World War I: Memories of the Great War (a History Talk podcast)

Summary

In this episode of 'History Talk,' hosts Patrick and Leticia, along with guest historians Brenda Miller, Tristan Haldeman, and Keisha Lye, explore the global impact and remembrance of World War I. They discuss the centennial commemorations in Sarajevo and Belgrade, the war's geopolitical consequences, and the contrasting local perspectives on historical figures like Gavrilo Princip. The episode also examines how World War I is remembered in Singapore, highlighting its colonial implications and contemporary relevance. This engaging podcast provides unique insights into one of the most significant events of the 20th century.

Takeaways

• 🎙️ The podcast 'History Talk' is produced by Origins Current Events, offering a historical perspective on various topics.
• 🌍 World War I is considered one of the most important events of the 20th century, significantly altering the global order.
• 🗓️ 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of World War I, with global commemorations and reflections on its impact.
• 📞 Historians joined the podcast to provide global perspectives on the remembrance of World War I, including those from Sarajevo, Belgrade, and Singapore.
• 🇷🇸 Brenda Miller discussed the impact of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and its role in changing geopolitical boundaries.
• 📰 Sarajevo hosted numerous events commemorating the assassination, reflecting both the tragedy and the liberation associated with the event.
• 🖼️ Tristan Haldeman highlighted cultural events in Belgrade that focused on Serbian talent and suffering during World War I, contrasting with Sarajevo's commemorations.
• 🇸🇬 Keisha Lye explored World War I memorials in Singapore, including the Cenotaph and St. Andrew's Cathedral, highlighting the complex colonial and religious histories.
• 🕊️ Commemorations in Sarajevo aimed to promote peace and a new era, addressing the region's history of conflict and ethnic divisions.
• 📚 Efforts in Serbia to digitize World War I documents and create databases aim to elevate the historical significance of World War I to the level of World War II.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the History Talk podcast episode discussed in the transcript?

The main focus of the episode is the commemoration of World War I's 100th anniversary and its global impact.

Who are the hosts of the History Talk podcast mentioned in the transcript?

The hosts mentioned are Patrick and Leticia Wiggins.

Why is World War I considered a significant event according to the podcast hosts?

World War I is considered significant because it broke apart the old world order and set the stage for the rest of the 20th century, marking the century's first man-made global upheaval.

Who is Brenda Miller, and what is her role in the podcast episode?

Brenda Miller is a graduate student of history at Ohio State University, specializing in European history and the socialist era in Yugoslavia. She provides insights into the commemoration of World War I in Sarajevo and Belgrade.

What were the main goals of Gavrilo Princip and the organization Young Bosnia, as discussed by Brenda Miller?

The main goals were to liberate Bosnia from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and unify it with other South Slavs in an independent state.

How does the commemoration of World War I differ in Sarajevo and Belgrade according to the historians interviewed?

In Sarajevo, the commemoration is extensive with heavy EU and European organizational support, focusing on peace and a new era. In Belgrade, the commemoration is more subdued, with cultural and informative events rather than large-scale commemorations.

What were some of the cultural events mentioned in Belgrade for World War I commemoration?

Cultural events in Belgrade included an exhibition of Serbian impressionist painters and an exhibition of Serbian literary production during World War I.

What are some of the contemporary issues Bosnia faces that are highlighted in the podcast?

Bosnia faces political gridlock due to the Dayton Accords, issues with infrastructure, and high unemployment. There is a focus on moving forward and reconciliation.

How is the memory of World War I preserved in Singapore, according to Keisha Lye?

In Singapore, the memory of World War I is preserved through sites like the Cenotaph and memorial tablets in Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall and St. Andrew's Cathedral, commemorating British soldiers who died in the war.

What incident highlighted the disconnection of younger Singaporeans from the memory of World War I?

An incident in 2013 where a 33-year-old man vandalized the Cenotaph, sparking discussions about the younger generation's disconnection from the significance of national monuments.

