
general commanders, I forgot their names.
Siegfried and Roy?
In turn, those African troops serving in the war called
Askaris, gave great respect to the Germans and Lettow-Vorbeck by singing songs
for German officers. Helpful too that Lettow-Vorbeck was fluent in Swahili and
appointed some Africans as officers, apparently also saying "and believing
- that we are all Africans here". It shows how the colonist needed the
native, perhaps going as far as needing each other, to gain success and boost
morale for the armies fighting on the bigger scope.
Ultimately, this theatre of war remained only a small
backdrop compared to events in Europle, eventually resulting in Germany's
defeat. But it does show an interesting difference, not just in location but
how the war was run. Lettow-Vorbeck seemed to understand how Askari worked and
brought about a sense of equality and unity in his army, overcoming the British
in great strides. When he died in 1964, the Minister for Defence Kai-Uwe von
Hassel said that he 'was truly undefeated in battle'.
In that same year was something remarkable: The German
Parliament voted to fund the back pay to the Askari who were still alive at
that time. 350 Askaris showed up for the payment, but only a few had
certificates to prove they were under Lettow-Vorbeck's command. The man who
fronted the money came with an idea: When each claimant came up, they were to
be given a broom and told to perform the manual at arms. ALL 350 Askaris passed
the test and claimed the money. Isn't that fantastic? Better then a certain
country whom actually FROZE colonial army pensions after their liberation in
1944.............
Screw everyone else!
(bonus point: an author writing on Lettow-Vorbeck said to a
nephew of his soldiers: "I understand that von Lettow told Hitler to go
**** himself." The nephew replied, "That's right, except that I don't
think he put it that politely." :D)
Lettow-Vorbeck
1. MAJOR PARIS
Ah, Paris. The city of love, art and literature, always
seemed to be threatened one way or the other in both world wars. You may
remember that Paris was taken over (and fast) by the Nazis in the Second World
War from my Randomizer article a year ago. In the First, the French were more
passionate to fight against Germany, and possibly more clever at that. When the
Germans first threatened Paris, the French were desperate for reinforcements
for fighting on the Marne. In kind, the military governor of Paris
requisitioned one thousand of the Paris taxi-cabs, using them to carry troops
to the front line and eventually push the Germans back. That is pretty cool in
on itself, but something more bizarre and true came to light again 90 years
after its first mentioning.
A few years ago, it was shown in The Telegraph that near the
end of the war, bombing raids were becoming a feared reality. It had happened a
number of times in Britain despite the novelty of the situation, allowing
pilots to drop bombs and move on in a quick sortie. RADER was invented too
around this point, although like the process of sorties it was just as
primitive and difficult to work. The French however, took this threat pretty
seriously. Thus creating an actual replica of Paris on the northern outskirts
of the real thing in 1918.
The fake Paris was set up with dazzling confusing lights,
famous buildings and attractions were replicated and even a copy of the station
Gare du Nord was built up. The detailing must have been massive enough to rival
Lord of the Rings in its glory. The lights in particular were created by a man
called Fernand Jacopozzi, who used translucent paint in an attempt to re-create
dirty glasses on factory roofs, fake trains and tracks illuminated by light and
white, yellow and red lamps used to create the effect of machinery still at
work in the night. It's very impressive how they really wanted to make sure the
Germans hit the wrong place and spare their great love.
However disappointingly is that this was 1918, for the
French at least. The last air raid was in September, and eventually the Germans
were pushed back enough with their defences already broken and signed the
Armistice in November. The fake city was never tested out properly and quickly
dismantled after the war. If you are interested in checking it out, here's some
pictures for your viewing pleasure. You can see how intricate the detail goes,
how they effectively planned it all out. Whether it would have worked or not
remains a mystery. If they had made a fake Eiffel Tower as well in time, that
would have been so awesome.
You know Wilhelm, I'm not sure this IS Paris........then again Lettow Vorbeck's hat
is like that too.
1. LIEUTENANT COLONEL PORTUGUSE SOLDIER
I'm sure you'll be unsurprised to hear that for all the
people who show that they have bad tendencies, there are some who show
something heroic in the eyes of many, in terms of defending people who are in
retreat and even saving someone. If I was to say the name: Anibal Mihais, you
probably wouldn't recognise it at all. Who is this man? What did he do that was
amazing? Well, put a old Lewis machine gun in his hands, and then the story
becomes quite clear, and absolutely astounding!
Anibal Milhais was a farmer in Portugal until drafted into
the army in 1915, and finally mobilized with his fellow men in 1917, arriving
in France the same year. Based on the Western Front, the Portuguese Expedition
Force became mostly involved in infiltrating enemy lines and trench raids. They
did not become involved in major battles like the French and British, but they
still suffered many casualties and fatigue from the night raids. Three German
divisions were rotated around to face the Portuguese in nine months. An
impressive feat from the sounds of it. But the situation of the war would
change dramatically by April 1918. German general Eric von Ludendorff launched
a major offensive against the French and British in March called the Spring
Offensive, and the battle that Milhais would participate in was the second, The
Battle of the Lys.
