(DOWNLOAD) "In Search of the Fighting Newfoundlander (Records of Newfoundland's Participation in World War I) (Essay)" by Newfoundland and Labrador Studies # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: In Search of the Fighting Newfoundlander (Records of Newfoundland's Participation in World War I) (Essay)
- Author : Newfoundland and Labrador Studies
- Release Date : January 22, 2009
- Genre: Reference,Books,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 354 KB
Description
THE CARNAGE OF WORLD WAR I changed Newfoundland. When the debt for the conflict came due during the Great Depression, it was too much for the small dominion to bear; responsible government itself was surrendered by a near bankrupt state. The loss of lives, more than 1500 young soldiers, out of a total population of less than 250,000, added to sentiment among subsequent generations that Newfoundlanders had paid too high a price in the futile "war to end all wars." Yet, despite these costs, notions of war as a glorious and noble undertaking survived. Newfoundland emerged from the war with a heightened sense of its national identity. In this, the island dominion was, of course, not alone. Many former British colonies came to see their participation in World War I as a stepping stone in their transition from colony to nation. More often than not, these nationalist interpretations of the war focused on a single exciting and dramatic engagement. To this day, many Australians recount the attack on the beaches of Gallipoli as the moment of the country's national awakening. Similarly, many Canadians view the victory at Vimy Ridge (Easter Monday 1917) as second only to 1 July 1867 as a critical juncture in the development of a new, independent Canadian nation. Newfoundland servicemen had much to be proud of, but the iconic center piece of Newfoundland's World War I effort was undoubtedly the attack near Beaumont Hamel on 1 July 1916. The sacrifice of that morning, although only a small part of the much larger Somme offensive, has come to symbolize the island's World War I effort. Yet, despite the continuing popularity of Beaumont Hamel as a national benchmark, only a few books have been written about Newfoundlanders' role in World War I. Therefore, the recent publication of three diaries--two written by soldiers and one by a nurse--and the reissue of an out-of-print history of the Newfoundland Regiment are a welcome addition to the local literature.