Zhongxin. com, November 11 (Zhang Aijing) November 11 is the centenary of the end of the First World War. One hundred years ago today, representatives of the German government and the Allies signed an armistice agreement in Compiè ne, France, thus ending the First World War.
This unprecedented war has brought profound disasters to mankind and profoundly affected the historical development of Europe and even the world. On the centenary of the end of World War I, looking back at history and commemorating the "armistice" is not only to mourn Qian Qian’s life lost in the war, but also to impress the present and future generations that war is cruel and peace is priceless.
On August 25, 2018, hundreds of volunteers from 18 countries gathered in Verdun, France, put on the uniforms of soldiers in World War I and re-enacted the scene of the Battle of Verdun as one of a series of activities to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War I.
A brief history of the First World War
At the end of 19th century and the beginning of 1920s, western imperialist countries launched fierce struggles around the struggle for world hegemony and colonies, and the contradictions among European powers were complicated.
Before World War I, major European countries formed two potentially hostile alliances, Germany and Austria-Hungary on one side, France, Britain and Russia on the other. On June 28th, 1914, Archduke Ferdinand of Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated in Sarajevo, which triggered a series of reactions and eventually ignited a full-scale war between the two alliances — — The first world war.
After the war, the allies (Germany, Austria-Hungary, etc.) and the allies (France, Britain, Russia, etc.) fought on the European battlefield. But soon, the war went beyond the scope of Europe and involved the whole world in the whirlpool of war.
World War I lasted more than four years, and finally ended in the defeat of the Allies. During the war, wars spread all over Europe, Asia and Africa, more than 30 countries and regions with a population of about 1.5 billion were involved in the war, 65 million people participated in the war, and the number of casualties exceeded 30 million, resulting in economic losses of about 170 billion US dollars.
On November 2, 2018, in Maize, Belgium, the local botanical garden used thousands of poppies made of red bottle caps to pose as pigeons.
Change the historical trajectory of the world
World War I brought great disasters to mankind and had a profound impact on world history.
After the war, the balance of power among imperialist countries changed. Germany was defeated and ceded land for compensation; The Austro-Hungarian Empire completely collapsed; Although Britain and France won, they were weakened and weakened in the war. The United States made huge profits in the war and became an economic power.
On the other hand, through the Paris Peace Conference and the Washington Conference, the imperialist powers established the "Versailles-Washington System" and established the ruling order in Europe, West Asia, Africa, East Asia and the Pacific.
However, this new system used to carve up the world did not eliminate the fundamental contradiction between imperialist countries, but was broken with the rise of fascism in Germany, Italy and Japan. Only 20 years after the end of World War I, World War II broke out.
On November 6, 2018, in London, England, thousands of torches were lit around the Tower of London to welcome the centenary of the armistice in the First World War and to commemorate the fallen soldiers.
Many countries commemorate the centenary of armistice.
From 1918 to 2018, it has been a hundred years since the end of World War I. A century of history has given this year’s Armistice Day more commemorative significance.
Recently, with the approach of November 11th, many countries have held different forms of commemorative activities. In Maize, Belgium, the local botanical garden made "poppies" with thousands of red bottle caps and used them to pose as doves of peace. In London, England, thousands of torches were lit around the famous Tower of London to commemorate the fallen soldiers.
In France, French President Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May visited Albert, a town in northern France, on the 9th to mourn the officers and men killed in the Battle of the Somme in World War I.. On the 10th, Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Compiè ne Forest, north of Paris, and visited the train carriages that signed the armistice agreement a hundred years ago.
The official week-long commemoration in France will reach its climax on the 11th. Leaders of about 70 countries, including the United States, Russia, Germany and Britain, will gather in Paris to attend the centenary of the end of World War I and the peace forum.
Reflection on war and peace are priceless.
World War I has become history, but the discussion on World War I has not ended. On the centenary of the end of World War I, the French ambassador to Japan and the German ambassador to Japan also published articles together, reflecting on the history of the war and reviewing the post-war reconciliation process between France and Germany.
According to the article, the First World War spread to most parts of the world, and many continents ignited wars. For Europeans who lost their loved ones, this war is a terrible tragedy. The long war devoured the population and economic strength of Europe. However, the end of World War I did not bring about permanent peace. Twenty years later, a more tragic war broke out again, which claimed more lives.
"France and Germany understand the suffering and cost of war. In order not to repeat past mistakes, the two countries are committed to developing close and friendly relations." Ambassador France and Germany said in the article.
Remembering the painful lessons of history is for mankind to enjoy a peaceful and beautiful future. In today’s world, there are still countless people suffering from war. The international community should draw profound lessons from history, cherish and safeguard the hard-won peace situation, persist in resolving international disputes through dialogue and consultation, strengthen and improve global governance, and safeguard lasting world peace.
A hundred years after the end of World War I, people put poppies on their chests to mourn the soldiers killed in World War I and remember those who died in the war. And this "little red flower" that has passed through a hundred years is constantly reminding people that war is cruel and peace is priceless!
