Lansdale Letter To The Editor: Forgetting The Lessons Of World War I

The following letter to the editor has been submitted by Matthew Helfrich of Harleysville. To submit a letter to the editor at Patch, please email justin.heinze@patch.com.

World War I took place approximately 100 years ago and it defines the world we live in today. Yet in the US, little is known about a war that claimed 10 million lives and undoubtably created the conditions that resulted in World War II and the atrocities witnessed at Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, and in the bloody battles fought on the beaches of Tarawa, Normandy and Iwo Jima.

Barbara Tuchman's best selling book, The Guns of August, details how a prosperous Europe started a war that could have been avoided. In her book, Tuchman documents how World War I was the result of severe errors in judgment by Europe's leaders. It's a reminder of how our President's decision making in foreign affairs can either maintain peace or lead us down the road to war‎.

Leaders in 1914 predicted that their troops would be home "before the leaves fall from the trees." Unfortunately the war ground on for 4 bloody years and spread to all corners of the globe. The war caused instability and economic problems that created fertile ground for Nazi dominance based on racism and territorial expansion. The resulting second World War killed over 50 million people and was immediately followed by a Cold War with the Soviet Union that lasted for over 40 years. Although we ultimately won the Cold War, we created enemies in the Middle East by doing so and our country continues to grapple with a complex War on Terror today.

World War I receives little attention in comparison to the wars, atrocities, and terrorism it has caused. Despite the 100th anniversary of World War I, it seems that people today are more familiar with fictional events like the Catalina Wine Mixer or the date of National Talk Like a Pirate Day, when you can wear a bandana and an eye patch.

Patch file photo.