Prince Harry attends the RUSI WWI Centenary conference

[HsHCharlene]

RUSI - The First World War Conference

This one day conference, hosted by RUSI, is part of the British Army's series of events to mark the centenary of the First World War. The conference objective is to set the context for commemorations throughout the period of the war and provide a compelling educational opportunity – drawing the relevant lessons from a hundred years ago necessary to reflect upon contemporary military adaptation – for a broad audience of senior representatives from the military, politics, academia and the media, as well as several other nations that fought with and against the British on the Western Front.While the conference will focus on the British Army and lessons from the Western Front, it will also place the Army's contribution within the wider international, political and strategic context, recognising that for much of the war our Army was a junior partner to the French; that other Allies and Dominions made very significant contributions; that the war was fought on the sea and in the air as well as on the land; and that understanding German thinking and actions is equally important.We are at full capacity and so are taking no further registrations for this conference.The prepared remarks/presentations will be streamed live from 0900 BST and available to RUSI members.

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[cate1949]

he looks so attentive - I believe WWI and its battles are a special interest for him

[TLLK]

^^^IMHO once people understand the connection between the two World Wars it become imperative to take steps that it cannot happen again. I'm very pleased to see how much attention is being given to the WWI centenary.

[Curryong]

I think events leading up to the start of WW1 took most of Europe's politicians by surprise, didn't they? It was a matter of weeks.

Whereas with Adolf, the French and British governments kept trying to appease the Nazis for years in a vain attempt to stop war. There were huge and influential Peace Movements in the general populations of the Western democracies that limited any movement towards war even if the leaders had possessed the will-power.

Of course that largely changed after Hitler gobbled up what remained of Czechoslovakia.

[HsHCharlene]

Prince Harry evacuated from First World War conference - Telegraph


Apparently, a fire alarm went off during the conference and everyone had to be evacuated. An account is needed to view the article.

[Macrobug]

A cable got cut.  Once they cleared it everyone returned.  Apparently Harry worked on his tan  :hehe:

[PrincessOfPeace]

According to the article, the Duke of Kent, the think tank's president was also in attendance. So Harry crashed the Duke's event  :teehee:

[TLLK]

I think events leading up to the start of WW1 took most of Europe's politicians by surprise, didn't they? It was a matter of weeks.

Whereas with Adolf, the French and British governments kept trying to appease the Nazis for years in a vain attempt to stop war. There were huge and influential Peace Movements in the general populations of the Western democracies that limited any movement towards war even if the leaders had possessed the will-power.

Of course that largely changed after Hitler gobbled up what remained of Czechoslovakia.

:goodpost:

[cate1949]

I don't think he "crashed" the event - it looks like he attended as a member of the army and the general audience not as some sort of dignitary.

WWI was not a surprise - it had been building up for a long time - nations were arming - there were a series of smaller wars (Boer War as an example) which contributed to the rising tensions.  What was surprising I think was that the war lasted as long as it did - both sides thought they would have a quick and easy victory.

What a sorry state of affairs we have where even after the horrifying carnage of WWI and WWII we still find ourselves in such a state and some people still think war is an answer.

[robynrose]

Since it seems to have been held at Whitehall , it could be he was required to be there ( he does work there and maybe had something to do with the conference ) but I also read he is interested in WW1history 

[Macrobug]

For a long time before the war started politicians were predicting that an event in the Balkans would trigger a bigger event.  It was not a surprise.  It was the culmination of many events and tensions brewing for decades.

There are some historians that state that WW1 started with the premature death of Mary of Burgandy in 1477

[TLLK]

^^^ Would this be from territorial claims between France, the kingdoms that make up modern Germany, the former Hapsburg empire
and Luxembourg.

[Curryong]

I think the SPEED of events following the assassination took politicians in France and Britain by surprise. It's true that Bismarck predicted that 'some d---ed event in the Balkans' would set Europe ablaze (that was in the 1880's, I think) and Europe had been tense for twenty or more years, mainly because of disputes between France and Germany.

However, several British ministers were on holiday as late as July. THE hot issue of 1914 in Britain up to that point had been 'the Irish question' (Home Rule.). There were great tensions in Ulster and worries about Civil War.

[Macrobug]

Thanks!  I was trying to remember who said that.  I should have remembered it was Bismarck :wacko:  I agree, the fallout after the assassination to the actual start was astonishingly fast.  But the whole political arena was a tinderbox ready to go up with the smallest spark.

Yes, TLLK.  I was rather surprised when I read that somewhere.  But they have a strong argument AFAIK. (I am no historian)