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FRANCE - FRANCE 'STILL FEELING' THE LEGACY OF WWI 100 YEARS ON
FRANCE 24 (English)
November 10, 2013 Sunday
by Tony Todd
As France prepares to mark 100 years since the beginning of the First
World War, historian Nicolas Offenstadt, one of the leaders of the
country's official Commemoration Mission, explains why the conflict
is still significant.
France on Monday November 11 remembers the Armistice that marked the
end of the First World War in 1918 after four years of bloody conflict
that cost millions of lives.
France's staggering casualty list included around 1.4 million killed in
a war that has left an indelible imprint on the national consciousness.
The country is now preparing for the centenary commemorations of the
First World War, to begin next year (France entered the war in August
1914), organised by the state-sponsored Centenary Mission which is
organising hundreds of events to remember and debate the devastating
legacy of the global conflict.
French historian Nicolas Offenstadt, a member of the Mission's council,
tells FRANCE 24 why the First World War remains a crucial event in
the country's history and that its legacy, still being felt, needs
to be tackled head on.
FRANCE 24: Why is it so important to commemorate a war that took
place so long ago?
Nicolas Offenstadt: There is a very real need for this in France. Yes,
it is an historical event, but we are still feeling the consequences
in almost every aspect of our lives. For ordinary people, memories of
the war remain strong, anchored as they are in narratives of millions
of French families.
It is also an important time to reflect on France's experience as a
nation. The Great War was a colossal and traumatic event. Millions
were killed. It was a demographic, human and economic trauma on a
massive scale that had a profound and lasting effect on all those
countries that took part.
The questions it raises are as important today as they were then. What
is the relationship between the individual citizen and the state? Can
citizens still be called on to defend their country? What does it
mean to make a collective effort? What is the meaning of national
solidarity?
FRANCE 24: What is the paramount challenge for France in dealing with
this legacy?
Offenstadt: The Great War included a huge participation of troops
from France's former colonies, a participation that is not nearly
as well understood as it should be. The debate will have - and must
have - a significant impact on the contentious issue of 21st century
immigration while helping France come to terms with the realities of
its colonial past.
Getting it right is vitally important. One aspect that is often
overlooked is that many of France's colonial troops were not volunteers
- many of them were forced to fight, and there was a great deal
of resistance.
This needs to be recognised. We must be faithful to the past, and we
must never gloss over difficult issues with bland platitudes that
have no basis in reality. Talking about glorious natives of former
colonies who volunteered to fight and die for the French motherland
is both wrong and utterly counterproductive.
These elements need to be put into the public sphere so that they can
be properly debated, and this is one of the things the mission has
set out to do. It will allow us to put many of our modern problems
into a better perspective and help deal with them with greater honesty.
FRANCE 24: What is the involvement of former allies in next year's
commemorations?
Offenstadt: The mission's objectives are global, and hundreds
of forthcoming commemorative events are being organised with our
international partners. We have been working on these exchanges for
years, while American and British Commonwealth countries' memorials
have been in place in France for decades.
The mission is in touch with ministers from all these countries,
including Britain, and also Canada, Australia and New Zealand for
whom, like France, the experience of the First World War remains a
central part of their national consciousness.
FRANCE 24: What about former enemies, like Germany, which is a close
partner of modern France?
Offenstadt: Germany is a big challenge. But this isn't because of
any lasting animosity.
While the First World War did have a huge impact on German 20th century
history, it is overshadowed by later, and far more traumatic events -
the rise of Nazism, the devastation of the Second World War, national
division and eventual reunification.
Meanwhile, the mission has had a difficult time finding partners in
Germany for commemorative events, not least because it is a federal
republic that has no central culture ministry. Everything has had to
be done through the individual states (Lander).
And there is the obvious problem - that Germany lost the war. Of course
it is difficult for Germans, who are now France's closest European
partner, to help commemorate a French military victory, a victory
that had dramatic and eventually catastrophic consequences for Germany.
And then there is the very difficult question of Turkey [Ottoman
Turkey was allied with the central powers]. This is compounded by
its refusal to accept the reality of the 1915 Armenian genocide.
France's relationship with Turkey on this issue will be a big challenge
for the mission. Ankara was, and remains, furious with France for
passing a law in 2012 that outlawed the denial of this genocide.
