100 years since WWI – July 5, 1914

Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria-Hungarian authorities managed to obtain information from three conspirators which seemed to implicate members of the Serbian military in the assassination. Both Austria-Hungary and Germany requested that Serbia open a judicial inquiry into the matter . . . these requests were refused.

On July 5, one week since the assassination, letters were delivered to Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, requesting assurance of his support if Austria-Hungary sought military satisfaction from Serbia. He gave his assurance almost immediately, and Austria-Hungary began preparations for its ultimatum to Serbia.

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100 years since WWI – Early July

Having passed the 100th year anniversary of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, we now enter a period commemorating 100 years since the events of World War I. The Great War.

Previous to this war, the U.S. Civil War, about 50 years previous, represented one of the more recent conflicts of bloody proportions, with about 3,000,000 participating and about 600,000 killed.

About 68,000,000 participated in the First World War, and over 39,000,000 never made it home.

Coincidentally, I highly recommend “Valiant Hearts: The Great War.” Having seen a portion of the game, I am struck by the focus of the game.

Too often, war narratives follow the strategy and tactics of leaders, the exploits of heroes to turned the tide . . . stories which tend to idealize or romanticize the conflict.

In “Valiant Hearts,” the close survival stories (or lack thereof) of a few participants in the war emphasizes that the conflict was not about winning or losing. It was about valiant hearts for whom the war itself was the only true enemy.

I will definitely purchase this game some time in the future. Be sure to watch the attached video!

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