This day in History June 28th 1914
Jun 28, 2019 16:04:53 GMT -5
kacyds, Gordon Lee, and 2 more like this
Post by jonesy on Jun 28, 2019 16:04:53 GMT -5
The Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, were assassinated on this day in history, June 28th 1914. This assassination, not unlike others in history, sparked a war, but not just any war... This one just happened to be the war to end all wars... World War One. The war would start one month later to the day. Two of my children are studying WW1 right now, and as such, I have much to say in regards to this most auspicious day in History. I could have chosen my specialty-which is the art world. I hold a BFA with a major in architectural photography, however the classics have always had a soft place in my heart... namely Van Gogh, Rafael, Michelangelo, and the birthday boy himself Sir Peter Paul Rubens (The "Sir" comes from a knighthood by Charles the First of England). Yup Rubens may have been born on this day in History, June 28th 1577, however, I feel as though the event that started the first Great War was more important (my passion for art, and the reason I became interested in stamps and art, history and other things that are portrayed through the medium, was due to seeing the paintings of Rubens in the Louvre in Paris when I was 6-years old, need to be set aside).
The First World War was supposed to be the war to end all wars. The loss of life (over 9,000,000 Soldiers alone, not including 8 million civilian casualties that died from a number of sources (such as the war directly) whether from bombings, shootings or other kind of war related injury/fatality, famine and displacement, disease, and other horrors that war brings, was staggering. WWII would prove to be much much worse. Humans were not the only casualties. War Horses and civilian horses from fields and farms, cattle, sheep and a plethora of other animals, were decimated whether intentionally or as a casualty of war. The destructive killing technology and battle strategies that came out of the “Great War”, especially trench warfare, were only the precursors for World War II and would prove to be the ground work for even greater machines with much more destructive capabilities that we all must live with today. The war ended on the exact same day 5-years later. The Treaty of Versailles was so crippling for Germany that it lead to the rise of Hitler. I could go on for hours regarding the ramifications of this one self-serving act by a Serbian National, however. This forum is for joyous hobby of Philately and not a history lesson or class. I will close with this one thought, as I did a few days prior… Learn from history or history will repeat itself, as it has done since the beginning of time.
Have a great and stampy day.
Jonesy
The First World War was supposed to be the war to end all wars. The loss of life (over 9,000,000 Soldiers alone, not including 8 million civilian casualties that died from a number of sources (such as the war directly) whether from bombings, shootings or other kind of war related injury/fatality, famine and displacement, disease, and other horrors that war brings, was staggering. WWII would prove to be much much worse. Humans were not the only casualties. War Horses and civilian horses from fields and farms, cattle, sheep and a plethora of other animals, were decimated whether intentionally or as a casualty of war. The destructive killing technology and battle strategies that came out of the “Great War”, especially trench warfare, were only the precursors for World War II and would prove to be the ground work for even greater machines with much more destructive capabilities that we all must live with today. The war ended on the exact same day 5-years later. The Treaty of Versailles was so crippling for Germany that it lead to the rise of Hitler. I could go on for hours regarding the ramifications of this one self-serving act by a Serbian National, however. This forum is for joyous hobby of Philately and not a history lesson or class. I will close with this one thought, as I did a few days prior… Learn from history or history will repeat itself, as it has done since the beginning of time.
Have a great and stampy day.
Jonesy