Outlines

00:00

🎙️ Introduction and Overview of World War I

Patrick and Leticia introduce the podcast 'History Talk' and discuss the significance of World War I. They note the war's global impact and its centenary commemoration in 2014. Three historians join via phone to offer perspectives on the war's remembrance globally.

05:00

🗣️ Discussing Franz Ferdinand's Assassination

Brenda Miller, a graduate student, talks from Belgrade about her research on the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. She explains how the assassination achieved its geopolitical goals and discusses the various ways it has been commemorated in Sarajevo.

10:03

🔍 Diverse Interpretations of Commemorations

The conversation explores the contrasting interpretations of Gavrilo Princip's actions and the broader commemorative events in Sarajevo. Brenda discusses how these events are influenced by the 1990s Balkan wars and the efforts to promote peace and a new era.

15:04

📜 Impact of World War I on Bosnia

The discussion shifts to the contemporary challenges in Bosnia, highlighting political gridlock caused by the Dayton Accords and the significance of focusing on reconciliation and reforms to ensure a successful future for Bosnia.

20:09

📚 Cultural Commemorations in Serbia

Tristan Haldeman shares his observations from Belgrade, noting the lack of formal commemorations but highlighting cultural events that focus on Serbia's experience during World War I. He reflects on the impact of World War II on historical memory and ongoing efforts to digitize World War I records.

25:10

🕊️ Significance of Remembering World War I

Tristan discusses the importance of marking the anniversary of World War I for Serbia, emphasizing the opportunity to reconnect with a shared national identity. He stresses the need to avoid letting recent events color the interpretation of the war.

🌍 World War I in Singapore

Keisha Lye talks from Singapore, describing the memorials commemorating British soldiers and the 1915 Sepoy mutiny. She explains the religious and colonial dimensions of these events and their implications for Singapore's historical memory.

📅 Current Memory of World War I in Singapore

Keisha reflects on the lack of public engagement with World War I memorials in Singapore, particularly among the younger generation. She notes a recent incident of vandalism at a memorial, which sparked some discussion but highlights a general disconnect from the war's significance.

Keywords

💡World War One

World War One, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918. It is considered one of the most significant events of the 20th century, marking the end of the old world order and setting the stage for future conflicts. The podcast discusses its widespread impact and the various ways it is commemorated globally.

💡Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in 1914, an event that is widely regarded as the spark that ignited World War One. His assassination by Gavrilo Princip is discussed in the podcast as a significant geopolitical event that led to the reconfiguration of European boundaries and the end of Austro-Hungarian rule in the Balkans.

💡Sarajevo

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was the site of Franz Ferdinand's assassination. The podcast explores the city's role in World War One history and how it commemorates the event, reflecting on both the local and international perspectives of the assassination's significance.

💡Gavrilo Princip

Gavrilo Princip was the assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He was a member of the Young Bosnia movement, which sought to end Austro-Hungarian rule in the Balkans. The podcast discusses the differing views on Princip, portraying him either as a hero of independence or a symbol of nationalist aggression.

💡Belgrade

Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, played a significant role during World War One. The podcast discusses the city's commemorative events and the lack of large-scale public ceremonies compared to Sarajevo, focusing instead on cultural retrospectives and informative exhibits.

💡Commemoration

Commemoration refers to the acts of remembering and honoring significant historical events. The podcast highlights various commemorative practices for World War One, including memorials, exhibitions, and public ceremonies in cities like Sarajevo, Belgrade, and Singapore.

💡Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in the Balkans that was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War One. The podcast discusses its historical significance, particularly Sarajevo's role in the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, and how the country commemorates the centennial of these events.

💡Dayton Accords

The Dayton Accords were peace agreements that ended the Bosnian War in the 1990s. The podcast mentions these accords to highlight the ongoing ethnic and political challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the efforts to reform them to move the country forward.

