Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
On July 1, 1916, the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, the tiny Dominion of Newfoundland suffered one of the greatest tragedies in its history. In less than half an hour, the Newfoundland Regiment was virtually destroyed as a fighting force at the French village of Beaumont-Hamel. The losses were so devastating that … Read More “The Battle of Beaumont-Hamel: Newfoundland’s Tragic Day on the Somme” »
When the First World War erupted in 1914, the United States initially stayed out of the conflict. Despite being the world’s largest industrial power, America was hesitant to intervene in what was seen as a European struggle. President Woodrow Wilson declared neutrality, reflecting both the country’s isolationist tendencies and the diverse immigrant population that had … Read More “The United States in the First World War” »
One of the most transformative events in Canadian history was the First World War. It was in the Great War that Canada proved itself as a nation. But there were plenty of speed bumps along the way. Desmond Morton outlines the Canadian involvement in the First World War in When Your Numbers Up. (Amazon affiliate … Read More “When Your Numbers Up – Review” »
The Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought from April 9 to April 12, 1917, was one of the most significant military engagements of World War One—particularly for Canada. Though just one part of the larger Battle of Arras, Vimy Ridge has come to symbolize national unity and sacrifice for Canadians. But its importance goes beyond symbolism—it was … Read More “The Battle of Vimy Ridge: Canada’s Defining Moment in World War One” »
The Schlieffen Plan: Germany’s Strategy for a Quick Victory and Its Consequences The Schlieffen Plan was Germany’s military strategy during the early stages of World War I, designed to avoid a two-front war against France in the west and Russia in the east. Developed by General Count Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905 and later modified by his successor, Helmuth von … Read More “What Was the Schlieffen Plan?” »
I remember watching the 1979 version of All Quiet on the Western Front as a child, and even at that age recognizing that this was not like other war movies I had watched. So I was very interested when I saw that a new adaptation of the novel was made and was streaming on Netflix. … Read More “All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) – Review” »
One of the most important battles in Canadian history is that of Vimy Ridge. In many ways, this First World War battle was the birth of Canada as a nation independent of Britain. The French and British both tried to take Vimy. Then it was Canada’s turn. Beyond all expectations, Canada was able to do … Read More “The Battle of Vimy Ridge” »
Imagine one of the most destructive wars (First World War) in history. Now imagine one of the most deadly pandemics being thrown into that. That’s what happened with the Spanish Flu. This documentary from Cambridge University gives a good overview of what happened. There is much we can learn from this for our present situation.
The First World War was a brutal conflict. Imagine being a soldier in the trenches. Facing death in the trenches or facing death in no man’s land. Anything else would be a better option. Or would it? Perhaps being captured and taken away from the frontlines to a nice safe camp would be better. But … Read More “The Reckoning – Review” »
Most of the war movies that I have seen are about the Second World War. But more and more I have been getting interested in the First World War. For that reason, I was excited to see the movie 1917. The basic plot of the movie is that two British soldiers are sent on a … Read More “1917 – Review” »
As a chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces, I was naturally drawn to The Great War as I Saw It by Frederick George Scott. Scott was a Canadian chaplain during the First World War. Scott felt compelled to volunteer to go overseas when Canada declared war on the Central Powers. Even when he encountered resistance … Read More “The Great War as I Saw It – Review” »
Part of my gaining of a better understanding of the Second World War is learning about the First World War. As a Canadian, I’m naturally drawn to Vimy Ridge. There are certain events that are transformative for nations. For Canada, it is the battle at Vimy Ridge. It was here that Canada began to come … Read More “Victory at Vimy – Review” »
On this blog, my focus is the Second World War. However, anything on the First World War is directly relevant. Many of the same nations were involved and many of the battles took place in the same areas. The First World War was the bridge when it came to military technology from the battles of … Read More “Passchendaele – Review” »
As I write this, we are days away from the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of 1918 that was the beginning of the end of the First World War. Although I blog more about the Second World War, the Armistice of 1918 had a huge influence on what would happen just two decades later. This … Read More “The Armistice of 1918” »
Like his friend J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis fought in the First World War. Joseph Loconte has written an article on this for the National Review. In the spring of 1918, Germany and the Central Powers staged a final massive offensive that threatened to overwhelm British and French forces along the Western Front. Sir Douglas Haig, … Read More “C. S. Lewis and the Great War” »
It is difficult to understand the Second World War without some concept of the First World War. Many of the seeds of what happened in 1939-1945 were planted in 1914-1918. Even some of the battles were fought on the same land by the same countries led by leaders who were in both wars. You can … Read More “SWWP 4 – The War That Didn’t End All Wars” »
If you were to look at my interests, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and military history would be near the top of my list. Therefore, I was quite pleased to come across A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and a Great War by Joseph Loconte. Many people know that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have some things in … Read More “A Hobbit, a Wardrobe and a Great War – Review” »
If there is one historical event that gives some insight into J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, it would be the trench warfare of the Forst World War. Nan Spowart has written a good article on this topic. The horrors of the trenches were depicted in fiction in JRR Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings, his grandson … Read More “Tolkien, Lord of the Rings and the Horror of the Trenches” »
