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Chapter 10: What the Past Decides
"I would like to establish the rationale for my viewpoint by posing an important question. Was the Great War a net gain? Now if you find the idea of one of the most destructive wars in human history which occurred do to a violent murder of a man and his wife, culminating in authoritarianism dominating continental Europe being an event we in the present can look back on as having improved the state of humanity the product of lunacy, I'm happy to announce that you are not alone. I urge those in the audience who don't share this view to really consider the crises of this past century. Just how much destruction are we talking of here? To list a few, choice examples we have the Bolshevik-building Russian Civil War, the Anglo-Latin War, bloody decolonization in Africa, and don't get me started on the Middle East!
Every single one of those snippet's of history I just listed can each be traced directly back to events in the Great War. The simple fact is that no, it was no war to end all wars. Rather it was a bountiful harvest of ruined lives and conflict. If you can tell me with a straight face that the rise of fascism in Italy, France, and Spain was an overall benefit to the planet I applaud you. If you can do the same with the isolation of the United States during trying times because the world didn't "deserve" them I applaud you. Clearly your will far surpasses mine. Rather I will instead tell you what the facts support, as any worthy historian must. Thus I'm required to detail tonight why the Great War is the worst tragedy yet produced by our species."
"Individuals who argue against the positives of the Great War inevitably need to ignore the true reasons for the century we today know so intimately. To claim the military buildup, alliances, and nationalism which were the true causes of the 1914 breakout of fighting would've simply died down and caused little ruckus is to trick yourself. A bright road to tranquility is not suddenly formed because an archduke fails to be pierced by a bullet. The horrific moments which dot the past hundred years were in the making long before Princip pulled the trigger. It is absolutely fruitless to look back in horror at those four years, for they are not to blame. Yes, much of modern history has been defined by war. No era hasn't! The larger-than-average size of the war in question does not mean we are dealing with any sort of anomaly. Instead, stick with me tonight to overview what we have gained since and because of the Great War.
Take a good look at Austria. See how its modern iteration was forged in the fires of 1923. See how it recognized the issues facing it after the losses of the Great War and the following revolution and took steps to mitigate that. See how it, against all odds and expectations, overcame its ethnic divisions, rather than let itself be fractured by them. Unfortunately a large number of people choose not to see. They sweep it under the rug, out of sight, out of mind. I implore you to wield the broom. However do not use it to shield triumphs from the public perception. Use it to sweep the dusty remnants of an inspiring tale and others like onto the center of the floor for all to see. If you don't know how, allow me to show you."
-The opening statements of renowned historians Tyler Castoneti and Pablo Muchan during the "Was it a Great War?" debate held on July 28, 2014