Chinese on the Western Front in WWI

Historians of the World Wars recognize the importance of the Asian nations, but not as participants in Europe.  In particular Europe during WWI is defined by trench warfare.  However, unknown to many the Chinese Labour Corps provided the manpower to dig the actual trenches for the allied side.  Even though China began the war neutral by 1917 they declared war on Germany (exactly 100 years ago) and solidified their alliance with Britain and France.

Chinese entertain British troops in France. Dragons ready for the Dragon fight. Photo: National Library of Scotland

The University of Oxford created a website called World War I Centenary with the focus on new directions in teaching the Great War.  The article Eastern Culture on the Western Front written by Dr. Matthew Leonard goes in depth on the role of the Chinese Labour Corps.

China's WWI is an amazing resource by The South China Morning Post.  Photos, artifacts, and news articles are included that give a global view of the Great War that the western world often ignores when writing history.

Smiling for the Camera - WJ Hawkings Collection, courtsey of John de Lucy

A Timeless Description

A Timeless Description: I feel robbed that I did not get the opportunity to ask my Great Uncle Burl what it was like to train in North Africa or share stories of being at the Duomo in Florence. I was a young teen when he passed, and he did not share the horrors he saw as part of the 316th Medical Battalion in the liberation of Italy. I post this on the 73rd Anniversary of the American liberation of Rome.

Then as an adult, I received the precious gift of his scrapbooks, which have given me a little insight. One particular annotation on the back of a photo caught my eye. Among images of young men in uniform going from the desert to mountains and snow, there was one of a destroyed building. On the back Uncle Burl wrote, “This was someone’s home at one time, I hope this never happens in the states.” I feel this description is timeless. No matter what is going on in the world humans make decisions on whether to take action or not, but we always hope the bad does not find its way to our homes and family. Burl was lucky and made it back to marry his love Phyllis, and be a second grandfather to me. 

International Women's Day

After the Women's Marches of the Winter of 2017, International Women's Day of March 8 with the theme Be Bold For Change seemed very appropriate.  Women around the world joined together in a united voice to advocate for change for half the world's population.  In the United States this year a movement to not work on March 8 and wear red was spearheaded as a Day Without Women to protest political and economic inequality.  These protests spread throughout the world with demonstrations on almost every continent. 

A demonstration in Seoul, South Korea, against gender inequality in the workplace. Credit Jean Chung/Getty Images

The fascinating element of early 2017 and united protests is that they replicate the original inspirational events that led to International Women's Day in the first place.  According to the United Nation's page on the History of the Day, 1909 saw the first National Women's Day in the U.S. organized by the Socialist Party of America as a garment worker's strike.  Then in 1911 Austria, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland organized more than a million to demand women's right to work and a political voice behind the leadership of Socialist International.  March 8 first took significance as part of the socialist revolution in Russian in 1917 when on this day women protested for bread and peace, which led to the fall of the Tsarists regime.  Then in 1975 the United Nation's officially recognized International Women's Day and set it for March 8th.

Flag Day and an African Nation

2016 students painting flags in my classroom.

 The birth of Old Glory is attributed to June 14, 1777 still during the early years of the Revolutionary War by the Continental Congress.  Less than a year after the Declaration of Independence the US need a symbol to separate itself from Great Britain and gain further recognition as a new country.  However, Flag Day was not made official until President Truman's proclamation in 1949.   The United States is not unique in the celebration of their nation's flag.  Over 50 other countries around the world commemorate a variety of historical events through their flags.  

Including Liberia, originally an American colony in Africa that declared independence from the US in 1847.   The first President of Liberia was Joseph Jenkins Roberts a free born African American from Virginia.  August 24th is celebrated as Flag Day and the influence of the United States is very evident in the red, white, and blue design.

Liberian Flag established by the United States

Source:  American Memory - Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun14.html

One Document to Rule them All

Today June 15, 2015 is the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta being sealed by King John.  This document signified the beginning of a population questioning the authority of an anointed monarch.  560 years later British subjects in the American colonies would reference the document in their rebellion to overthrow the rule of a monarch.  Later the 5th amendment to the constitution sounds much

Like these words from the Magna Carta:

"No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will We proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land."

"To no one will We sell, to no one will We deny or delay, right or justice."

Read more from the birthday article by NPR below that even feature a Google doodle.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/06/15/414616460/magna-carta-is-800-this-awful-thing-that-shaped-legal-rights

Happy Birthday Gen. Patton!

One of the most well know and controversial American Generals of all time is Gen. George Patton.  I find it very appropriate that Veteran's Day is also his birthday.  He was your quintessential soldier's soldier, and is even buried among his men that died fighting at the Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg.  From chasing Pancho Villa to fighting under Blackjack Pershing in WWI to pushing for the creation of the first US tank force to his most famous successful leadership in WWII Patton was a soldier from birth and never was bashful in proclaiming his desire to be a 20th century American hero.   His prayer below is very appropriate to take in as we remember our Veteran's.

"God of our fathers, who by land and sea have ever led us to victory, please continue your inspiring guidance in this the greatest of all conflicts. Strengthen my soul so that the weakening instinct of self-preservation, which besets all of us in battle, shall not blind me of my duty to my own manhood, to the glory of my calling, and to my responsibility to my fellow soldiers. Grant to our armed forces that disciplined valor and mutual confidence which insures success in war. Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived. If it be my lot to die, let me do so with courage and honor in a manner which will bring the greatest harm to the enemy, and please, oh Lord, protect and guide those I shall leave behind. Give us the victory, Lord."

General George Patton

 

How Springsteen "Cracked" the Berlin Wall

Again NPR revealed another unknown to me story that shows how small the world really is.  With the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall stories of life in East Germany and of this turning point in history have flooded the news, but the one that stuck out the most to me was the role the musician best known for his song "Born in the USA" had in the decline of communist Europe.   In July 1988 the GDP gave its youth wing permission to host a concert with a western singer to ease tensions.  It completely backfired.  "It was gradually dawning on everyone between about 20 and 30 years old that things couldn't just continue in East Germany the way they had been going. Something had to change. And when Springsteen came, his concert fitted right into all that."  Said Berliner Andrea Dubois (the guardian.com)

Just over a year later the wall fell.  Yes Reagan demanded, "Tear down this wall."  However, to 160,000 Springsteen said, “It’s great to be in East Berlin,” he said. “I’m not for or against any government. I came here to play rock & roll for you, in the hope that one day all barriers will be torn down.”