November: A time for remembrance - w(ar)t

Since 1919, Canada (like other commonwealth countries) has reserved the 11^th of November as an annual day of solemn reflection – a day to reflect and exalt the observance of those who died in military service.  Originally, November 11^th was referred to as “Armistice Day”, and its focus centred on commemorating the dead of World War I (July 1914 - November 2018).

An armistice is an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time.  In the context of WWI, an armistice between the Allies of the time and Germany took effect on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.  As the armistice held, and total war ceased, World War I officially ended with the Allies and Germany signing the Treaty of Versailles in June of 1919.

Sadly, however, humans have a horrible track record in not repeating past atrocities, and “the war to end all wars” never materialized.  After World War II (March 1939 - September 1945), Armistice Day began to take on a greater meaning of observance by including the people who died in WW2, as well as WW1. 

Today, Armistice Day is now referred to as Remembrance Day in Canada, and it is much more holistic in scope as it honours both the fallen and the veterans of every conflict that Canada has served in.  Lest we forget, not everyone dies in a campaign of war, and our veterans can and do carry a heavy weight throughout the remainder of their lives too.

For me, I tend to think about WW2 battles and campaigns the most on Remembrance Day. For Canadians, this would include the battle of the Atlantic, the battle of Britain, the defence of Hong Kong, the Dieppe raid, the Italian campaign, and the Battle of Normandy. To learn more about these major life altering events, click here.

I do not know why I think about these conflicts the most. Perhaps it is because I learned about them the most in school. Perhaps, it is because the “enemy” wore a unique uniform, and it was clearly identifiable. Perhaps mainstream media has focused on them more.   Or perhaps it is because we can see with crystal clarity all of the calamity that humans can extol in such a short, extreme order.  

From the gassing of humans in showers, to the total obliteration of a people with atomic weaponry – the situations that unfolded during WWII are most surely a bit too much to take all in one dose.  The rapid advancement of weaponry in all possible theaters of war – land, air, water – during WWII served as a fascinating testament to our global capacity for ingenuity and innovation when pushed.   Lest we forget, however, this type of ingenuity is ultimately a double-edge sword and it cuts both ways.  WWII also marked a real turning point in the mindset of battle by fixating strategy and tactics on how to kill and to survive with optimal efficiency and effectiveness.  Altogether, the significance and impact of WWII is both awful and awesome when viewed from multiple perspectives.  Yet, at the heart and soul of the matter was the ideology of Nazism, and everything it stood for – its fascism, its antisemitism, its total disdain for both liberalism and communism, and its extreme nationalism. Lest we forget, WWII was a total war.  On Remembrance Day, I also try to reflect on everyone killed and injured during that period – not just Canadians.  In this light, we can see how countries like Russia lost a shocking amount of people – soldiers and civilians alike – by standing up to Nazism among other things.  While I cannot attest to its accuracy, I once read that 80% of Soviet males born in 1923 had died during WWII.   

Thankfully, the brave sacrifice performed by all during this dark period in human history was able to stop the advance of Nazism.  Its symbols, trinkets and flags have rightfully fallen, and are now preserved in museums under glass coffins to help us remember that some ideologies are just not tolerable under any condition.   

On Remembrance Day, we not only remember the fallen and veterans, but also the ideologies we stand for and the histories we respect.  It really is an incredibly important day, and so very worthy of deep reflection in giving life definition!