💡Sepoy Mutiny

The Sepoy Mutiny of 1915 in Singapore involved Indian soldiers who rebelled against the British. The podcast discusses this event's historical context, its connection to World War One, and its impact on colonial and post-colonial identities and memories in Singapore.

💡Cenotaph

A cenotaph is a monument erected in honor of people whose remains are elsewhere. The podcast mentions the Cenotaph in Singapore, which commemorates British soldiers who died in World War One and Two, highlighting its role in preserving the memory of these conflicts.

Highlights

Introduction to the significance of World War One as the most important event of the 20th century.

2014 marks the 100th anniversary of World War One, emphasizing its lasting impact on global history.

Three historians join the podcast to discuss global perspectives on the commemoration of World War One.

Brennan Miller discusses the geopolitical success of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination in achieving its goals.

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand led to the end of Austro-Hungarian rule and the formation of a unified South Slav state.

The 100th anniversary of World War One has received significant attention in Sarajevo, with multiple commemorative events.

Different perspectives on Gavrilo Princip's assassination of Franz Ferdinand highlight the contrasting views in the Balkans.

Sarajevo commemorations focus on promoting peace and a new era for the region.

Tristan Haldeman discusses the lesser publicized but culturally significant commemorations in Belgrade.

Belgrade's cultural events highlight Serbian talents and suffering during World War One.

Margaret Macmillan's interpretation of World War One as the 'war to end all peace' is discussed and contextualized.

Serbia's unique historical context of being at war prior to World War One is explored.

Efforts in Belgrade to digitize World War One documents aim to elevate its historical importance.

Tristan Haldeman notes Serbia's struggle with its historical narrative and identity in relation to World War One.

Keisha Lye discusses the significance of World War One memorials in Singapore and the impact of the 1915 Sepoy Mutiny.

The role of religion and colonial dynamics in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1915 is highlighted.

Current memory of World War One in Singapore is often overshadowed by European focus and disconnected from younger generations.

Vandalism of the Cenotaph in Singapore sparks discussions on the significance of national monuments.

Keisha Lye emphasizes the global nature of World War One and its impact on colonies, underlining the term 'world war.'

Efforts to digitize and commemorate World War One documents in Serbia highlight ongoing historical preservation work.

Transcripts

welcome to history talk a history podcast for  everyone produced by origins current events  

a historical perspective I'm one of your hosts  Patrick hi Yonny many historians consider World  

War one as the most important event of the 20th  century the conflicts that broke apart the old  

world order to set the stage for the rest of the  century also known as the Great War this was the  

20th century's first man-made global upheaval  literally bigger and more disastrous than any  

war before this is your other co-host Leticia  Wiggins 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of  

World War one beginning as Patrick noted the  great Wars ramifications were felt throughout  

the world and its impact on social and cultural  memory extreme we dedicate this podcast to the  

myriad of ways before is commemorated globally  to explore this subject further we have three  

historians joining us via phone to lend  their global perspective on this Boers  

remembrance well hear from truth spin Hilton  and Brenda Miller as they weigh on Sarajevo  

and Belgrade and teach a lie and she reports on  the Left studied war memorials in Singapore so  

stay tuned for unique perspectives on one of  the most remembered Wars of the last century

okay I'm Brennan Miller and I'm a graduate  student of history at the Ohio State University  

I specialized in European history and specifically  on the socialist era in Yugoslavia so where are  

you calling us today from I'm calling today from  Belgrade Serbia where I'm doing some research for  

my dissertation but last week into the special  trip to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina to  

have a look at some of the commemorations for the  hundred year anniversary of the assassination of  

