Today marks the last day of my internship here at the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear. Needless to say, it has been a pleasure coming here every Wednesday and Friday since January working alongside some knowledgeable and hard-working people and sharing my knowledge with others. I particularly enjoyed researching and publishing this blog on World War One history to share with you all. It was thrilling to dig up some facts about that era that many people may not have given much thought about, but isn't that the job of an historian in the first place?

My time writing this WWI blog may be over, but you can bet this won't be the only time you'll see me writing and researching this fascinating period of history. Ever since the WWI Centennial began in 2014, I have made it my goal to consume as much information I can about that conflict and the people who served in and were affected by it. Now that I'll have more time away from schoolwork during the summer, I'll have even more chances to read books and articles and watch movies about WWI!

Some of you might be thinking, how can I experience WWI history 100 years later? Here are some tips I can offer:

• Attend living history reenactments or visit museums that have WWI exhibits. With Memorial Day on the horizon, there should be plenty of opportunities for the former.
• Read books and watch movies based on the war, even fictional ones. I would recommend A Crowded Hour by Kenneth Abing, a well-researched look on Milwaukee's history during WWI, which is also available to purchase at the Chudnow Museum's gift shop.
• Research your own family history to look for servicemen in your lineage. They may be several generations removed, but finding out that a distant relative served in WWI may be of great personal value.
• Visit www.worldwar1centennial.org, the official website of the United States WWI Centennial Commission, to follow their updates on the numerous exhibitions, events, and products they sponsor to help raise awareness of America's involvement in the Great War. Their website is always growing with new additions every week, and they also produce an excellent weekly podcast.
• Purchase a "Buddy Poppy" from a veteran, American Legion, or VFW member before a parade or sporting event. This is a simple and richly symbolic gesture of remembrance that dates to the end of World War One.
• Pay your respects at the grave of a military man who served during World War One. Every serviceman, no matter their rank or time spent overseas or stateside, played a part in this momentous conflict and deserves our continuing respect.

I would like to sign off by reprinting Alexander MacCrae's immortal poem In Flanders Fields. I feel that this poem perfectly captures the mood of those remembering and commemorating the fallen and departed of World War One, just as it had when it was first published in 1915. Every time I read it, it brings a tear to my eye and fills me with emotion. I hope you feel the same way when you read it.

-Jordan Heller

Like numerous other cities big and small across the country, Milwaukee has its fair share of monuments to the servicemen of World War One. Some were constructed and installed in the years immediately following the war, while others were erected many years after the fact. Here is a list of several notable memorials I have recognized within the Cream City:

The 32nd Infantry Division was one of the more notable Army units to gain fame during WWI. They were nicknamed "Les Terribles" by their French allies because of their strong fighting spirit, while back home they were popularly known as the "Red Arrow Division" due to their track record of piercing through the enemy lines like an arrow. The 32nd recruited men mostly from Wisconsin and Michigan, giving the unit a distinctly Midwestern spirit. The division saw combat during many of the American Expeditionary Force's major battles, notably in the Alsace Front, the Second Battle of the Marne, and the Battle of the Argonne Forest. Upon the division's return to Wisconsin after the war ended, numerous schools, sports teams, and parks were named after the 32nd Division. In particular, Milwaukee's own Red Arrow Park was originally located at the corner of 10th and Wisconsin Avenue. It contained a wading pool that was popular with children and was also a popular location for veterans and elderly people to meet. However, with the construction of the highway system running through the city, Red Arrow Park needed to be relocated. It reopened in its new location north of City Hall and across from the Performing Arts Center in October 1970. The distinctive red granite memorial to the "Red Arrow" Division was installed in 1984 and serves as a silent memorial to Wisconsin's fighting men of WWI while citizens enjoy ice skating or a cup of coffee.

Located next to the Milwaukee Art Museum's eye-catching Quadracci Pavilion, the War Memorial Center serves as a memorial to all of Milwaukee's servicemen throughout the years. It was designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed the St. Louis Arch. Construction started in 1955 and was dedicated on November 11, 1957. The building serves multiple uses, an extension of the Milwaukee Art Museum's galleries in its lower level, office spaces for the county, and a collection of memorials to a variety of conflicts that involved Wisconsin military men. 