From: Baghdasarian
FRANCE 24 (English)
November 10, 2013 Sunday
by Tony Todd
As France prepares to mark 100 years since the beginning of the First
World War, historian Nicolas Offenstadt, one of the leaders of the
country's official Commemoration Mission, explains why the conflict
is still significant.
France on Monday November 11 remembers the Armistice that marked the
end of the First World War in 1918 after four years of bloody conflict
that cost millions of lives.
France's staggering casualty list included around 1.4 million killed in
a war that has left an indelible imprint on the national consciousness.
The country is now preparing for the centenary commemorations of the
First World War, to begin next year (France entered the war in August
1914), organised by the state-sponsored Centenary Mission which is
organising hundreds of events to remember and debate the devastating
legacy of the global conflict.
French historian Nicolas Offenstadt, a member of the Mission's council,
tells FRANCE 24 why the First World War remains a crucial event in
the country's history and that its legacy, still being felt, needs
to be tackled head on.
FRANCE 24: Why is it so important to commemorate a war that took
place so long ago?
Nicolas Offenstadt: There is a very real need for this in France. Yes,
it is an historical event, but we are still feeling the consequences
in almost every aspect of our lives. For ordinary people, memories of
the war remain strong, anchored as they are in narratives of millions
of French families.
It is also an important time to reflect on France's experience as a
nation. The Great War was a colossal and traumatic event. Millions
were killed. It was a demographic, human and economic trauma on a
massive scale that had a profound and lasting effect on all those
countries that took part.
The questions it raises are as important today as they were then. What
is the relationship between the individual citizen and the state? Can
citizens still be called on to defend their country? What does it
mean to make a collective effort? What is the meaning of national
solidarity?
FRANCE 24: What is the paramount challenge for France in dealing with
this legacy?
Offenstadt: The Great War included a huge participation of troops
from France's former colonies, a participation that is not nearly
as well understood as it should be. The debate will have - and must
have - a significant impact on the contentious issue of 21st century
immigration while helping France come to terms with the realities of
its colonial past.
Getting it right is vitally important. One aspect that is often
overlooked is that many of France's colonial troops were not volunteers
- many of them were forced to fight, and there was a great deal
of resistance.
This needs to be recognised. We must be faithful to the past, and we
must never gloss over difficult issues with bland platitudes that
have no basis in reality. Talking about glorious natives of former
colonies who volunteered to fight and die for the French motherland
is both wrong and utterly counterproductive.
These elements need to be put into the public sphere so that they can
be properly debated, and this is one of the things the mission has
set out to do. It will allow us to put many of our modern problems
into a better perspective and help deal with them with greater honesty.
FRANCE 24: What is the involvement of former allies in next year's
commemorations?
Offenstadt: The mission's objectives are global, and hundreds
of forthcoming commemorative events are being organised with our
international partners. We have been working on these exchanges for
years, while American and British Commonwealth countries' memorials
have been in place in France for decades.
The mission is in touch with ministers from all these countries,
including Britain, and also Canada, Australia and New Zealand for
whom, like France, the experience of the First World War remains a
central part of their national consciousness.
FRANCE 24: What about former enemies, like Germany, which is a close
partner of modern France?
Offenstadt: Germany is a big challenge. But this isn't because of
any lasting animosity.
While the First World War did have a huge impact on German 20th century
history, it is overshadowed by later, and far more traumatic events -
the rise of Nazism, the devastation of the Second World War, national
division and eventual reunification.
Meanwhile, the mission has had a difficult time finding partners in
Germany for commemorative events, not least because it is a federal
republic that has no central culture ministry. Everything has had to
be done through the individual states (Lander).
And there is the obvious problem - that Germany lost the war. Of course
it is difficult for Germans, who are now France's closest European
partner, to help commemorate a French military victory, a victory
that had dramatic and eventually catastrophic consequences for Germany.
And then there is the very difficult question of Turkey [Ottoman
Turkey was allied with the central powers]. This is compounded by
its refusal to accept the reality of the 1915 Armenian genocide.
France's relationship with Turkey on this issue will be a big challenge
for the mission. Ankara was, and remains, furious with France for
passing a law in 2012 that outlawed the denial of this genocide.
From: Baghdasarian