Which WW1-Era Events Would You Have Liked to Witness?

[Napoleon]

If you had the ability to travel back in time to the WW1-era which events would you have liked to witness. Assume that you would be an ominiscent observer not actually present at the scene.

For myself:

1. The charge over the top on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

2. The assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

3. The Battle of Vimy Ridge.

4. The execution of the Tsar and his family.

5. The death of the Red Baron.

6. The Battle of Jutland

[PvtJohnson]

Any day at the battle of the Somme

Gas attack at Ypres where the Canadians held the line

An week long artillery barrage

The first time the Germans fought against british tanks

[VillyVonka]

I'm rather thankful that I wasn't present at all but in terms of significant events I'd like to have seen as a fly on the wall:

August 1914 - von Schlieffen turning in his grave

The BEF at Mons

The Somme - The "Pals" battalions decimated at Serre, as well as the successful attacks of 14 July and 15 September 1916

Verdun - fighting around Vaux and Douaumont

Jutland, definitely

The colossal combined-arms offensive at Arras, or indeed any of the breakthroughs of the hundred days;

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[Napoleon]

One particular event I would have liked to witness at the Somme is the elimination of the Newfoundland Regiment. This regiment bravely charged across No Man's Land and at the end of it I think there were only eight unwounded survivors.

[Wolfe Tone]

Well I think while I would like to have witnessed many of these events I think that if you were there at the time you might have wished you were somewhere else!

1 The 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin

2 The First Day on the Somme at Mametz

3 The 'October' Revolution in Petrograd.

They would be my top three anyway.

[piero1971]

god no! I wouldn't want to be an adult alive during that time - even if Swiss...

but if yes, I'd definitely would want to witness some of the German GHW discussions in August 1914.. and possibly give a few advices to help Germany win the war. first, I believe they were the good guys, second a victory of Germany in 1914, would have made the world better and spared us with so many sufferings, all the way to now.
ww1 is THE defining moment of the 20th century and THE defining moment of our lives. EVERYTHING that we live is a direct consequence of that fatefull summer 1914... ww1, ww2, communism and soviet union, cold war, collapse of the Capiphate, Islamic revolution, Israel, 9/11... think about it!!

[Wolfe Tone]

Originally Posted by piero1971

god no! I wouldn't want to be an adult alive during that time - even if Swiss...

but if yes, I'd definitely would want to witness some of the German GHW discussions in August 1914.. and possibly give a few advices to help Germany win the war. first, I believe they were the good guys, second a victory of Germany in 1914, would have made the world better and spared us with so many sufferings, all the way to now.
ww1 is THE defining moment of the 20th century and THE defining moment of our lives. EVERYTHING that we live is a direct consequence of that fatefull summer 1914... ww1, ww2, communism and soviet union, cold war, collapse of the Capiphate, Islamic revolution, Israel, 9/11... think about it!!

Well as for who was right and who was wrong I go with James Connolly on this one:

Neither King nor Kaiser but Ireland.

As for the consequences my sentiments entirely. It all flows from Sarajevo…

[piero1971]

a guiness to that!

[Tom Phoenix]

1. Battle for Cer

2. Any of the aerial fights of the Jasta 2

3. French charge during the battle for Marne

Thats all I can think off for now

[dannybou]

For me it would be:

1. 2nd Ypres (Saint-Julien)
2. The assault on Vimy
3. The attack on Passcheandale
4. The Canadian attack at Mons on November 11th 1918, just to be able to slap some sense into Currie's ego and have him halt the attack.

[Janos]

As many have said, there is very little in that era that I would really want to have been present for...but here are some thoughts.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff doing some operational level planning (nothing specific).
Goering crash landing the Richtofen Squadron and liberating Aschaffenburg from the Reds.
The collapse on the Italian front described in Hemingway's book.
The liberation of Jerusalem from the Turks.
The first battle of Al Kut.
The destruction of the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment at Ypres (Hitler's Regiment, 2500 killed of 3000).
The French Army riding cabs to the front.
Belleau Wood and the Marine assault there.
Kapp and Beerhall Putsches (perhaps later than we are looking for here)

[Grenze]

Three come to mind.

1) The Battle of Jutland (Battle of Skagerrak to the Germans) where the German High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet duked it out.

2) The Battle of Cambrai in 1917, where tanks really showed their usefullness in an assault. Or where it can be said the soldiers of the day started to really understand how to use tanks.

3) The assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the wrong turn by his driver that led to him being driven right to his assassin.

[Janos]

Originally Posted by Grenze

3) The assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the wrong turn by his driver that led to him being driven right to his assassin.

When I was stationed in Sarajevo (a beautiful city by the way), the SFOR Deputy Commander for Operations had his office in the Archduke's old suite.

The bridge, of course, is still there, but Tito had the plaque commemorating the assassination removed so there is nothing there to indicate where it took place.

[Tredegar]

1. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. When the fighting finally stopped and "All Quiet on the Western Front" became a reality.

[Grenze]

Originally Posted by Janos

The bridge, of course, is still there, but Tito had the plaque commemorating the assassination removed so there is nothing there to indicate where it took place.

That's no good. Whether you are in favor of or against the assassination, it seems to me that it would be another site to help tourism in the city. If I ever go to Sarajevo, I will definately want to see where it happened. If there is no plague there, I may not be able to find it.