Franz Ferdinand in a recent article you call the  assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand one of  

the most successful assassination attempts in  history not only because the assassin was able  

to kill his marks but because by the end of the  war the geopolitical boundaries that he had been  

trying to change had in fact change in large part  because of his actions so can you tell us a little  

bit more about the ways in which you see the  assassination is successful and kind of what you  

mean by that yeah so I used the term successful in  a bit of a meditative way and I used it that way  

for two reasons first in the very literal sense  that the assassination achieved its geopolitical  

goals right at the turn of the century Bosnia was  under austro-hungarian occupation or annexation  

but there were movements for national independence  in the region and the ultimate goal of Princip and  

the organization he was a part of a lot of Bosna  or young Bosnia I was to liberate Bosnia from the  

austro-hungarian Empire and to unify with other  South Slavs in independent state and of course  

there's debate about exactly what form or valence  of power that unification was intended to take but  

by the end of World War one that unification was  exactly what happened austro-hungarian rule ended  

and because our kingdom emerged and considering  this kind of controversial Act to say the least  

has the hundredth anniversary of World War one's  beginning that you mentioned that you that you  

visited some of the events in Sarajevo has it  received much attention there how are the people  

there commemorating the war what events have been  going on the anniversary has definitely received  

a tremendous amount of attention and that's not  just here in the Balkans also in international  

media and all this is has been in the works for  months now even I have to say has kind of to the  

point of fatigue bring it through months on end  now but there's definitely been known shortage  

of articles on the assassination right that  have come out there the media and reporters  

and documentaries all over the city and lots of  tourists in town especially for the commemoration  

but and for the events themselves I guess it's  important to explain that there are essentially  

two threads of commemorations generally there was  one sort of spread that viewed the assassination  

as sort of a terrible act that ushered in an  era of war but there's another interpretation  

of the Birla princess and the assassination that  views it as sort of a victory for independence  

and liberation but the main events took place in  Sarajevo which is where I attended and multiple  

organized with pretty heavy EU and European  European organizational support and also  

financial assistance and these were more oriented  towards commemorating the assassination and and  

sort of the generalized idea of war and a new  era of peace and there were a lot of them hold  

on these lines it's almost sort of like dizzying  to sort of try to recount them on the Rue museum  

exhibits and figure events and our failings right  right and so where the tourists there were they  

did you get a sense that a lot of them were there  because of this kind of historical anniversary I  

don't sometimes I think we think of tourism as as  being based around history in fact I have through  

an ongoing meditation on tourism sort of in the  city and it seemed like a lot of the people that  

were here had serve a specific interest in world  war one kind of history book you know alongside  

historians and things that kind of wanted to see  how things were being commemorated and to sort of  

be present in the place at the moment when the  serve historic events occurred right right and  

this is a really good transition I think into kind  of the next question with Sarajevo being the site  

of the you know the the main event the historians  generally see as the spark that ignited World War  

one so have the various commemorations taken on  a special meaning in Sarajevo because of the role  

the city played and I imagine there are sort  of competing views here that you kind of have  

started to touch on about the war and the city  and how they should be seen the Tucker events  

definitely speaks to log controversy around  the interpretation of Gavrilo Princip and in  

the article I kind of talked a little bit about  the different phases that his memory has gone  

through the commemorations this time around are  really heavily influenced by I feel the war in the  

1990s and some of the legacies of that there's are  different local interpretations now a good little  

princess that sort of speak to that moment of  conflict one sort of thread of those and this is a  

bit of a generalization but primarily Bosniaks and  Croats here sort of view now the villa princess as  

a symbol for Greater Syria ambition and serve  aggression and conversely serves in the region  

view him even more now as serve a defender of  national interests and also a defender against  

foreign intervention so a lot of the events really  spoke to those sort of contrasting views of of  

princess and because there was a lot of concern  about that sort of controversy the very fact that  

there would be competing events as then organizers  really wanted to catch them this perception of  

variable as being a place of conflict and so  that's why so many of these main events really  

seem to focus more on your piece and having a new  era in the country's history there's a kind of  

interesting contrast there right so the Balkans  are often seen as this you know quote-unquote  

tinderbox of Europe divided by ethnic rivalries  and ethnic violence you know we have the word  

vulcanized even right for this so in what ways  are the people of Bosnia and Sarajevo you know  