The rear of the memorial complex features an eternal flame, surrounded by plaques with the names of Milwaukee servicemen killed in action from World War II to the present. However, affixed to one of the walls is a large plaque listing the names of the 750 servicemen and several female nurses who lost their lives during World War I. It prominently features an Art Deco angel engraved under a famous quotation from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Commissioned by American Legion Post No. 23, it was originally located at their meeting palce at 270 Prospect Ave (which was eventually razed) before being relocated to the Milwaukee War Memorial. 

This next memorial is one that I did not realize was a WWI memorial until literally taking a closer look at it! I drive by this every day I go to work or take the bus to and from class at UWM, and it was not until this past February that I realized its true significance. After going to the art museum with some friends, we were waiting for the bus to take us back to the UWM campus. While waiting for the bus-and moving around to warm myself up on that cold evening-I took a closer look at the flagpole that graced the entrance to the War Memorial Center and saw inscribed on the base: "In Honor Of Those Who Served 1918-1918." What a pleasant surprise!

The flagpole itself was commissioned in 1927 by the Service Star Legion, an organization of mothers who had sons in the military. They originally wanted an "Iron Mike" statue that was common to many other cities across the country, but the county denied this request on the grounds of wanting a more unique memorial structure. A contest was started to create a design for this new memorial in 1933, and on August 1, 1934, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on the parkland at the intersection of 2nd, Wells, and Plankinton. The flagpole would be officially dedicated on November 11th of that year. However, the flagpole would be relocated to Juneau Park on June 14, 1979 in order to be closer to the War Memorial Center. It remains there to this day.

This is only a very brief list of World War One memorials in Milwaukee and there are certainly many more to be found across the city. You can find a more comprehensive list here. One might ask, why is there such a plethora of memorials to the same conflict in one city? Keep in mind that World War One was the first time in American history that a sizable force of American soldiers was sent to fight overseas. Many battles in Europe had KIA and WIA tolls surpassing those of the Civil War, even though that conflict ultimately claimed the lives of more Americans. (Remember, the Confederates saw themselves as Americans, too, but that's a discussion for another blog post!) The United States was involved in WWI for only 19 months, but the sacrifices made by its servicemen in that relatively brief period of time left an indelible mark on those who came home alive and their friends and loved ones. One hundred years later, we must not forget those sacrifices, as they shaped the history of this country to this day.

--Jordan

http://city.milwaukee.gov/cityclerk/hpc/War-Memorials-of-Milwaukee/Abraham-Lincoln-Memorial0Copy.htm#.WvW9uu8vzcs
http://www.32nd-division.org/history/ww1/32-ww1.html#Aisne-Marne
http://city.milwaukee.gov/cityclerk/hpc/War-Memorials-of-Milwaukee/WWI-Flagpole.htm#.WvXM7O8vzcs

The people of Wisconsin had a lot to prove for themselves during World War One. Due to the state's large population of German immigrants, many Americans saw Wisconsin's loyalty to the United States as suspect. Indeed, there were many Wisconsinites who sympathized with the German Empire, supported the Kaiser, and did not want the U.S to go to war against Germany. However, several notable military men with connections to Wisconsin proved the naysayers wrong by making their mark on history during the war.

