Fifty Years Later: Reflections on the Great War
- World War 1 began on July 28, 1914, leading to widespread devastation and loss.
- Fifty years later, German soldier Stefan Westmann shared his harrowing experiences of the conflict.
- His story sheds light on the brutal realities faced by soldiers during the war.
In a poignant reflection on the Great War, German soldier Stefan Westmann recounted his harrowing experiences during the conflict, marking its 50th anniversary in 1964. Westmann, who was a medical student before the war, described a moment of profound realization when he faced a French soldier in combat. He expressed that the fear of death transformed his perception, recognizing the shared humanity between them. "For a moment I felt the fear of death," he recalled, emphasizing that once he saw the soldier as a fellow human, he could no longer fulfill his role as a soldier. Westmann's reflections reveal a deep empathy for the enemy, as he wished for the fallen French soldier to have shown signs of life. He lamented that they could have been friends, both victims of a war that forced them to fight against one another. He articulated the tragedy of war, where individuals, despite their shared backgrounds and families, were pitted against each other due to national identities and uniforms. During World War II, Westmann served as a British medical officer in Scotland, highlighting the irony of his experiences on opposing sides in two world wars. His insights challenge the notion of civilization, suggesting that the veneer of culture is fragile in the face of war's brutality. "We were civilized people after all," he stated, questioning the motivations behind such violent confrontations and the moral dilemmas faced by soldiers in combat.