By Marc Ferro
We fought for four years from 1914 to 1918. The debate about that war still rages on eighty years later...
First we tried to justify that the enemy was responsible, and then to foist the shame on the political leaders. Or perhaps the butchery happened because of incompetent and glory-seeking military leaders. Then there was the tragedy of the soldiers who lived through the horror. They were victims of history. On the eve, hadn’t they declared war on the war? But that didn’t stop them from participating and killing in large numbers. How does one choose between enthusiasm, consent, and coercion? Let’s review the events. In 1914, after several months of marching and counter-marching, the soldiers found themselves brusquely and cruelly immobilized in make-shift trenches. Suddenly the enemy took on form. He had a face, and sometimes a first name. The enemy trenches were often very close, sometimes as close as four meters. These enemies were men, like you and I. Whenever there was the smallest break, they would sing, drink, and laugh. During these moments, they would send each other chocolates and cigarettes. Yes, fraternizing happened on Christmas of 1914 and Easter of 1915. It was the first stirrings, a way to take advantage of the lull in combat. A muffled cry for peace, perhaps. Years passed, hearts and bodies harden. And when there was more fraternizing, specifically when with the Russians after the fall of the Czar in February 1917, this time it wasn’t merely a call for peace, but a call for Revolution.
Marc Ferro is a co-director of the Anneles, director of research at l’Ehess (School of Higher Studies for the Social Sciences), a specialist in World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the history of cinema. He has also directed and hosted Histoires parallèles, a program for the television channel Arte. Recognized the world over, he came to public attention with his major biographies of Nicholas II and Pétain, his studies on the Russian Revolution, and of course his reflections and writings on history and colonization.