On the very first day, Milhais could be found in the field
of Isberg, covering a withdrawal of both Portuguese and Scottish troops. How
did he defend them? Being in charge of a Lewis machine gun certainly helped.
When the Germans came around to his division, he laid down intense fire on all
sides, defeating back TWO German assaults almost single handedly. He stayed at
his post until he eventually ran out of ammunition. Apparently the machine gun
was that intense, the Germans were convinced that they were up against a
fortified unit than just the one man. The Germans went around his area and Milhais
found himself alone and behind enemy lines, where he was stuck for three days
without food or water. On the third, he came across a Scottish major who was
stuck in a swamp and rescued him with Lewis Gun in tow, and they managed to
cross over enemy positions back to Allied Lines.
Through those he
saved, his deeds became known throughout the Allied sector. Some months later,
he achieved a similar feat, using the machine gun again to hold the Germans
again and allowed one Belgium unit to retreat safely back to a second trench,
without any casualties it is said. He received great praise from a Portuguese
major, whom described his actions as worth that of a million men, hence giving
him the nickname, 'Soldier Millions'. He was also given Portugal's highest
military honour, The Order of the Tower and Sword, on the battlefield rather
than in a ceremony.
Anibal Milhais died in 1970, but I think he is considered to
be a national hero in Portugal, his name going down in history as one of the
finest soldiers in World War 1.
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3rd Division, American Expedition Force, Rock of
Racism
1. COLONAL LUSITANIA
The war at sea could be considered to be as much a slaughter
as with on land. Britain was reliant on produce imported from around the world,
which Germany attempted to strangle and ease the British into submission via
starvation. In early 1915, Germany declared unrestricted warfare and attacked
not just navel ships, but merchant ships alike, sinking as much as they could
please. But than one U-Boat made THE costly error to turn a certain big country
against them.
On May 7th that year, U-Boat 20 sighted the ship
Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland, and fired its torpedos. It was
struck and sunk within 18 minutes. 1,198 were killed in the attack, 128 were
Americans. Britain and America were outraged by the attack, condemning Germany
for the practical murder of over 1,000 lives. In September of 1915, Germany
called a halt to unrestricted warfare for the time being. But the damage was
done, and partly fuelled America's entry into the war in 1917.
Strange as it may seem, the Germans WARNED passengers coming
from America in the local papers. Here's a picture of their attempt.
Vampires are warned not to suck people's blood, and go out in the day time.
Puts the sinking into a strange perspective doesn't it? Were the Germans that conscious to the huge
risk the Lusitania would encounter if it happened to come across any U-Boats?
It's a strange thing to consider, in the face of their policy to sink ships.
According to differing sites, most of the passengers considered the warning
idle threats and nothing more, still coming onboard. In addition, Captain
Thomas Turner was given repeated notices by the British Admiralty that he was
coming into submarine infested waters, and made precautions but only stopped
when he felt comfortable that they were safe. Well that helped.
Another interesting accusation from the Germans at the time,
and most recently, has been that the Lusitania was actually carrying munitions
all the way over, justifying the claim. This seems to show that the debate will
hang over British government for years to come. An article from The Guardian of
this year by Alan Travis, tells of documents (presumably under protection of
the 30 years rule), that show a salvage operation warning the government that
there still could be active munitions hidden amongst the wreck. Subsequent
revelations show that there WERE 4,200 small-arms ammunition, 18 fuse cases and
125 shrapnel cases without powder charges, but these apparently did not
constitute as war munitions, nor were there any evidence of high explosives.
The question then is still unanswered.
But for all intents and purposes it still happened. The ship
sunk with as many lives going down with it too, and the United States of
America eventually entered the war on the Allied side. Despite whatever events
that led on and on, debate it seems will still rage on over the Lusitania, and
there are no clear answers for now.
1. BRIGADIER WOODROW WILSON
Another bit of history to talk about, sorry! The three main
ally leaders at the end of the war are thus: Georges Clemenceau for France
(whom you may remember from my ass-kicking of France article last year), David
Lloyd George for United Kingdom, and finally the President of the United
States, Woodrow Wilson. Leading his country into war and becoming victorious,
he prepared 'The Fourteen Points' so that war could not break out again and
laid down the benchmark for the Treaty of Versallie, and a new worldwide
organisation called the 'League of Nations'. From what I had learned about him
at school, he seemed a pretty clean cut guy, someone looking out for the
well-being of the world. Now? Erm.......let's start with the point that he was
born in the south of United States. And what was the south most popular for?
Oh no officer this isn't MY cross! It belongs to Mr Farage down the road there.
