By Abdulaziz Hammad

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The French Consulate General commemorated the first centenary to the end of World War I on Sunday, at the residence of France’s Consul General Mostafa Mihraje here.

This commemoration occurred on the Nov. 11, 2018, exactly one hundred years after the day that ended the war and witnessed the signing of the armistice treaty back, remembering the horrible events of World War I.

During his speech, Consul General Mostafa Mihraje stressed: “We are here to commemorate the end of the First World War. To commemorate is not to forget and remember that the First World War was the story of one of the greatest human sufferings of modern times. The war killed 18.6 million, with 9.7 million deaths for the military and 8.9 million for civilians.”

Mihraje added: “We are here to remember to bow to the memory of our soldiers who sacrificed themselves so we can be free today. During these 100 years since the end of the war, we have gone through different stages, from homage to armies, to veterans and, today, to celebrate peace, Europe and the future.”

Also, Mihraje added: “France and Germany fought in the most important wars of the nineteenth and twentieth century, in 1870, in 14-18 and in 39-45. Today, France and Germany, the French people and the German people, beyond the reconciliation, have established solidarities in all sectors, defend common values within Europe that they are called “Franco-German couple.”

For this occasion, Consul General of Germany Holger Ziegeler told Saudi Gazette: “100 years later, the vision of a unified Europe is a reality, our continent has become the ‘Europe of Peace’. We have learned that conflicts can only be ended by a peace that endures if this is founded on reconciliation. Leave aside the seeds of resentment. Work for mutual understanding.”

In addition, Consul General of Tunisia Sami Al-Saadi expressed and remembered the great sacrifices made by the Moroccans, Tunisians, Algerians, and different Africans along with the Allies during the First World War. He noted that about 35,000 Tunisians died in the battlefields, while Tunisia’s population at that time did not exceed 1.7 million.

Al-Saadi emphasized that the Moroccans, Tunisians, and Algerians were bold and courageous, so they had been pushed to the front lines, which explains the huge losses in their ranks. He pointed out at the importance of recognizing them in the war effort and in the victories that have been achieved, which was highlighted at the commemoration organized by the French Consulate General.

The cultural attache of France collaborated with the cultural service of the US Consulate to display a photography gallery that showcased a wide variety of photos capturing the terrible and honorable moments of the Great War.

In remembrance to the people who were lost in the war, students from the European schools of Jeddah sang several national anthems plus the Ode to Joy (finale of the 9th symphony of Beethoven) which is the official anthem of the European Union.

It must be noted that 100 years ago, on Nov. 11, 1918, the Armistice was signed, ending World War I that lasted four years, from 1914 till 1918. This war was one of the deadliest in modern history because it killed about 18 million people. The war destroyed infrastructure, towns and villages, roads, bridges, factories, school, and religious buildings.

The First World War was often described as the “war to end all wars”, aside from the millions who died from the war it also resulted in the 1918 influenza epidemic, which caused between 50 and 100 million deaths worldwide. Military losses were crucial by the new technological and industrial developments and the tactical stalemate caused by the trench warfare. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history and it caused many major political changes, including the Russian Revolution, the fall of the Ottoman, and unfortunately, the unresolved rivalries by the end of the war contributed to the start of the Second World War about twenty years later.

In addition, The League of Nations was founded after the war, It was the first international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace, it founded the roots of the United Nations.