Messymascot's faith in humanity and ginger safe haven

[blue1948]

The various European royal families all had pacts and agreements arranged, apparently. Ferdinand was the catalyst for them to kick in.

It goes bak to the war with Spain ,I heard the two rulers were cousins and used the war to "galvanise " the people .It has been said a lot that that is what a war does for the rulers or politicians .....but not for the people .Most royal families in Europe were related take Lizzie and Philip ,they are cousins .
One fact I heard was that in the first world war the reruitment in UK was mostly upperclass and professionals as they thought it would soon be over .

 

[anjelikaferrett]

The story behind how it happened, (the poppies), is amazing.

You can't leave it like that. Tell me more.

 

[anjelikaferrett]

It goes bak to the war with Spain ,I heard the two rulers were cousins and used the war to "galvanise " the people .It has been said a lot that that is what a war does for the rulers or politicians .....but not for the people .Most royal families in Europe were related take Lizzie and Philip ,they are cousins .
One fact I heard was that in the first world war the reruitment in UK was mostly upperclass and professionals as they thought it would soon be over .

You also had all the Pals regiments where groups of people joined up together with the promise that they could serve alongside their friends/ neighbours/ workmates. Sometimes all the men in a village would join up or from a specific work place including football clubs. The casualties amongst them were horrific. Imagine the local devastation when hardly any of them came back.

 

[Terrarian]

WW1 9.5million deaths, 21million casualties, 7million civilian deaths. Awful.

 

[PhilM]

The various European royal families all had pacts and agreements arranged, apparently. Ferdinand was the catalyst for them to kick in.

Aye, the view that Princip and his gang causing WWI is naive; it was the catalyst for a war that had been looking more likely due to the bubbling continent.

Perceived German and Austrian aggression had long worried the 'Entente', and you can rewind all the way back to the dreadnought race back in 1906.

When you look at nationalism and imperialism, which fed militarism and the alliances, it meant that jostling pushed towards a war; Bismarck fuelled a lot of this.

Serbian nationalism, which Russia wanted to foster and support, was a way of checking German and Austrian expansion, which goes back to all the above.

It's like the origins of WWII really and how they run all the back to 1919 and Versailles; a fair few historians argue that 1919-1939 was simply a hiatus of WWI.

Was German anger towards Versailles et al. during the Weirmar years valid? Of course it was. The mixing pot kept churning and the likes of Hitler fed on this.

You also had all the Pals regiments where groups of people joined up together with the promise that they could serve alongside their friends/ neighbours/ workmates. Sometimes all the men in a village would join up or from a specific work place including football clubs. The casualties amongst them were horrific. Imagine the local devastation when hardly any of them came back.

The Pals regiments were a terrible idea but one of neccesity due to our inequality in size: we had a small, professional army (the old contemptibles).

Men were recruited, thrown in with their friends and NCOs were often chosen from the ranks due to criteria that often didn't relate to experience.

These were led by inexperienced officers. With their lack of experience, the need for offensives and favourable German positions meant they had no chance.

On the other hand, the British army of late '17 into '18 is the best army we've ever fielded... ever!

 

[roydo]

You can't leave it like that. Tell me more.

The production company had pretty much run out of cash, hence the black and white final frame. And they could only afford one shot of the final frame, and frankly, if you look at it before the poppies, it looks rubbish.

So at a loss, they asked some IT lads if they could "do something". One of them mucked about with one poppy, but then pressed a tab that made it repeat its image, hence the final frame we all know so well.

A happy accident.

 

[Terrarian]

Aye, the view that Princip and his gang causing WWI is naive; it was the catalyst for a war that had been looking more likely due to the bubbling continent.

Perceived German and Austrian aggression had long worried the 'Entente', and you can rewind all the way back to the dreadnought race back in 1906.

When you look at nationalism and imperialism, which fed militarism and the alliances, meant that jostling pushed towards a war; Bismarck fuelled a lot of this.

Serbian nationalism, which Russia wanted to foster and support, was a way of checking German and Austrian expansion, which goes back to all the above.

It's like the origins of WWII really and how they run all the back to 1919 and Versailles; a fair few historians argue that 1919-1939 was simply a hiatus of WWI.

Was German anger towards Versailles et al. during the Weirmar years valid? Of course it was. The mixing pot kept churning and the likes of Hitler fed on this.

Hitler was disgusted with the reparations the Germans had to concede after WW1 and the land they lost. he used that to fuel the hate about giving Germany their identity back. I'm still learning about the wars, so much i don't know.

