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R4G t1_iwozydp wrote

Reply to comment by Crayshack in TIL: WW1 Armistice Day was Nov 11th, fighting was to cease at 11:00 AM. An American solider charged a German machine gun nest with 16 mins left, and died at 10:59 AM. The last soldier to die in WWI. by wats6831

Sad to think that there were probably people who died when the Armistice was coming but word was still being spread.

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Irish618 t1_iwpg0hd wrote

Hell, a lot of people died despite knowing the Armistice was coming. Commanders actually ordered assaults that morning, trying to get as much ground as possible before the war ended.

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Victoresball t1_iwqn0me wrote

that makes slightly more sense since it was an Armistice and not an immediate peace treaty. The war wasn't over, just on hold while a peace treaty was being negotiated.

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Gewurah t1_iwrq633 wrote

On the other hand a continuation of the war was pretty unlikely after the November Revolution

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duskrat t1_iwr6tda wrote

Long time ago, I talked to a man who was there. He said they poured all they had into German territory until 11.00 a.m. He also said he didn't really believe the war was over until that night, when the soldiers made campfires and he saw all the fires lit up and burning.

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Evolving_Dore t1_iwqsp79 wrote

I believe Hermann Goering attempted to do something of this sort.

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Whittling-and-Tea t1_iwp0crf wrote

If you haven't go watch the netflix movie based on the book all quiet on the western Front. The movie is called "im Westen nichts neues". Haven't read the book yet, but I've heard people say it's better than the movie.

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goinginforguns t1_iwpj4ux wrote

The book is my favorite novel, hands down. It’s less a straight war-is-awful story (as the 2022 Netflix movie portrayed it) and really more about about being a child growing up into a young man and being robbed of innocence and hope against a backdrop of trauma and violence. And so many poignant and wonderful moments between the narrator (Paul) and his comrades. The movie completely left out the dynamic between Paul and his mother - it replaced this with the diplomacy in the rail carriage - but that relationship is beautiful and tragic … and one I suspect many of us can relate to. I can not recommend the book more for any guy between the age of 13-35, it’s just still so relevant and timely. Should be required reading.

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imnotreallyapenguin t1_iwp265u wrote

Highly recommend the 1930's version instead.

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tremynci t1_iwp8u40 wrote

I watched that the year the Library of Congress finished restoring it. Just amazing: it was, I believe, the first film to win both Best Picture and Best Director. The boots scene is haunting.

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TheKidNerd t1_iwphiht wrote

The boots scene?

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Happy_alt_1 t1_iwpk563 wrote

The most gripping scene from that entire movie, so well executed but oh man... I have watched this movie (1930) with history class back in 2012/2013 and I still vividly remember the boots scene because it is so beautifully done, displaying a haunting set of events. Here is a description, which I would urge you to not read if you want to see the movie.

>!&gt;!At some point in the story, one of the classmates (don't remember his name, let's call him A) has become wounded and his leg(s?) needed to be amputated. Some of A's classmate/friends are standing around him and they see A still got his new pair of boots that were send from home. One of the friends (B) basically says that the wounded A should give the boots to him because A doesn't have a need for them anymore. Some arguing ensues after which the classmates except one of them (let's call him C) leaves where A tells C that he should give B, A's boots. At which point A dies.!<!<

>!&gt;!What ensues is the most griping sequence of scenes from this movie. B gets the shoes and dies from any of the horrors of the 1st world war, say a bullet in the trenches. The shoes get passed to D, who dies of say gas. The shoes get passed to E, who dies of say a gatling gun. The shoes get passed to F who dies of say a shell. So basically you have a sequence of deaths of the classmates followed through the perspective of the boots, showing the horrible ways people could die in the trenches!<!<

Edit: Spoilertags

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NumberVsAmount t1_iwpuz4i wrote

“These boots were made for dying, and that’s just what you’ll do”

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TheKidNerd t1_iwpkaxk wrote

Damn, those boots really don’t wanna be worn do they

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Happy_alt_1 t1_iwplda9 wrote

There certainly was a little hesitance from their side

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andthendirksaid t1_iwq6shf wrote

What made it fucked is how quickly soldiers if snyone goes through boots. Meanwhile those boots went through half a platoon.

