To browse Academia. It reflects on the centenary commemorations for from the perspective of a First World War historian to suggest some lessons for the forthcoming centenary of the Second World War. As such it discusses the relationship between history, memory and national identity, the role of historians in shaping that relationship, and the actions that need to be taken in anticipation of the centenary. Taking inspiration from Ireland's Decade of Centenaries it explores the potential of a similar approach for Britain's commemoration of the Second World War.
While divergent narratives certainly exist within and between states, the greatest differences may be located in attitudes to the use of force and the way in which different cultures interpret the loss of life in war.
They provide an opportunity to reconsider existing narratives about past events and confirm or repurpose their meaning to inform individual and collective identities as well as important political and social relationships. It attends to the ways in which contemporary political, diplomatic, social and cultural trends have influenced commemoration and the portrayal of the First World War in Europe, Russia and the Middle East.
Held in January , its aim was to take stock of the range and depth of developing commemorative activity from national and trans-national perspectives. In this article Gary Sheffield sets out his opinions on the current commemoration plans and media responses to the centenary of the First World War. He argues that the British government and media are letting slip a golden opportunity to challenge popular perceptions of the conflict. This chapter examines the way in which the memory of the First World War in Britain has altered with the creation of new sites of remembrance to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the conflict from The event set out to initiate a conversation amongst practitioners and representatives from organisations in the process of conducting evaluations of First World War centenary commemorative activity across the UK.
Observations on methods, issues and outcomes were collectively put forward by workshop participants, based on their first-hand experiences. Content should therefore be of interest to academics, heritage practitioners, and community group stakeholders.
