Nov 11, 1918

The war to end all wars sadly was only a pause in gruesome hostilities between France and her allies and Germany and hers. Marshall Foch predicted that the battle would be once again engaged in 20 years, and he was on the mark. But on Nov 11, 1918 the fighting stopped and nations set about burying 21 million dead humans. Little was gained, enmity inflamed, resentment aroused and exacerbated, especially for Corporal Hitler. The conduct of the war was a sad and deadly exhibition of poor leadership. Over and over again men were sent into a meat grinder of industrial-scale slaughter.& Battles lasted for months, a few miles gain was celebrated even when 100,000 casualties on each side was the price. Then the counterattack, then more blood letting. There were few military bright spots. Even the British success at Jutland was flawed, owing mostly to British superiority in numbers. Russian Gen. Brusilov in the east showed some tactical brilliance, taking the Austrians fighting effectiveness down to near exhaustion. Of course, then the 1917 Revolution took him and the Russians out of the war, and allowed Germany to hurl a massive assault against the Allied lines in the West. But on Armistice Day, and for 20 years hence, the world took solace in a "never again" slogan. But of course only Churchill realized that the new threat from Berlin was a grave danger, until it was almost too late. Ironic that the world recovered under the umbrella of mutual assured destruction. Remarkable optimism, not unlike the Renaissance rising from the ashes of the Black Plague.