euro|topics - Commemorating World War I

Main focus of Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Commemorating World War I

On November 11 people all over Europe commemorated the end of the First World War 90 years ago. Europe's press discusses the significance of these commemorations from different perspectives.

Le Soir - Belgium

The daily Le Soir welcomes the fact that the general public has started commemorating World War I once more: "Approximately 20 years ago we started commemorating the war between 1914-1918 again. ... This war, which was also known as the Great War, replaced the myth of the founding of Belgium and at the same time became an alibi for the Flemish movement. Is this the rise of a new generation of historians or the glorious return of an eventful past? People are talking about the Great War. Books and films aimed at a broad public are dedicated to this topic. It is a cliché to write that history repeats itself and that those who do not acknowledge this risk are repeating the mistakes of the past. Yet World War II broke out partly because we failed to learn the lessons of World War I. The 90th anniversary of the armistice is not a celebration for those who love fireworks, but serves to remind us that peace has its price." (10/11/2008)

La Repubblica - Italy

In his speech in Douaumont near the battlefield of Verdun, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has commemorated those who deserted the French army in World War I. A taboo has been broken, writes the left-liberal daily La Repubblica: "Remembering the deserters, the soldiers who refused to obey and were shot to set an example, is the first political rehabilitation by a French president of the 675 soldiers who were executed between 1914 and 1918. ... Sarkozy has found the right tone for commemorating the soldiers whose memory is tinged with dishonour. ... Former French prime minister Lionel Jospin had also flirted with the idea of such reparations ten years ago. His successor, although he is conservative and a staunch supporter of the nation's values, is now the one to break the taboo. ... France is not the first country to have taken this step. The UK has passed a law rehabilitating its 360 executed soldiers. In Italy, by contrast, the 750 soldiers who were condemned to death and shot remain forgotten." (12/11/2008)

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany

German chancellor Angela Merkel has participated in an event in Poland commemorating both the end of World War I and the 90th anniversary of Polish independence. For the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung this shows how far Europe has come: "It hardly surprised anyone that the chancellor was in Warsaw when Poland celebrated November 11 as the day of national resurrection. Even if Poland's good fortune - the simultaneous collapse of all three powers that had partitioned the country - was one of Germany's darkest hours, an invitation like this says more about how Europe has changed than a thousand conferences. What tarnished the Polish president's conciliatory stance, however, was his attitude of irreconcilability regarding his predecessor Lech Wałęsa, who Kaczyński had excluded from the official celebrations on personal grounds." (12/11/2008)

Fakt - Poland

German Chancellor Angela Merkel comments on Poland's Independence Day on page 3 of Poland's most widely read daily Fakt: "The 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 is an important historical date for the Polish people and for all of Europe. On this day Poland re-emerged on the political map as a free and independent state after 123 years. This did not mean the end of hard times for the Polish people. We will always keep the memory of the indescribable suffering that Germans imposed on the Poles alive in our nation's conscience. It is Germany's historical obligation to do so. This momentous historical day also reminds me that Poland made an excellent contribution towards overcoming the division of Europe ... and we remain grateful to you for this ... Today Poles and Germans are good friends and neighbours." (12/11/2008)

Postimees - Estonia

The Estonian daily Postimees stresses the symbolic power of this anniversary for Europe: "Ninety years ago today the weapons on the western front fell silent, but in the East the Russian Revolution, Estonia's war of independence and various other conflicts began. In the West, however, the armistice held, and therefore this anniversary is a particularly important one there. If we look for symbols, then perhaps French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni are particularly suited to this purpose. After all, until only a few months ago the latter was an Italian citizen, and we should not forget that France and Italy were on different sides during World War I." (12/11/2008)