Talk:Spirit of 1914

The character of the "spirit of 1914" in Europe in general

Unfortunately it seems to myself this is in point of fact a European historical issue.

This suggestion is in the United Kingdom exemplified by war memorials all opened in the 1920s, in the north east and in Scotland, in relation in particular to the German 1914 East Coast Raid.

I refer briefly to these, namely one carrying the date 1914 and with a statue named 'Triumphant Youth' in what at the time was historic Hartlepool on the coast at the site of the 1914 East Coast Raid and commemorating the first British soldiers to have died within the country (in a total of four, at one and the same time with the first two shells from the German ships, the figure of the statue being described as the first of these four but without any selection of the total of four, this being in effect impossible even if the four names are recorded), to another one entitled "The Response 1914" in Newcatle-upon-Tyne (see also a remarkable contemporary photographic record of the unveiling in 1923 on Britishpathe) and to another in a total of three entitled on a postcard "The Spirit of 1914" in Edinburgh, all of these it seems to myself relating directly in one way or another to the likewise remarkable Scottish National War Memorial on the Castle Rock even if this has never, I think, been recognized, and unfortunately with the titles and other characters of the war memorials currently ignored by everyone including English Heritage if not the equivalent in Scotland.

What does all this really mean and presumably also in connection with one particular form of the national medals issued after the war, dated 1914 and apparently entitled the 1914 Star?

I admit these are like so much of war history and its memorials a rather complicated issue for people who have no doubt lots of other things to worry about, but could this not be referred to at least in outline on this article instead of implying what as it seems to myself to be perhaps here implied, namely that the idea of 'the spirit of 1914' should be understood as being something that occurred only in Germany?

Well, it (the article) is I concede interesting anyway. I am however completely astonished by the remark it contains that "these first weeks of the war in Germany were Germany's finest hour, the German equivalent to 1789 in France" when what everybody knows was in question was instead "Gott Mit Uns 1870", this national dictum being itself in accordance with the historic German motto "Gott Mit Uns" which had previously been without the date of the Franco-prussian war in 1870). I am sorry I am therefore quite unable to understand this article suggestion of relationship with the French 1789 revolution unless what is implied is that this was in the form of an entirely opposite character, as was quite clearly confirmed in the German dictum, and this whether it related to the actual spiritual reality or not.

So I ask when (if ever) will all this European history (which cost millions of life throughout the continent, east and west) get perhaps cleared out, and how will this be done (in principle, it should perhaps be related to and perhaps established by the 1949 Council of Europe)?

PS Perhaps amongs the most remarkable features of the war memorials with the date 1914 as mentioned here is that the soldier in Edinburgh ('The Spirit of 1914' memorial) is as can be confirmed quite evidently looking up to the Scottish National War Memorial with an army parade or march in the background, as shown, while that in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, many miles away, can also quite easily be interpreted as doing the same thing (looking toward and incidentally also pointing to Edinburgh, if not necessarily to the Scottish National War Memorial, and leading an army parade), with this feature (the army in march) being also a central feature in the Shrine of the Scottish National War Memorial but of course in a particular design and with certain inscriptions, while the deceased soldier in the 1914 East Coast Raid entitled 'Triumphant Youth' in historic Hartlepool in a particular form, and, although with no army parade dated 1914, is winged and pointing upward holding a Latin cross and other connections with Edinburgh. It's a strange matter perhaps, like many others relating to the history and architecture of war memorials. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.30.131.61 (talk) 19:05, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

Peter Judge — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.30.166.200 (talk) 08:37, 30 July 2012 (UTC)