Charles Whittlesey of Florence, WI was born on January 20, 1884. After attending elementary school in Green Bay, his family moved to Pittsfield, MA, where he attended college at Williams College. He later earned his law degree at Harvard University and formed a practice in New York City. After the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, Whittlesey joined the Army and was attached to the 308th Infantry Regiment of the 77th Infantry Division. Whittlesey was already somewhat of an outcast in the 77th, which was known as the "Metropolitan Division" due to its composition of men drawn mostly from New York City's Lower East Side immigrant population. After shipping out to France, Whittlesey received his commission as a Major in September 1918. Shortly afterwards on October 2nd, his unit was ordered to attack a heavily fortified German position facing a ravine in the Argonne Forest. The 554 men under Whittlesey's command were quickly pinned down by heavy German artillery and machine gun fire, and they could not move out of the ravine for five days. Against impossible odds, the 77th held its ground and prevented the Germans from taking over their position. Many soldiers in the division had not been trained on how to throw a hand grenade, and on one occasion they were attached by German soldiers wielding flamethrowers!
On October 7th, 1918, the Germans sent a soldier over with a white flag to offer terms of surrender. Presaging Gen. Anthony McAuliffe's famous "Nuts!" response to the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, the legend has it that Major Whittlesey's response was, "You go to hell!" which he later denied. Later that day, more American troops arrived to relieve the 77th. 107 men had been killed, 63 were missing, and 190 were wounded, leaving 194 men able to walk out of the forest under their own power. The 308th Infantry of the 77th Division quickly gained fame as the "Lost Battalion," and for his gallant efforts in holding his ground and preventing his men from being totally overpowered, Major Whittlesey was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. 
Upon returning home, Whittlesey returned to his law practice in New York City, but he found peace and quiet hard to find. Clients would press him for war stories instead of legal advice. In a letter to a friend, he remarked, "Not a day goes by but I hear from some of my old outfit, usually about some sorrow or misfortune. I cannot bear it much more." In November 1921, Whittlesey was selected to be one of the pallbearers carrying the casket of the Unknown Soldier to Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. He was not the only Medal of Honor recipient there; Sgt. Alvin York was another pallbearer that day. On November 25th, Whittlesey purchased a ticket for a steamer sailing to Havana out of New York City. The following night, he dined with the captain and excused himself out of the smoking room. Whittlesey never returned to his quarters, and most accounts claim that he jumped overboard. In modern times, we would consider him to have a severe case of "shell shock" or PTSD, the effects of which were too much for him to bear. Thus was a sad fate to a notable Wisconsinite who served his country during the Great War. 

William Landrum "Billy" Mitchell was born in Nice, France, on Devember 29, 1879 to Harriet and John Mitchell, a U.S Senator from Wisconsin. Although Mitchell was raised in West Allis, his family ties to Milwaukee run deep. His grandfather Alexander Mitchell helped found the Milwaukee Road railway line. Mitchell Park was named in his honor, which is now home to the famous "Milwaukee Domes." The Mitchell family's home on 5301 W. Lincoln Avenue also remains a notable Milwaukee landmark. The 400 acre estate included barns, stables, and a riding track. In 1927, the property was purchased by the nuns of the Carmelite Sisters of the Heart of Jesus, who turned it into an orphanage. Today, the property has new life as a senior care center for those with dementia-related issues. 
Billy Mitchell left his mark on WWI history as a tactician with far-reaching ideas on aerial warfare. Fascinated by machines, especially airplanes, Mitchell joined the fledgling U.S Army Air Corps in 1916 and quickly became an expert on aerial warfare. In planning the St. Mihiel offensive in September 1918, Mitchell proposed assembling an armada of over 1,400 airplanes to attack the German lines in conjunction with the ground assault. The aerial forces made quick work of German hangars, aircraft facilities, and defensive positions, and their efforts convinced Mitchell that future wars would be fought and won in the skies. After the Great War concluded, Mitchell became dismayed by the reduction of power in the United States military, particularly its preference of constructing naval ships over aircraft. Mitchell was convinced that battleships could easily be destroyed by bomber aircraft, but his superior officers did not believe him. To prove them wrong, Mitchell arranged for three captured German capital ships and two decommissioned U.S battleships to be anchored off the coast of Virginia, where a fleet of bombers under his command made quick work of them. On July 20 and 21, 1921, several waves of bombing attacks sunk the assembled mothballed fleet, shocking traditional military tacticians and proving Mitchell's case that a ship could be sunk by an aircraft. 
As the years went on, Mitchell's views on air power became both prophetic and troublesome to his superiors. After a tour of Hawaii and several Asian nations' military facilities in 1924, he became convinced that a surprise attack by Japanese airplanes would make quick work of any opposing fleet. Such an attack, launched at 7:30 in the morning by airplanes based hundreds of miles away, could cripple an entire navy. (This eerily prophetic plan would come true on December 7th, 1941, when airplanes launched from Japanese aircraft carriers attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor...shortly after 8:15 AM local time.) After the loss of an Air Corps airship in 1925, Mitchell blamed his superior officers for what he believed to be a needless loss of life against incompetent leadership. This outspoken outburst caused Mitchell to receive a court martial, where he was all but stripped of his rank. Mitchell would retire from the military the same year, not knowing that his theories on aerial warfare would become commonplace in the decades to follow.

