French President Macron is reminiscent of the joy at the end of the First world war 100 years ago. He also warns against a new nationalism, particularly a guest at the commemorations. By Bernd Riegert, Paris.
President Macron with students at the arch of triumph: a tribute to the eternal flame
“The war is coming to an end. In an hour, we will pull it off. We need now never be back here. If we go, we go. It is a strange Moment. We stand beside one another and look forward. Who can understand? That’s where we are, and should, laugh and roar with pleasure, and have a sinking feeling in the stomach.” These are the words of 11. November 1918 by Erich Maria Remarque, a German infantry soldier and writer, read now a student from a Paris high school at the arc de Triomphe in Paris. Around 60 heads of state and heads of government from around the world gathered to commemorate the armistice that ended exactly 100 years ago the First world war in Western Europe.
For four years German and allied troops in France and Belgium, and bloody battles, in which millions lost their lives. Now the Germans were defeated. In the Paris of the weapons had been signed the truce. At eleven a.m. on the eleventh of November, 1918, he entered into force. The Church bells in France sounded in this Moment. In Paris, people took to the streets and celebrated.
“Nothing but silence!”
Denise screamer, a young woman from Paris, wrote that day to her fiancé Pierre: “Here are the bells ringing wildly. I’m sick with happiness. I can’t write. I sob in despair before joy. I never can write to You my feelings of exuberant joy. It is an incredible thought that now nobody will have to die and the Front in its whole length to a standstill. Nothing but silence!” The letter of the witness was read on this Sunday morning from a student at the arc de Triomphe at the tomb of the Unknown soldier.
A reminder of the “black army”: Angelique Kidjo sings for the political bosses
To make it clear that the “Great war”, as he is called in France, is really world-wide and the world had consequences that included the Ceremony, a song from the Benin-born artist Angélique Kidjo, and impressions of a Chinese worker in France. An estimated 200,000 African soldiers from the French colonies, especially Senegal, who fought in Europe or on the fronts in Africa, where the European colonial empires came together. “We still have a debt to these soldiers,” said a consultant from the presidential Palace to the role of the so-called “black army”.
Lindsey McDonald (re.), decorated Vietnam Veteran, from Brisbane, will the soldiers of the “Great war” in honor of
Even from the other end of the world, from Australia, were brought from the UK troops to Europe to fight on the battlefields of Europe against the Germans and their allies. One of the Australian soldiers was a great-great uncle from the family of Lindsey McDonald. The aged Veteran who took on the Vietnam war part, gereit for this extra day with his daughter and son from Brisbane to Paris to see the Parade at the armistice. He then visited the military cemeteries and battlefields of the Somme in Northern France.
The Parade of French and allied troops wanted to see Jacqueline from a small village in the South of France. Of the actual Celebration, you only see the big screens in the distance. For security reasons, the star is blocked-shaped space around the arch of triumph to the other side. Jacqueline holds old photos of your grandfather in the Hand, survived the war and, 100 years ago from the Front returned. “He told me, sometimes from the war. As a little girl, I have not understood really what it was. Today, I wanted to be here.”
Souvenir photos with students: Lorenzo, le Duff shows a French Uniform from the First world war.
No direct connection to the First world war, the young Lorenzo, le Duff from Brittany. Lorenzo wears a blue French Uniform and a steel helmet, as the soldiers 100 years ago. The landscape gardener collects Memorabilia of the First world war. “Today, I had to be on,” says the young man, posing in his Uniform with school classes and passers-by for a souvenir photo at the Champs-Élysées.
Macron granted nationalism sharp rebuff
In the cold and drizzle, honors, French President Emmanuel Macron at the arch of triumph, the army and the Fallen. “They died for freedom, and brought the greatest sacrifice. You went through a hell that we can’t imagine,” said Macron. He warned at the same time, to draw the right Lessons from the First world war. “Patriotism is the opposite of nationalism and selfishness.” Who can today say, ‘my country first’, which destroy the size of his own Nation, said the French President, probably in the direction of the US President Donald Trump. The followed the designs with a petrified expression on his face. Passionate Macron called for international cooperation. “We have a responsibility to following generations to leave a better world.”
Emmanuel Macron: a Passionate appeal for international cooperation
The European community and the United Nations, called the President of France, as a sign of hope. Both institutions are criticised by Donald Trump to be sharp. Expressly Emmanuel Macron stressed the cooperation with the former war opponents of Germany. He urged the gathered heads of state and government, “to discover the brotherhood.” The true Patriotism, the love for peace. “Long peace!” castle Macron his speech. With his remarks aimed Macron also on the populist-nationalist tendencies in many countries of Europe, and the threatening policy of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has occupied parts of the Ukraine, and was also among the state guests of the arc de Triomphe.
Debate with Trump
Previously Macron at the Elysee Palace, his official residence, dozens of heads of state and government had welcomed, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. US President, Trump had already met on Saturday with Macron. While Trump was forgiving, even though he had accused his French colleagues before, with his call for a European army to challenge the United States. Macron said in an Interview that Europe could no longer rely on the US as a guarantor for the security. Donald Trump had the NATO, the military Alliance of Western democracy, a number of times as “unfair” for the United States referred to, which are now pursuing a foreign policy based on the Motto “America first”. 100 years ago Trumps the predecessor Woodrow Wilson with the entry of the USA into the First world war, the ends opposite Signal, and the international role of the United States as a global power had to be justified.
Guests: Trump (Mi.) and Merkel (re.) listen seriously to the words of the French President
When you walk together the heads of state and government, under black umbrellas at the arch of triumph, Donald Trump was missing. To him the weather was yesterday too bad. He had canceled a visit to a military cemetery due to rain. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also met with only after the common way to the party guests. Trump and Putin greeted each other with a handshake. A planned summit of the two meeting is not taking place in Paris now.
At the conclusion of the memorial ceremony, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, with the pupils at the eternal flame and the tomb of the Unknown soldier, erected in 1920, under the arc de Triomphe in the heart of Paris, came to commemorate the First world war. “Ceasefire does not mean peace”, said Emmanuel Macron. In Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the clashes lasted in part until 1923. New States were created, disputed boundaries were drawn. “The impact of the Great war are still felt today,” said Macron.