Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Reenacting WWI

Yesterday was the traditional Défilé du 14 juillet (Bastille Day parade) on the Champs Elysées. It was also the occasion to commemorate the 100th anniversary of WWI (a war that killed millions of soldiers from many nationalities). Among the WWI related events, there was a living exhibit in the Jardin des Tuileries where amateur history lovers dressed in WWI era attire reenacted what it was like during that time. It was not only authentic, but also really moving.

9 comments:

  1. Quite a variety of uniforms of the era.

    One of our museums here is putting on a display of art from the war.

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  2. Thank you for those amazing photos Eric! I do hope we will never forget this horrific war. Hard to believe it has been already 100 years.

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    1. I know. It's hard to believe that when the war started people were actually happy to go fight the Germans.

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  3. Thanks, Eric, for pointing out a history fact that I was not aware of ...... history not being my real forte ..... and I may not be the only one unaware. After doing a bit of checking, I learned that there were 37 million military and civilian casualties worldwide. Astounding! I like to get my history lessons by way of a good novel in which the facts are accurate as it pertains to the story.

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    1. Judy- Might I suggest "Under Fire- The Story of a Squad" [In the original French: Le Feu: journal d'une escouade], by Henri Barbusse, a novelist who served in The Great War? It will really put you there, in the trenches. But be warned; it is very intense! I first read it when I was at university and it was extremely moving, but also terrifying at times.
      ~Mary Kissane

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    2. On a - slightly - lighter side, I also suggest Joyeux noël, a movie based on a true story.

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    3. Eric -- One which I read recently, and highly recommend, is "An Officer and a Spy" by Robert Harris, a story relating to the Dreyfus Affair. Excellent!

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  4. I admire good reenactors. It takes dedication to do it right. These are excellent portraits, Eric.

    World War I was wasteful and horrible in every way, and it likely led directly to World War II.

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  5. I'll bet it was fascinating—and your portraits are terrific, Eric.

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