Today we observe Remembrance Day, honouring those who gave their lives during the First World War. The date was chosen to mark the moment the war came to an end- 11th November 1918. This was the day that a conflict that brought disasters that were never seen before, came to an end.Today we observe Remembrance Day, honouring those who gave their lives during the First World War. The date was chosen to mark the moment the war came to an end- 11th November 1918. This was the day that a conflict that brought disasters that were never seen before, came to an end.Historical ContextThe outbreak was an evolution of developments in history. The underlying cause of the first world war was that an old Westphalian international order, which meant that each state has exclusive sovereignty over its territory, had run its course.However, the spark that lit the fuse was the assassination of archduke Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip who was a student to free Bosnia and Herzegovina from Austro-Hungarian rule and unite South Slavs into a unified Yugoslavia.Complicated situations emerged also because of Germany’s unification in 1871 and all the power it generated. Kaizer Wilhelm II’s Weltpolitik played a major role in heightening the tensions that sparked the war by fostering a militaristic climate, intensifying the arms race, and pushing potential rivals such as Britain and France to form an alliance against Germany.On the one side of the conflict there was the United Kingdom, France, Russia (until 1917, due to the Russian Revolution), Italy (joined in 1915, switching from the Triple Alliance), the United States (joined in 1917), Japan, Belgium, Serbia, Greece, Romania and PortugalOn the other side of the battlefield there was Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and BulgariaSocietyWhen war broke out in August 1914, much of Europe greeted it with confidence and even jubilation, swept up in a wave of patriotic fervour and celebration. Few anticipated the prolonged devastation that a conflict between Europe’s great powers would bring, and most believed their nation would achieve victory within just a few months.Many had hoped that World War I, with its unprecedented scale and devastation, would truly be “the war to end all wars,” and that Armistice Day would stand as a lasting reminder never to repeat such a tragedy. The outbreak of World War II, however, tragically challenged that hope and added complexity to the meaning of Armistice Day.Approximately 8.5 million soldiers lost their lives due to wounds or disease during World War I, and civilian deaths may have reached as many as 13 million. This staggering toll far exceeded that of any previous conflict, driven in large part by the new technologies and methods of warfare introduced during the war.The war was different to any previously experienced war in the sense that the technology became more advanced and thus, the destruction was much larger.World War I directly led to the collapse of four imperial dynasties: the Habsburgs of Austria-Hungary, the Hohenzollerns of Germany, the Ottoman sultanate, and the Romanovs of Russia, reshaping the map of Europe forever. The conflict also marked the rise of the United States as a global power, while advances in technology made warfare more deadly than ever before.The origin of Remembrance Day dates back to 1919, a year after the war ended. In Britain, the commonwealth countries and the US, it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11am on 11th November which is the time and date of the World War I armistice in 1918.Poppies have long been associated with WW1 memorials through John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields.” However, the poppy was chosen for Remembrance because the species was the first to grow back in No-Man’s Land after the war ended. It was also chosen due to its hue that symbolises the soldiers’ blood that was spilt.Post WarThe five great powers (Britain, France, Austria, Russia and Germany) scenery was finished. Austria was completely dismantled. France, Britain and the US were left as the dominant players in international relations.The war brought countless repercussions on society like economic disruption and a lost generation. Widespread death and disability crippled society and caused demographic shifts that changed the world forever.So today we remember:All the soldiers who went to warAll the people that strove for peace in a reality that was never before seenAll the unfinished stories and lives cut shortTag a history buffCredit: National World War I Museum•