July 1920: Denmark Regains Some Lost Territory

Historically Contested Schleswig-Holstein

The Schleswig-Holstein question, was a 19th century controversy among Denmark, Prussia, and Austria over the status of Schleswig and Holstein. At this time the population of Schleswig was Danish in its northern portion, German in the south, and mixed in the northern towns and center. The population of Holstein was almost entirely German. After much contentious diplomacy, a rebellion—inspired by the Paris revolution of February 1848—led to an intervention in support of the rebels by Prussia. International opposition, however, forced the Prussians to withdraw and the Danes viewed the outcome as a victory. Matters festered, however. A succession crisis of 1863 gave the new German chancellor Otto von Bismarck a fresh opportunity to intervene and annex the duchies.

In the ensuing German-Danish War (1864), Danish military resistance was crushed by Prussia and Austria in two brief campaigns. By the Peace of Vienna (October 1864), Christian IX ceded Schleswig and Holstein to Austria and Prussia. In 1866, after Prussia had beaten Austria in the Seven Weeks War, both Schleswig and Holstein became part of Prussia.

Pro-German 1920 German Plebiscite Poster

Following Germany’s defeat in World War I, separate plebiscites were held in 1920 in the northern and southern portions of North Schleswig so that their respective inhabitants could choose between Denmark and Germany. The northern part of North Schleswig voted 70 percent to join Denmark, while the southern part voted 80 percent to remain within Germany. The northern part of North Schleswig thus became part of Denmark as the Danish province of Slesvig, effective with King Christian X's ratification of the treaty with Germany on 6 July 1920. The resulting Danish-German boundary in Schleswig has lasted to the present day with a minor adjustment following the Second World War and is no longer a matter of contention.

Present-day Border (Compare to Historic Map Above)

Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica Article; Wikipedia

Don't Miss the 1932 Version of Farewell to Arms

In 1932, A Farewell to Arms became the first Ernest Hemingway novel to make it to the silver screen. I read once that Hemingway disliked it as insufficiently pessimistic. Both my parents, who saw the film separately when it came out, thought it was a wonderful romance but not much of a war movie. Mom said, though, it was when she knew that Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes would both be big stars. The last time I viewed it, I found myself conceding that it is more a tragic love story than an exciting action tale. Yet, I still think it's a must-see for all World War One buffs. If nothing else, it helps in moving one's historical horizon beyond the Western Front. There WAS another war with a very different emotional atmosphere going on in Italy at the same time.

Most likely our readers are familiar with the plot, which is set on the pre- and post-Caporetto Italian Front, near the Piave River where Hemingway himself was wounded. American ambulance section chief Lt. Frederic Henry (Cooper) encounters British nurse Catherine Barkley (Hayes) when he's drunk. Naturally, the first impressions are not good. However, fate intervenes. They meet up again on a blind date and romance blossoms. It expands to the point that Catherine finds herself with child and is dispatched to distant Milan. Frederic, however, is subsequently wounded in action and finds himself cared for by Catherine at that very hospital in Milan. Complications and tragedy follow, but I'll leave it there.

Some notable attributes of the film are the Academy Award-winning cinematography, which was ground-breaking for the time (see the still above), and the well-played, heart-wrenching ending with both Cooper and Hayes at their dramatic best. Also deserving of a special mention is Adolph Menjou, who almost steals the early part of the movie as Frederic's cynical sometimes friend, sometimes manipulative supervisor Capt. Rinaldi. A Farewell to Arms is fairly easy to find. It's available for streaming (usually for a charge) on numerous streaming outlets. By the way, the 1957 remake with Rock Hudson and Jennifer Jones has some great on-location mountain photography, but that's its sole merit. MH

Remembering Canadian Military Historian Tim Cook

Tim Cook at the Vimy Ridge Section of the
Canadian War Museum, Ottawa

The study of First World War History suffered a major loss this past Sunday when the death  at age 54 of Tim Cook, Chief Historian and Research Director of the Canadian War Museum, was announced.  He had been suffering from Hodgkin's disease for some time. He was a subscriber and contributor to Roads to the Great War since its inception. The articles drawn from his work can be found HERE.

A number of sources have presented tributes to Tim and his enormous body of  work. From the CDC:

Tim Cook, the chief historian at the Canadian War Museum and the country’s “pre-eminent military historian,” has died, the museum announced Sunday.  Cook was "a passionate ambassador" for both the museum and Canadian military history, and his contributions to the Ottawa museum over the past two-plus decades have been "enormous," said the museum's president and CEO Caroline Dromaguet in a statement. 

Cook published more than 19 books plus many articles and won numerous awards,  including the Ottawa Book Award for literary non-fiction on four separate occasions.  His notable works include: 

• Vimy: The Battle and the Legend

• No Place to Run: The Canadian Corps and Gas Warfare in the First World War 

• At the Sharp End, Volume One: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1914-1916

• Victory 1918: The Last 100 Days

• The Necessary War, Volume 1: Canadians Fighting the Second World War: 1939-1943

• The Good Allies: How Canada and the United States Fought Together to Defeat Fascism

The National Post had this to say about Tim Cook's career:

He was the historian the media turned to when Canadians needed someone to talk of Canada’s military legacy. And for good reason. Cook embraced his role as a public historian. He was both prolific and expert — the author of nineteen books and many more articles; he could tell a story that was accurate, meaningful, and compelling. He respected both the past and the people whose stories he told. He didn’t shy away from the horrors of war nor its moral warts but he also gave credence to the contingencies and pressure of the era. It’s a sad day for Canada. But also an opportunity to pay respect to a great historian and the works he created.

Tim Cook came by his profession honestly — he was the son of two professional historians. But he also caught his passion for military historian at Trent University in the classes of Stuart Robson who would make the wars come alive — singing trench songs live in lecture. (I recall these lectures myself as I was a couple of years behind Tim at Trent.) Cook went on to do academic work at the Royal Military College and then followed it up with a PhD in Australia. He worked at our national archives and then took up a position at the Canadian War Museum in the early days as it found its new prominent home in Ottawa. 

At the War Museum Cook helped shape how Canadians saw their past in person. He insisted that museums could be true to scholarship, respect the experience of veterans, and engage the public. . . 

A strong, stoic Canadian, Tim Cook gave to his family, his community and his country. He deserves a place of honour as one of our greatest storytellers.