And so a generation ends. Frank Buckles, last US WWI vet dies.

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

Sadly, very few people talk about or pay much attention to the Great War. WWII gets all the coverage, attention, shows on History Channel, etc. I'll admit myself I don't know nearly as much about that war as the latter.

I was watching All Quiet on the Western Front recently with Ernest Borgnine and was thinking how little I know about that war.

Here's a bit to go on..

WW1 was, in many ways, a continuation of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, with the bitter rivalry of German and France as the reason for the war, mostly the French defeat at Sedan.

And, IF I have my facts straight, WW1 started when German archduke Ferdinand and his wife, Princess Sophie of Hohnberg, were assassinated in 1914 by Eastern European nationalists looking to wrest control of Austro-Hungary from the German empire (and by extension, Eastern Europe as well.)

The French, imho, were THE reason for WW2.  Why? Because they totally destroyed the German people thru the Treaty Of Versailles when Germany surrendered.  Germans were starving, broke, and at the mercy of France and Belgium, who officially began a campaign of abuse and retribution against the German people as they took everything they had "out on trade" for their inability to meet the insane and unattainable demands of France.

And to be fair, several world powers, including America, Britian and the Russians warned the French about what they were doing, but they continued unabated.  France created the state of desperation and anger that was (among other things) one of the biggest reasons the door for WW2 was left open.

Doesn't sound like there was much if any reason for the U.S. to be involved. What a surprise.

Don't take that in any way as disrespect for our veterans. I am one myself and would never do such a thing. All due disrespect to politicians, however. I have no problem dishing THAT out.

Nah, I got where you're comin' from, no biggie.

I guess we just stepped in and when the British praised us with "The Yanks Are Coming" that made us want to kick ass even harder, LOL   

But overall, every nation got to learn something from the art of war, and no nation was unharmed.  I guess that's why they call it a "world" war because there were no sideliners and no bleachers to sit and cheer from, everyone paid a price.