Fallen Soldiers: Reshaping the Memory of the World Wars

George L. Mosse

ISBN 10: 0195071395 / ISBN 13: 9780195071399

Editore: Oxford University Press, 1990

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Verschmutzung / Wasserschaden; Leichte Kratzer / Abnutzungen / Druckstellen. At the outbreak of the First World War, a generation of young men rushed into battle, believing in a glorious cause that ultimately claimed around 13 million soldiers' lives--more than twice the total from all major wars between 1790 and 1914. Despite this staggering toll, memories of the war often centered not on the grim realities of trench warfare, but on its sacredness and the martyrdom of those who died for their country. This pioneering work by historian George L. Mosse delves into the Myth of the War Experience--a vision that obscures the horror of war, sanctifies its memory, and justifies its purpose. Tracing the origins of this myth from the Napoleonic wars, Mosse explores how war volunteers helped create and sustain it. During World War I, the myth gained significant traction as Europeans faced unprecedented mass death, leading to a national obsession with finding a higher meaning in the conflict. Focusing on Germany, with references to England, France, and Italy, he illustrates how nations glorified war through memorials and military cemeteries, portraying the dead as martyrs. Additionally, Mosse discusses how the war's image was softened through trivialization, with war toys and postcards altering public perception. Although the Great War ended in 1918, the myth persisted, influencing the militant nationalism of the Nazi party and ultimately contributing to World War II. Mosse's exploration of the postwar years revea.

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Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: Fallen Soldiers: Reshaping the Memory of the World Wars
• Editore: Oxford University Press
• Data di pubblicazione: 1990
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0195071395
• ISBN 13: 9780195071399
• Rilegatura: Softcover
• Condizione: Fair
• Cataloghi dei venditori:
  • Military

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Riassunto

Millions were killed and maimed in the senseless brutality of the First World War, but once the armistice was signed the realities were cleansed of their horror by the nature of the burial and commemoration of the dead. In the interwar period, war monuments and cemeteries provided the public with places of worship and martyrs for the civic religion of nationalism. The cult of the fallen soldier blossomed in Germany and other European countries, and people seemed to build war into their lives as a necessary and glorious event - a proof of manhood and loyalty to the flag. Ultimately there was even a process of trivialization, with light comedies, war toys, and battlefield tourism becoming popular.

Tracing wartime experience from the Napoleonic Wars to Vietnam, Professor Mosse's chilling study explores why mankind has drawn the sting of death from modern war and transformed it into an acceptable, even sacred, event.

Informazioni sull'autore

George L. Mosse is Bascom-Weinstein Professor of History, Emeritus, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and Koebner Professor of History, Emeritus, at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His previous books include The Crisis of German Ideology, Nazi Culture, The Nationalization of the Masses, Nationality and Sexuality, and Toward the Final Solution.