 

[roydo]

he used that to fuel the hate about giving Germany their identity back.

Sort of "Take back control"?

Thats what I meant about the causations of stuff being very very similar, even if the outcomes are a world away from each other.

 

[PhilM]

Hitler was disgusted with the reparations the Germans had to concede after WW1 and the land they lost. he used that to fuel the hate about giving Germany their identity back. I'm still learning about the wars, so much i don't know.

Not just Hitler, many Germans too, and you could argue say rightly so.

Add to that, Hindenburg and Ludendorff perpetuated a myth that the army had been betrayed to save their own bacon and preserve their image.

Germans troops advancing during Operation Michael (the Spring Offensive of '18) saw how well prepared and fed their enemy was, and this struck home.

The Germans at home were starving and it was all worthwhile because so were the Brits and French - they could win - so when they saw the reality it slipped.

So, it was easier to blame the Weimar politicians than face their own blame. When Versailles kept battering them with reparations, it wasn't going to end well.

Hitler was never meant to be Chancellor; the NSDAP weren't the mighty party pre 1933 that people think. Instead, Hindenburg and co. allowed him in.

 

[Terrarian]

Not just Hitler, many Germans too, and you could argue say rightly so.

Add to that, Hindenburg and Ludendorff perpetuated a myth that the army had been betrayed to save their own bacon and preserve their image.

Germans troops advancing during Operation Michael (the Spring Offensive of '18) saw how well prepared and fed their enemy was, and this struck home.

The Germans at home were starving and it was all worthwhile because so were the Brits and French - they could win - so when they saw the reality it slipped.

So, it was easier to blame the Weimar politicians than face their own blame. When Versailles kept battering them with reparations, it wasn't going to end well.

Hitler was never meant to be Chancellor; the NSDAP weren't the mighty party pre 1933 that people think. Instead, Hindenburg and co. allowed him in.

I'm going to have to find a documentary about all this as well, very interesting, thanks.

 

[anjelikaferrett]

The production company had pretty much run out of cash, hence the black and white final frame. And they could only afford one shot of the final frame, and frankly, if you look at it before the poppies, it looks rubbish.

So at a loss, they asked some IT lads if they could "do something". One of them mucked about with one poppy, but then pressed a tab that made it repeat its image, hence the final frame we all know so well.

A happy accident.

That's awesome. Thanks

 

[Barnfred 55]

Great news Fred we are on episode 1 of Rick Stein series two so I will be eagle eyed on three ,one question how is it I am always starvin' when I read your posts ? Have a great weekend .

Probably because I'm always blogging about food

The Thai red curry was delicious by the way. Didn't need to worry about storing the extra coconut milk, I just used the lot and cooked it down and the sauce ended up lovely and rich.

 

[PhilM]

I'm going to have to find a documentary about all this as well, very interesting, thanks.

I'll put a list together for you; I've got a few books I'd recommend too.

In terms of WWI, the first cavalry charge and shots were fired outside of Mons. Four years later, on the final day of the war, a Canadian infantry battalion stopped.

It's advanced recee platoon measured twenty-five yards gained over those years, with a cost of ten million dead across all nations. Pointless slaughter.

No British rifle had fired in anger on the European continent for over a hundred years, but that was all made up for in a mere four years. Pointless slaughter.

 

[Terrarian]

I'll put a list together for you; I've got a few books I'd recommend too.

In terms of WWI, the first cavalry charge and shots were fired outside of Mons.Four years later, on the final day, a Canadian infantry battalion stopped.

It's advanced recee platoon measured twenty-five yards gained over those years, with a cost of ten million dead across all nations. Pointless slaughter.

No British rifle had fired in anger on the European continent for over a hundred years, but that was all made up for in a mere four years. Pointless slaughter.

That'd be great thanks.

It certainly was pointless slaughter and as usual it's the little people who suffer for politicians/Royals. 25yards wow crazy.

 

[Barnfred 55]

So much we don't know about the main events in history ,why is that ? Are we taught with a bias or are we not taught properly at all ? Or are we simply not interested as kids ?
I often look back and think about the way we were taught ,of course I was caned almost every day .I don't know whether I have posted this before ( One of the benefits of getting old ) but I had a P.E. teacher who used an old pump sole ( the footwear kind ) and another who used a length of rubber bunsen burner hose with a knot tied at the end ---to teach me a lesson .

Those were the days mate.

Like Gwladys having to flash her brown knickers. I mean, we joke about it on here but it's pretty barbaric when you think about it. The kids today have no idea the sort of things us oldies had to go through at school..