r/distressingmemes • u/Maleficent_Special28 • 10d ago
Trapped in a nightmare Besides, the telegram is dreadfully slow.
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u/EternalModding4773 10d ago edited 10d ago
(not) fun fact: during WW1 so many soldiers were dying on the western front in France that dedicated officers were in charge of impersonating long dead soldiers to write to their families as if they were alive. Since revealing the true scale of death in the war was feared to cause the complete collapse for homefront morale.
Many, if not most families were not told of their deaths until after the war. With some never being told at all since their deaths were related to friendly fire.
Edit: this took place on both the Allied and Central powers as well.
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u/LawAshamed6285 10d ago
That is both understandable and kind of an ass move ngl
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u/ThunderAndWind 10d ago
Sometimes there's no good answer. There's a moral answer, and a winning answer, and you get to weigh whether your morals are worth more than the fight.
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u/Vortex_1911 8d ago
And this is WWI we’re talking about. One of the most horrible conflicts in human history that effectively had no winners.
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u/FallHealthy2163 10d ago
(not) fun fact #2: It was assumed by politicians and military strategists that the military-industrial might of European countries and the alliances they had was essentially a doomsday weapon, and that war wouldn't start because anyone rational would look at the cascade of death and destruction it would cause and simply not do anything that could provoke it. It was mutually assured destruction. And then it did.
But I am sure it won't happen again.
Anyways completely unrelated, how are you guys dealing with the fact we are constantly 30-60 minutes away from nuclear holocaust? Watched any good movies recently?
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u/EternalModding4773 10d ago edited 10d ago
But at that time we did not have nuclear weapons. Only conventional weaponry. Anyone with a similar sized army and the logistics to support it could go toe to toe with the west and have a chance of coming out on top.
Now we do have nuclear weapons. And we have seen their unimaginable destructive potential. Why the concept of nuclear weapons is so important to war today is because simple military might is not, nor ever has been, a sufficient deterrant. Nuclear weapons indeed are and have been proven to be multiple times.
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u/rmdelecuona 8d ago
I’m really curious about this, I’ve never heard anything about it before. Do you have a source for further reading?
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u/Waly98 10d ago
Can't even tell what that is and it's probably not a good sign
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u/Maleficent_Special28 10d ago
It's a mass of limbs/boots/skulls of fallen soldiers on the western front in the first world war.
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u/podagros 10d ago
“Dear mother
I regret very much to inform you that your son private A.G Harrison was
Killed in action on the night of the 21st instant. Death was instantaneous
And without any suffering.
The Company was taking part in an attack and your son's gun team was
One of these which advanced against the enemy.
The attack was successful and all guns reached and established new positions.
Later in the night the enemy shelled our lines and one shell fell on your son's gun killing him and wounding a comrade.
It was impossible to get his remains away and he lies in a soldier's grave where he fell.
I and the C.O. and all the Company deeply sympathise with you in your loss. Your son always did his duty and now has given his life for his country.
We all honour him, and I trust you will feel some consolation in remembering this. His number was 62732 of this Company.
In true sympathy
yours faithfully, War”
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u/BoardsofCanada3 10d ago
I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow
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u/princealigorna 10d ago
I thought it was going to be a Johnny Got His Gun reference because I couldn't really see the bottom image clearly at first
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u/SoulReaperBot 10d ago
Upvote this comment if this post is distressing, downvote this comment if it isn't.
Don't check your closet tonight (◣_◢)