Douglas MacArthur became famous as the 5-star general of the Allied forces during WWII and the United Nations forces early on in the Korean War, but he first earned fame during World War One. Even better, he had roots and connections in Milwaukee early on in his life! MacArthur was born in Little Rock, AR, in 1880, but he was raised in Milwaukee for the first few decades of his life. MacArthur and Billy Mitchell became close childhood friends, which was not a coincidence since both of their fathers served together during the Civil War. Douglas MacArthur and Billy Mitchell even fought in the same unit during the Philippines Campaign of the Spanish-American War in 1898. It is rare that two major historical figures became close friends and comrades in life--even more so in Wisconsin!
During WWI, MacArthur was a Major in the 42nd Infantry Division. The unit was nicknamed the "Rainbow Division," since it contained soldiers from nearly every state in the country. MacArthur soon developed a bold but effective style of leadership meant to increase the morale of the men under his command. He would often lead attacks or conduct reconnaissance missions all by himself, more often than not without his standard issue gas mask! MacArthur was also a dashing commander with a sense of style, often carrying a commander's baton and wearing a silk scarf more suited to a cavalry officer. By August 1918, MacArthur rose to the rank of Brigadier General. By the end of the war, he had earned seven Silver Stars, two Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service Medal, two wounded chevrons, two Croix de Guerre, and was appointed commandeur of the Legion d’honeur, both notable decorations from the French military and government.  

​--Jordan

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/special-reports/pearl-harbor/2016/12/06/milwaukees-billy-mitchell-predicted-pearl-harbor-attack/91625442/
https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/macarthur_douglas
​

During World War One, one of the ways that Americans on the home front could support their country and fighting men was through planting fruits and vegetables in their own back- or front yards. These "Liberty Gardens," as they became known after February 1918, soon became a quick and easy way for Americans to grow food that was exempt from the strict rationing of the time. Citizens were encouraged to turn their lawns into gardens for fruits, vegetables, potatoes, or any other edible plant. Americans quickly and enthusiastically took to planting "Liberty Gardens." Add to the fact that a majority of the population practiced canning and making preserves meant that Americans would not want for food even outside of major growing seasons.
In April 1917, potatoes were in short supply across the country, especially in Minnesota. Enough Minnesotans grew potatoes in their own gardens that by that autumn, potatoes all but replaces meat and bread in daily meals--a vital substitute considering Americans were strongly encouraged to observe "Meatless Mondays" and "Wheatless Wednesdays." By the spring of 1918, St. Cloud, MN, reported that they had enough potatoes on hand to meet the food demands of their entire population!  

Even President Woodrow Wilson got in on the Liberty Garden campaign. Due to the shortage of manpower caused by the war, the gardening staff for the White House was severely reduced. Wilson came up with an ingenious idea that not only solved the staffing problem but also helped out the soldiers: he allowed sheep to graze on the White House lawn! Not only did the flock of 48 sheep keep the lawn trimmed and naturally fertilized, their wool was auctioned off to create soldiers' uniforms - sales of which raised over $100,000 for the war effort! The flock of sheep was led by an ill-tempered ram named Old Ike who had a tendency to headbutt any White House staff or policemen who got too close. He also developed a taste for chewing tobacco!

