Narrated by David Carradine, this poignant film reveals the true toll of World War I. Forgotten soldiers whose graves were never marked, the cost in human lives and the immense suffering of survivors (for every death, three were maimed, wounded or deranged). World War I cost millions of dollars and left many governments in debt. The cost is estimated at a staggering $190 billion. But how did this diabolical destruction begin? How did the “War” come to the doorstep of the United States?
It begins with two crucial murders. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie were publicly assassinated by radicals in the city of Sarajevo. When the Serbs refused to allow their officials to investigate the killings, Austria-Hungary declared war. The situation further escalated when surrounding allies became involved. Russia helped the Serbs and the Germans supported Austria-Hungary. On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. The British Empire declared war after Germany invaded Belgium on August 4, 1914, because the British could not tolerate a mobilized German army so close to the English Channel. Thus began the “War to End All Wars.”
The Americans stayed out of the war, but provided ammunition and funding. At sea, Germany announced that it would attack and destroy any ship carrying war supplies to Britain or France. German submarines subsequently attacked and sank many American cargo ships. When British codebreakers intercepted a message from Germany to the Mexican government, it was passed directly to the Americans. The message contained the potential threat of a secret alliance between the Germans and the Mexicans. On April 6, 1917, the United States was forced to declare war on Germany.
Fourteen million people died in the “Great War”, and a generation of young people was wiped out. This “war to end all wars” was so terrible; the man believed it would never be repeated. Although World War I didn’t receive the same attention as other wars, such as World War II or the Vietnam War, it still has a profound impact on American life to this day.