including those government officials maybe the  veterans from the 1990s wars that you suggested  

that you mentioned how are they struggling to  change that image of the region as we move into  

the 21st century or I think kind of flexing  personally on the events themselves some of  

these concert events and also theater performances  that went on that focused solely on on piece from  

a new era they were definitely paying attention  to this idea of changing the perception of very  

little in the international community and and I  think in fact there was definitely a terms that  

they were combating sort of - I guess a media  that was kind of ready to seize on any signs of  

conflict right me right it was more that's what  we think of and so for the events themselves  

focus on promoting peace and a new feature was  definitely a part of an effort to present that  

new image of variable and youth especially I  have to say here seemed particularly involved  

in a number of events that weren't necessarily  about the assassination but were things like  

peace conferences or performances that focused on  international connections and building bridges and  

things like that so it sounds like a lot of these  events that you know you you visited were largely  

successful would you say on the whole yes um it  is very easy to be a bit cynical to look at you  

know certain moments or instances that that were  maybe a little bit heavy-handed that this Vienna  

Philharmonic concert that was presented at the  city hall that City Hall used to be the national  

library and during the 1990s it was burned by the  Serb army ceding the city and so the decision to  

hold the concert there while it does suggest serve  rebirth and a new cultural era also kind of could  

be perceived as a criticism against Serbs and  in fact there is a placard on the front of the  

building that describes serve as specifically uses  the word criminals who destroy the building in the  

1990s I do have to say on the whole my sense of  the events was that they were really relatively  

moving and I'm a bit of an optimist but I I felt  that they were relatively successful yes and it  

also sounds like a very well attended people  really paying attention to the history here I  

have to say it was a really pretty crazy week you  know running from one event to another event they  

were sort of all over the city it always wasn't  clear where things were going on sometimes so  

it was it was a little bit hectic but I will say  though that different focus on on the future and  

sort of using the commemorations themselves as  the prism through listed to begin moving forward  

I think was pretty salient in terms of speaking  to the contemporary general political situation  

in Bosnia and I guess I would say that that in  general Bosnia has really struggled since the  

breakup of Yugoslavia with a number of issues  in the country the Dayton Accords after the war  

divided up power between ethnic groups in the  country and institutionalized a lot of these  

ethnic divisions and that has caused a lot of  political gridlock that hasn't been able to deal  

with some of obvious problems with infrastructure  and especially with unemployment and I think that  

this effort on focusing on moving forward and  reconciliation is really important for Bosnia  

right now especially because they're considering  reforming the Dayton Accords and earlier this  

year there were a number of protests that were  against a lot of national divisions and so I  

think that at this event that kind of focused on  moving forward really speaks that need to actually  

enact reforms that can make Bosnia successful  in the future that's a really important example  

I think of you connecting there the kind of  long history of the region and present events  

Thank You Brenda Miller for joining us today  on history talk all right thank you very much

hello everyone Tristan Haldeman and I'm a PhD  candidate in the Department of History here  

at Ohio State you know I specifically focus on  Eastern Europe and I'm writing my dissertation  

on everyday life under the German occupation in  Belgrade Serbia during World War two well welcome  

to the show and tell us where you are calling  from today and where you recently visited so  

I'm calling you from Belgrade Serbia where I'm  actually currently living while I'm doing my  

dissertation research here in the city been great  because it's been given me a great opportunity to  

observe the city in depth and really get to know  its character with this podcast we're focusing  

on the hundredth anniversary of world war one has  the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the  

war received much attention in Belgrade and how  are the people of Belgrade commemorating the war  

what events have been going on it really kind of  surprised me how little pageantry and formality  

founded both the anniversary of Franz Ferdinand's  assassination back in June and austria-hungary the  

actual declaration of war against Serbia Angela  there's been nothing in Belgrade anywhere near  

approaching the scale of what went on in Sarajevo  to commemorate the assassination but instead I've  

gotten the opportunity to go to several columns  cultural events and retrospective year and there's  

been a greater number of kind of more informative  events rather than events of a more commemorative  

character I mean if there's a lot of debate  going on in the public sphere among the general  

public and newspapers what sorts of these kind of  smaller multi-culture events have you had a chance  

to go to as far as the cultural events go there  were two really thing exhibits that I went to  

that stood up to me for a couple of reasons one  rivet of Serbian impressionist painters at the  

