WW1 Battlefields as a Way to Promote Internationalism: Some Practical Suggestions

The most cursory study of World War One quickly reveals that rampant, prejudiced nationalism played a major role in the tragedy that unfolded in the summer of 1914. It is therefore ironic that the centenary of the conflict has produced an outbreak of patriotic narratives verging on xenophobia. Most notably, the former UK education secretary Michael Gove has argued that history teachers should proudly impress upon their students the lesson that the First World War was a 'just' cause forced upon the British by the aggression of Germany with its 'ruthless social Darwinism'.Much of the controversy that followed Mr Gove's First World War observations focused on professional historians vigorously debating whether his view about German war guilt is fundamentally correct. As enlightening and interesting as this academic debate is on its own terms, it has led to a predictable conclusion: some historians (such as Professor Gary Sheffield) broadly agree with Gove, while others (such as Professor Richard Evans) do not. Such is history.International schools have a particular responsibility to ensure that any study of the Great War highlights how national pride is one short step away from national prejudice, which in turn precludes empathy and predisposes countries towards military conflict. In other words, it provides an object study in the importance of internationalism: a lesson not lost on the peacemakers after the war who set up the League of Nations, but one which has been forgotten by many politicians who instead see international organisations as an irritating straitjacket for their narrowly domestic ambitions.What is true for international schools in general is certainly true for the International School of Toulouse in particular. The national mix of my current IGCSE and IB history students is English, German, Austrian, French, Indian, Canadian, Spanish, Australian and American. Against this background I made a particular effort this year to ensure that my five-day school trip to the Somme and Ypres in Belgium should promote internationalism rather than a narrow sense of nationalistic pride in the involvement of one country. To this end I produced an itinerary and activity pack that was designed specifically for international schools, with sites relating to a wide range of nationalities and carefully selected poems in different languages read out at different sites.One aspect of a successful battlefields trip that is easily overlooked is the use of appropriate film material during time spent on the coach. From my experience there are several feature films that provide an international focus, all of which are available on DVD. For example, Beneath Hill 60 tells the story of an Australian tunneling company's effort to mine beneath a German bunker in the Ypres salient and detonate an explosive charge to aid the advance of British troops. To provide the German perspective, All Quiet on the Western Front (I recommend the 1979 version) focuses on the extreme physical and mental stress suffered by German soldiers during the war, and especially the difficulties they faced readjusting to civilian life upon returning home from the front.And for the final few hours of the journey home I always show Blackadder Goes Forth, which is suitably anti-patriotic and provides some much-needed light relief after an emotionally exhausting experience. In terms of documentaries, the hauntingly powerful Last Voices of World War One investigates key themes of the war - not just key battles, but also nursing and the home front, for example - in separate episodes based around interviews with the last surviving veterans.In terms of an itinerary, it is important to visit cemeteries covering a range of nationalities. This reinforces the overall human tragedy of the conflict and resonates much more strongly than getting students dressed up in British khaki uniforms and marching around Commonwealth cemeteries for several days (which is only marginally less tasteless than visiting German sites in the same garb - and believe me, these sorts of trips do happen). …

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