A world once ruled by the empires of Europe stood on the precipice of change. Young nations gained their independence and continued to seek freedom from the dominant world powers. Prior to the war, the United States had an army of volunteers for defensive purposes only, and was considered neutral in global affairs. With the strongest national military and most stable economy compared to war-torn Europe, the United States had seat at the international table. The Treaty of Versailles attempted to return the empires to their former positions, but the damage was irreparable. Their homelands were devastated, their territories were rising in revolt. The United States had sustained a large number of casualties, but comparatively had lost very little and gained a foothold in global politics for the first time in its history. The interwar period was wrought with excessive hedonism, resentment, and the resurgence of militaristic aspirations leading to the Second World War, but the United States continued as a world leader, dominating global politics for the remainder of the twentieth century.
Poppies: Poppies are a common flower throughout Europe and due to the disturbance of the earth during WWI, countless fields of the flower bloomed across the Western Front. Soldiers picked these flowers from No Man’s Land and brought them home. The poem, In Flanders Fields captured the beauty and haunting imagery of the flowers growing over the graves of fallen soldiers, inspiring professor Moina Michael to wear the flower in remembrance of those lost in the war.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
