“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” ― Sir Winston Churchill
“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” ― Edmund Burke
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” ― George Santayana
This warning has been oft repeated by many others in variations. For the Centennial Anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I, the PBS program American Experience will present a six-hour documentary, The Great War, premiering Monday night.
From the American Experience web site:
The Great War
Premieres April 10, 2017
A nation comes of age.
Drawing on unpublished diaries, memoirs and letters, The Great War tells the rich and complex story of World War I through the voices of nurses, journalists, aviators and the American troops who came to be known as “doughboys.” The series explores the experiences of African-American and Latino soldiers, suffragists, Native American “code talkers” and others whose participation in the war to “make the world safe for democracy” has been largely forgotten. The Great War explores how a brilliant PR man bolstered support for the war in a country hesitant to put lives on the line for a foreign conflict; how President Woodrow Wilson steered the nation through years of neutrality, only to reluctantly lead America into the bloodiest conflict the world had ever seen, thereby transforming the United States into a dominant player on the international stage; and how the ardent patriotism and determination to support America’s crusade for liberty abroad led to one of the most oppressive crackdowns on civil liberties at home in U.S. history. It is a story of heroism and sacrifice that would ultimately claim 15 million lives and profoundly change the world forever.
Watch The Great War – Trailer.
Excited to see this series and a great example of the importance of Public Television. American Experience does amazing work.
I received my second PhD in American History based upon my thesis subject of America in the First World War and I hope people do watch it. I think most people would be astounded to realize how much of what we live with today has roots in the Great War more than 100 years ago. Anyone who thinks they won’t what happened is in for asurprise when they recognize and places we still deal with today. Thank you for recommending it, AzBM!