National Museum and another was an exhibition of  Serbian literary production which included books  

journals sketches newsletters anything produced  during the war warm on the front lines and so I  

thought these two will really same because what  they did they did a really good job highlighting  

Serbian talents and Serbia struggle on suffering  during the war because it really was devastating  

Serbia lost at least 15% of its population  and went through a pretty brutal occupation  

under obstacles but that the same time if they  highlighted Serbian talents it both did a really  

nice job crew trading similarities and cultural  exchange is what was going on in the rest of  

us during Waldo and it's important to note the  historian Margaret Macmillan has recently called  

the lead-up to the beginning of World War one the  quote war to end all peace do you agree with that  

interpretation and do the people of Serbia see  the origins of the war in such negative terms  

today I mean they're it's yes or no something  important to remember if Serbia is unlike most  

of the rest of Europe one World War one broke  out it had already been at war recently in 1912  

and 1913 during the 1st and 2nd Baltimore first  they were fighting against the Ottoman Empire and  

then they fought against Bulgaria so the start  of World War one was more like going back to  

war rather than starting a whole new cycle of  war there was an outdoor viewing of the use of  

film called march on the Drina that i want to  it was about the first time in Serbia defeated  

austria-hungary on the battlefield during World  War one and what it really drove home well was  

that at least at the outset of the war soldiers  and people there really stopping me what success  

but they immutable who turned out to be really  wrong because austria-hungary was a lot better  

equipped for the war in the Balkans the Ottomans  have been so it wasn't quite as peaceful here in  

Western Europe but as far as ending pieces I think  that mark macmillan bigger point is a really good  

one you know that the war wasn't necessarily  inevitable but rather it was a result of what  

series of choices made by fallible people and I  guess that logic that same logic applies to the  

idea of world war one being a war to end all be  and not for sure was the lead-up to the war even  

the events of the war that made he's kind of an  endangered species in the world but the country  

that you know would eventually become you know  Flavio was created in the aftermath of the war  

but without a real plan consensus between the  different nationalities and ethnicities which  

I think most of us know led to problems later  in World War two and beyond so I do think that  

mr. BIA there's a tendency to look at the board  the kind of inning of a period of struggle that  

really only ended recently but also more  positively georgians awards are a way to  

really in trying to memory what service fee  is truth Serbians Allison tells us there's  

part of this commemoration to kind of celebrate  Serbian identity then exactly and I think that's  

important because you know the more I thought  about why these events weren't necessarily such  

a widespread public characters but it's really  kind of because Serbia is still trying to define  

how it regards concepts the outbreak of World  War one Oh generally just service history and  

a relationship Tribune position in Europe and  the rest of the world today there was an event  

to commemorate the actual declaration of war the  opening of the archival exhibits by the archives  

of Serbia in the Serbian Parliament building and  at that event the speech of the Serbian Parliament  

really emphasized you need to look to the future  and the need to work in concert with Europe the  

center is still trying to figure out exactly how  it looks at the start of the war and horribly yeah  

and so you already mentioned World War two in your  previous answer and so I'm wondering how you know  

in many cases World War one is often overshadowed  in more recent memory by the Second World War and  

is this the case for Serbia or is this something  that maybe takes place more and some more like  

the United States where the second world wars  really dominates the memory of world wars will be  

the case in Serbia as well I think that's pretty  Universal in Europe and the United States yes it  

is because you know one port to in Yugoslavia was  such a violent devices with that epidural tour of  

the country apart so the divisions between people  that it exacerbated must a really shadow on all  