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fiction_for_tits t1_iwp8om3 wrote

It's a good movie for the most part but "based on the book" is extremely generous.

I don't just mean in the film adaptation loses details kind of way, I mean thematically and experientially they're quintessentially different stories, and I'm pretty sure that they just threw the title on there to give it a bump above like, "The Forgotten Battle" and "Siege of Jadotville."

This isn't to undermine your point or to tell people not to watch it. Just go in with that knowledge because knowledge is power or whatever Shao Khan said at the beginning of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

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Gunship_unelite t1_iwqilir wrote

it hilarious that netflix is the only reason everyone is talking about this book when it used to he and should still be required reading in schools.

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master_a_skywalker69 t1_iwra545 wrote

It was required reading for an elective for me. I no can read good and spark noted through high school but this is one of the few I read cover to cover. It gets the Dumbass Easy Reading seal of approval (and it’s a good book).

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R4G t1_iwp0vlw wrote

I read the book 12 years ago and don’t remember much of it (I rushed through it for school). I’ll definitely check out the movie. Paths of Glory is one of my favorite films.

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ExpensiveRecover t1_iwq4wx3 wrote

The movie is great as it's own thing. As an adaptation of the novel, it missed the mark and it lessened the book's message

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HendoJay t1_iwrrc9p wrote

So like the Starship Troopers of WW1?

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almighty_smiley t1_iwsa2bn wrote

Kinda-sorta, but in that case the movie wasn't missing the point of the book so much as expressly avoiding it and even parodying it.

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Lancel-Lannister t1_iwqpwzm wrote

I've read the book, and seen the trailers. I don't need that kind of anxiety in my life.

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bolanrox t1_iwqvch5 wrote

there was a movie form ages ago as well. watched it in School at some point

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DaddyJBird t1_iwq4h7k wrote

Well there’s always that Japanese soldier that remained at his post for like 25 years because he was never to.d the war had ended. My time frame may be off but I know the dude was in the jungle a long time.

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Guac__is__extra__ t1_iwqcbqg wrote

That was a crazy story. If I remember correctly, they had to track down his commanding officer from the war and take him out there to convince the guy that it wasn’t a trick.

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RGJ587 t1_iwrt6x7 wrote

IIRC, he knew the war was over, and knew it wasn't a trick. But he was a loyal soldier following orders and refused to stand down unless his commanding officer told him to do so.

It was an honor thing for him, not a "I don't believe you" thing.

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topdownviewofarabbit t1_iws0cuf wrote

That's actually not true though. He himself said he didn't believe it and thought all the notes were tricks.

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ambientsound12 t1_iwreh0l wrote

If it is at all the story I am thinking of, of it was a Japanese soldier on one of the Philippine Islands. They actually sent SEVERAL groups of people to the island, including groups of his own family, with bullhorns and pamphlets from Japan and his family, telling him the war was over. HE didn't believe it because he assumed Japan would never surrender (he didn't know about nuclear warheads....) and that all of it was a bunch of traps. They tried to save him for years but he just refused to believe Japan would lose in spite of his family and his own government telling him otherwise. Commitment or stupidity, take your pick.

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1-800-HENTAI-PORN t1_iws16u0 wrote

Commitment stretched into the realm of stupidity, I'd say. I'll give the man credit, his persistence is legendary.

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RealisticDelusions77 t1_iwpgbgd wrote

In the War of 1812, the US wasn't doing too good until Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans by killing over 2000 British troops.

The bummer was that the peace treaty had been signed in Europe 15 days earlier, but news traveled a lot slower back then.

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olafthebent t1_iwrj889 wrote

Which is kind of like scoring the winning goal 20 minutes after the game is over but yeah.

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BlueFalconPunch t1_iwr94hn wrote

11k casualties on the last day...hundreds killed.

1 American commander had his unit charge and attack on the last day for access to bathing facilities...he killed hundreds for a bath they could have without bloodshed in a few days.

The AEF commander Pershing was called before congress to explain the hundreds of dead for no reason...he said the French commander told him to keep fighting because the armistice wasn't signed yet. Eventually everyone forgot about it and no one was held accountable

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cyrusm t1_iwqjc7t wrote

Most wars trickle on for a while after they end.

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