World War I: 100 years later, the United States remembers the end of the "Great War"

It was called the "Great War" because no one could conceive that there would be another one.

But there was.

And now, at the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Sunday, November 11, the world marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended the First World War. The global conflict cost about 9 million military lives, cemented the United States as a world power, reshaped history and changed the world order.

"The world has been defeated in those years, and if it was actually rebuilt, it was restored differently and wore the wounds of the First World War with which we continue to live today." hui, "said Matthew Naylor, chief executive officer of the museum and national memorial of the First World War in Kansas City, Missouri.

"It's a war that has completely changed the trajectory of the United States and has had such a profound impact on the world, the first war in which people from all the inhabited continents of the world have participated, a real world war." , he notes.

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"The Europeans themselves, of course, have suffered incredible losses today, thank God we would not tolerate them, the kind of bloodshed that there was, 7,200 deaths a week, 300 per day, 5 per minute for more than four years, every minute, every hour of every day, every week for more than four years.

"There was never enough coffins, never enough means to bury the dead, the degree of carnage was such.This reoriented the world, helped us learn what we can do to each other and made the world pant and pull back. "

Naylor oversees the preeminent institution of the nation that marks the conflict. The magnificent and imposing limestone memorial is unique. It was funded in 1919 by local residents who raised $ 2.5 million in just ten days, or $ 40 million in current dollars, to build it. The memorial was inaugurated in 1926 and the five Allied Commanders of War attended, along with President Calvin Coolidge.

The museum and skyline of Kansas City are dominated by the towering Liberty Memorial Tower that overlooks the museum and surrounds the 47-acre park surrounded by hills. It offers a breathtaking view of the city and is a powerful, poignant and solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by so many people.

Today, the museum is visited by half a million people each year and the horrors of a century ago continue to resonate. Visitors can see tanks, machine guns, gas masks and other weapons of war, as well as read the touching personal letters of the troops and study the patriotic art of the time, including the famous recruitment "Uncle Sam Wants You". displayed. The museum was renovated and considerably expanded in 2006.

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The first world war was so barbaric that it introduced the role of modern mechanized warfare, such as the use of gas on the Western Front and unprecedented means of mass slaughter.

The war began in 1914 and the United States entered on April 6, 1917, joining their allies Britain, France and Russia against Germany and its allies.

The trench war was particularly brutal.

"35,000 miles of trenches were created, even if the front was only 436 miles," says Naylor. "Your friends are going upstairs, and a lot of them are going to be killed, when will it be your turn to do that?"

Chemical weapons such as mustard, chlorine gas and phosphates have been deployed for the first time on the modern battlefield.

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"We quickly learned the horrors of their use, and the after-effects of death and horror remain," notes Naylor.

The involvement of the United States also marked the emergence of our country's role in international affairs.

"In many ways, you can not think of the twentieth century, you can not think of the American century without understanding the impact that the First World War had on attracting the United States to the world. a little removed after the war, but quickly pulled herself into a position where she never retreated, "says Naylor.

"The First World War gave birth to what we call modern America, a major player in international affairs, a formidable industrial and financial center, a champion of ideals, that's what brought the United States to These ideals have had a profound influence on the past 100 years and the role of the United States in world affairs. "

The war has also promoted social and cultural change in our country.

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"There was a deconstruction of the previous age and an emergence of the new that the First World War really helped to bring about.We see in the war the impact on civil rights, the experience African Americans who serve with the French, mainly, "says Naylor. "It really gave impetus to the civil rights movement and the suffragette movement and the changing roles of women during the First World War."

But today, the war and the contribution of our country to victory have largely disappeared from the national consciousness.

The last American veteran, Frank Buckles, passed away seven years ago at the age of 110.

"The Civil War and World War II occupy the imagination of the public in the same way as the First World War," says Naylor.

"It's a very messy war, it's complicated and so it's hard for people to get by." Second, the US involvement has been relatively short despite the fact that the most Great military campaign of American military history took place during the First World War. "

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But the sacrifices of the more than 4 million Americans who served and more than 116,000 American soldiers killed remain one of the museum's focal points.

"We tend to forget that tragedy occurs after we have passed the third or fourth generation, and our job is to remember those who have served and to continue to tell the story and learn from it. of the lasting impact of the war, "notes Naylor. .

"Our job now is to interpret, memorize and understand the Great War 100 years ago, we must continue to protect and preserve these memories, to honor those who served and then to consider The reality is that a hundred years later, we live in the shadow of war and we wake up every day from the consequences of the decisions and actions taken during the First World War, and our Therefore, work consists of examining this question in the hope of creating a more just and prosperous future. "

Despite the historical significance of the war, there is no national memorial in Washington, DC, but one is planned. Like the museum, it will commemorate what was once called "the war to end all wars", a noble goal that has unfortunately not been achieved.

"His legacy can not be underestimated," says Naylor. "Our job is to be able to tell this story and help people understand and learn."

Ben Evansky and Lloyd Gottschalk contributed to this report.

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