the successes see I understand why so much effort  and scholarship you know including my own project  

as the focus World War two over World War one one  of the most interesting things about the advances  

efforts around in the commemoration of World War  one this year that a real effort being made to  

bring the availability of information about World  War one up to the standard of World War two one  

good example is at the historical archives of  Belgrade where there is an effort to digitize  

at least 20 percent of the documents pertaining  to World War one and also develop a database of  

prisoners who were interned at austro-hungarian  camps during World War one and this would be a  

resource comparable to ones that have already been  created and now exist for the concentration camps  

as well great during World War two so there's  kind of a push to bring them up to equal levels of  

importance but I don't think it's right there yes  yeah that's a really a great way of making history  

accessible to the public and it's sort of a final  last word here why in your opinion is important  

to mark the anniversary of World War one well I  think particularly in the case of Serbia World  

War one was the last time for the 1996 Serbia  actually the citizens of the whole country I  

think there's a really positive sample especially  if we kind of avoid letting the interpretation of  

what will one be colored by more recent events I  think Serbia has a great opportunity to look back  

and identify so in character in its own history  so looking at all these cultural memories and  

all this documentation about the war it's a great  opportunity to kind of rebuild that identity now  

that Serbia is and it will be hit for foreseeable  future it's on cards on behalf of history talk  

I'd like to thank you Kirsten for joining  us today thank you back to have a great day

hi my name is Keisha lye and I am from Singapore  I just completed my second year of graduate school  

in the history department at The Ohio State  University and I am back in Singapore for  

the summer to conduct research and that's  me where exactly are you calling from today  

and where have you recently visited Keisha so I  am calling from Singapore okay so in Singapore  

there are three sites that commemorate World  War one and I've visited two events on my trip  

here the first site that I visited is called  the Cenotaph and it's basically a war memorial  

that commemorates the sacrifice of British  soldiers who died in World War one and World  

War two and the second site that I visited has  a little bit more complicated background so on  

February 15 1915 in the midst of World War one  a troop of Muslim Indian soldiers K caught the  

fifth light infantry this defiant adventure Eva  stationed in Singapore by the British they rose  

up and mutiny against the British authorities and  they killed about 40 British officers stationed in  

the barracks in this place called hungry and they  also kill other European civilians that they they  

met along the way this mutiny lasted for about 10  days before it was suppressed in the end about 36  

mutineers were executed and over 70 of them was  sent back to India and so in the aftermath of  

this whole mutiny the comrades and associates  of the deceased British soldiers and civilians  

may memory tablets to be hung in two different  places at the building that is now called the  

Victoria theatre and concert hall and other place  is in this church called st. Andrew's Cathedral  

st. Andrew's Cathedral is an Anglican Church it is  one of the oldest in Singapore it was three in the  

1850s and it is currently the largest Cathedral  in Singapore so I think this is why they saw that  

it would be an appropriate place to commemorate  those who died there when I was in Singapore I  

was able to visit st. Andrew's Cathedral and the  Cenotaph thinking of especially your mention of  

st. Andrew's Cathedral with the tablets it seems  there's also a religious component to this memory  

and would you care as I expand on this a little  bit yeah this light infantry this is troupe of  

Indian soldiers consisted of Muslim Indians who  were stationed in Singapore since 1914 when they  

started coming here they had this troop leader  that there was British and he was really unpopular  

with soldiers there was poor communication and  very low morale among the soldiers and then the  

soldiers were rest at this cafe and this cafe  owner will also stop and her British sentiments  

and tell them that it is their religious duty  as Muslims to overthrow the British from 1914  

and 1915 this anti-british sentiment just simmer  on the surface but nothing happens until February  

1915 when they were supposed to be shipped to Hong  Kong to to be stationed there however rumors broke  

out that they were going to be sent to Europe to  fight against the Turks instead when World War one  

broke out the Turks sided with the Germans against  the British okay and the Sultan of Turkey at this  

time was regarded the leader of the Muslim world  these Indian soldiers here it would be sent to  