Yes it seems the man who wanted peace was actually your
typical racist against black people. As is the standard at the time. When he
came into power, Washington was segregated badly except for the federal
service, where everyone was treated equally. He decided, "hmm this needs a
little more racism" and segregated it, forcing many people to lose their
jobs or downgraded to lower ones. When this was met with protests outside the
White House, he was stated to have said to one protest leader:
"Segregation is not a humiliation, but a benefit, and ought to be
regardless as such by you gentleman".
Not helping matters was a private screening of the
controversial film 'The Birth of a Nation' set up in his office. The film
(directed by D.W. Griffth) is praised for revolutionary filming techniques that
are still in use today, but remains widely, if not wholly, condemned for the
portrayal of black people as sexual predators and manipulators, so I've heard.
There is an alleged quote from Wilson, thought to have said: "It is like
writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so
terribly true".
Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Someone you knew or thought,
from history at least, to be a respectable person to look up to, turns out to
have a different side to their personality. You almost begin to wonder: How the
hell did this happened, why are they like this? This is what is fascinating
about history. Just when you think you have all the information before you,
something else is uncovered and rocks your world.
I will admit to being very surprised at this revelation of
historical layers, I would never have expected Woodrow Wilson to be partial to
white supremacy in any manner at all. Yet it is a bizarre thing to not
completely get out of your head once you know. Some biographers and others have
attributed his racist views to be of the times then, and while there is a
certain degree of truth there, it's still a sobering thought to wonder that
this man, a Democrat, was in fact a legislator against black people.
I do have a smattering for Eminem.
1. GENERAL HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS
This was a relatively new thing I had come across only two
months ago, learning about a fictionalized account about the 369th
Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters. They were the first real
all-black regiment commissioned when America first entered the war in 1917. Of
course this was at the time when segregation was rife, and black people were
effectively treated as second class citizens. When it was first formed, they
were given basic training until sent down to South Carolina, otherwise partly
known as Jim Crow country. (Jim Crow Laws basically segregated black from
white, but keeping things "equal". Because you know....logic)
Needless to say they suffered a good amount of abuse. Sometimes however they
were helped out by some white soldiers, saying at one point to disgruntled shop
owners: "They're our buddies. And
we won't buy from men who treat them unfairly" (Gero).
The regiment was one of the first to be sent out to France,
though was commissioned to do labour duty at first until reassigned to the
French Army. The French treated them more kindly, no different than their own
regiments. They were given the respect and equality they could not properly
achieve in their own home country, welcomed into open arms by their French counterparts.
During their attachment, success after success followed on.
The 'Hellfighter' moniker came from the Germans, for their unrelenting defence
and the uncanny ability to never do these three things: lost a man through
capture, lost a trench and lost a foot of ground to them. In addition, privates
Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts earned the highest French military award, the
Croix de Guerre, when attacked by a German unit defending an isolated outpost,
Johnson in particular using a bolo knife when running out of ammunition. Lastly
they were the first Allied unit to reach the Rhine, 15 days after the armistice
was signed. Sounds some great achievements to me!
Oh hey America, you're about 5 years behind us!!
Before they were sent to France, a parade for New York's
National Guard aka The Rainbow Division was permitted, but not for the 369th,
their commander Colonel William Hayward was told: "Black is not a colour
in the Rainbow". Neither is white. Just saying. When they returned,
Hayward pulled what strings he could for their own victory parade through New
York streets in February 1919. Crowds soared as the 369th marched
through, coming to a special dinner in their honour.
Despite their successes in the war, Black Americans were
still segregated for much of the early 20th century, and World War 1
did little to improve that. But the gulf of reality became a little more
widespread. Here's a quote from A. Philip Randolph to end on: "I want to
congratulate you for doing your bit to make the world safe for democracy....and
unsafe for hypocrisy".
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So there you have it, your ten interesting facts for World
War 1. I hope this article has been revealing to you, as it has been for me. It
just shows how hidden history is, and how interesting it can be if we go beyond
the words of books and what we used to understand from history. What I have
tried to show today on the 100th year anniversary of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand's death is that the war may be part of the past, but it shows us how
instead of being thinly veiled we might see it, it is as thick skinned and deep
in character and bizarre little things that will tickle, interest or horrify
the mind a thousand times over.
If someone were to say 'I know a great deal about World War
1', they probably just taken a bite out of an apple. The trick is to keep
eating and finding out the truth in these facts about World War 1 or any other
kind of history. Of course it's fair to acknowledge that not all history can be
discovered so easily, but with recent events that have happened it's not that
difficult to find and expand your knowledge of history (if you so chose to). Since
for the next four years are the 100th years that World War 1 has
happened, you should try and find your own little bits of research that
interest you. Perhaps do your family tree? Or how women affected change in the
war? Or look up the different military weapons used? It's entirely up to you.
I urge you all to take the opportunity in your spare time
and understand that nothing in the past is always up front, it's always hidden
in a box, in another box, in another box, in a Russian Doll, and please never
forget.