Europe under the British to fight against their  fellow Turkish Muslims and the Germans because  

they were fearful of this on February 15 they  knew to me they went to the barracks to obtain  

ammunition and that's when chaos erupted for about  and Easter the British military had to call for  

help from outside and interestingly okay on the  Sultan of Jalal became an ally to the British jaha  

is a state in present-day Malaysia neighbouring  country from Singapore and is really just divided  

from Singapore by very narrow body of water the  Sultan is also a Muslim he sent his troops to  

run out any mutineers who cross the streets  into Johor and so I just thought when I you  

know through my research about this Sepoy mutiny  of 1915 and looking at the memorial it just raised  

a lot of questions to me about the Vigilant wall  what about the second religion in the colonies  

and decolonization you know how about the impact  of religion on individuals you know for example  

like these Muslim Indians who thought it was a  religious duty to revolt and yet the Muslim Sultan  

of jihad proved an ally to the British it seems  that this history of World War one in Singapore  

you mentioned is tied really closely with that of  European colonization and do you think it displays  

into this current memory of the Great War as well  frankly I think current memory of the Great War  

is still very much focused on what took place in  Europe I think it's very important to highlight  

and understand the ramifications in a colony like  a very basic reason for this is because looking at  

the colonies and the impact of World War one on  the colonies underscores this our description of  

the Great War as a world war you know it doesn't  just show I what to place in the European theatre  

but it also shows the ripple effects in the  colonies and that it was devastating to two  

people there you know and there were British were  just born in the colonies who lost their lives in  

the war as well I think it also connects a lot  to discussions and debates of decolonization  

even though we don't really immediately directly  connected to World War one for example like the  

Sepoy mutiny I know there's one historian who  stated that this mutiny had a large impact on  

India's agitation for independence from the  British later on a few decades later although  

another historian has also disputed it and said no  this mutiny really didn't have any large impact as  

historians do and so I I think you know looking at  the colonies bring some one another looking at the  

colonies and how will World War One affected it  you know brings out more discussions and debates  

and sheds light on a history that we don't really  think about you know as I said earlier it really  

highlights the role of religion and other factors  in the wall I think it raises questions about  

identity in the colonies as well you know like how  the Cenotaph was directed for British men born in  

Singapore but sent back as British citizens  to fight for donations motherland' which they  

might or might not have visited prior to the war  you know when one thinks of World War one you're  

right and like normally Singapore doesn't usually  come to mind I want to say I was like sense right  

so you're bringing us a really unique perspective  today and just to kind of wrap up and say thank  

you for reminding us that this is a world where  we're talking about I was wondering how is the  

memory of the war alive in Singapore today  from your from what you've observed I think  

the really sad thing is that when I went to visit  the memorials there weren't a lot of people there  

and I think it becomes World War one is just very  disconnected from the memory of Singaporeans today  

especially for the younger generation I think  they read about the war in the textbooks and  

unit it really doesn't affect them directly and  it just really really said that it's not really  

in their memories so last year in 2013 someone  actually vandalized the Cenotaph he spray-painted  

this big X over the years 1914 to 1918 and then  he wrote democracy in bull letters above and the  

copy off was eventually caught and he turned out  to be a 33 year old man and the leading newspapers  

in Singapore said that this as an example of  how younger generation of Singaporeans are  

disconnected from the significance you know of  these national monuments like we have no stands  

or respect memory of the significance of of the  Cenotaph the memory of war is just not very likely  

Singapore today I will say though that incident  with vandalism it did spark some discussions  

among the younger generation I think it did make  them like wake up and think about it and also  

some good came out of it you know a lot of issues  Kiesha thank you so much for joining us today and  

enlightening us us to this history in Singapore  we really appreciate your time thanks Carol thank  

you for giving me this chance this edition of the  origins podcast history class is brought to you  

by the public history initiative and the Goldbergs  minor in the history department at The Ohio State  

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