In today's day and age, urban agriculture is seeing a trendy increase in many large cities, especially Milwaukee. People are utilizing empty lots to grow locally sourced and healthy food that cuts down significantly on shipping costs. In some places, urban poultry farming or apiculture (raising bees for honey) is on the rise as well. To some people, these may seem like trendy ways of returning the land to its intended purpose or cashing in on the "raw food" trend. But in reality, the idea of keeping a vegetable garden in your own backyard goes way back to World War One! Perhaps this spring and summer you too could grow your own "Liberty Garden" in homage of the citizen gardeners of a century ago!

​-Jordan

https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/sheep-mow-white-house-lawn/
http://www.mnopedia.org/liberty-gardens-1917-1919

Among the numerous items in the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear's collection is a wide array of political posters, several from World War One. While searching through the museum's storage rooms on the third floor of the building, I came across two posters that manage to be amusing, morbid, and far from subtle in their message all at once!

Anyone who lived in the United States during WWI could have told you that Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was far from being the most popular person on the face of the Earth. Given a choice, many Americans would have given their support to the Devil himself over befriending the Kaiser! These two posters give an example of just how unpopular of a man he was:

In this image, we see an imagined trial of the Kaiser before a judicial panel and jury of Entente leaders. President Woodrow Wilson is the Chief Justice, and King George V of the United Kingdom and French President Georges Clemenceau sit on either side of him. Leaders of nations such as Belgium, Italy, Japan, and other Entente allies make up the jury. (Note how Tsar Nicholas II or even Vladmir Lenin of Russia are conspicuously absent...) The Kaiser himself is locked behind a cage like a wild animal, guarded by soldiers from the U.S, Great Britain, France, and Italy. A woman with a sash embroidered with "Germany" has fallen to the floor, weeping over an assortment of munitions that Germany had used during the war: bombs, grenades, artillery shells, and even canisters of poison gas. The sentence against the Kaiser is clear: death.

Now the Entente revenge fantasy against Germany is complete, and boy, what a sight it is! The Kaiser is led before a firing squad consisted of Entente soldiers commanded by none other than Uncle Sam brandishing a sword. The soldiers all fire their rifles at the deposed and shamed Kaiser, who has his hands bound behind his back like a common criminal. His own sword lay broken at his feet, a symbol of a shamefully defeated foe. A crowd of women all representing the Entente nations watches the grim scene with glee, while Germania herself sits weeping off to the side. All of this takes place in the gardens of the Versailles Palace, home of the signing of the treaty that all but ended World War One in 1919.

Propaganda is not meant to be subtle by any means, but this goes above and beyond bluntly getting the point across that the Kaiser was a bad person! In reality, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated almost immediately before the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and fled to the neutral Netherlands. He purchased some property in the small town of Doorn, where he lived the rest of his life in relative peace and quiet until his death on June 4, 1941. He was never put on trial for allegedly starting the war, authorizing supposed atrocities like unrestricted submarine warfare or the "Rape of Belgium," but these two posters serve as wish fulfillment for any fantasies vengeful Entente leaders or soldiers had against their sworn enemy. They show the lengths that people went to demonize the Kaiser and the hated "Hun" that they fought during the war. One cannot feel but a sense of shock and amusement upon seeing such a brazen display of hate and vengeance against one man and what he stood for. 

-Jordan

P.S: Interestingly enough, I was not able to find any information about who published these posters other than R.A of New York. If anyone is able to find out any more info behind these posters, send the Chudnow Museum an email; this would help us out a lot!

During World War One, soldiers enjoyed receiving mementos and baked goods from home just like during any other time in history. However, making baked goods was made a bit difficult during the war due to rationing of foodstuffs like eggs, sugar, and wheat. Some home bakers got around this by creating a "trench cake" that did not require much of these vital ingredients, if any!

Here is a recipe for such a "trench cake" that I have baked several times already. It has been updated somewhat for modern bakers and their kitchens, but it remains just as tasty. What makes this recipe unique is that it does not contain eggs to hold it together, nor yeast to make it rise. Just like making a "volcano" for a grade school science experiment, it uses baking soda and vinegar to rise!

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
4 oz margarine/butter (one stick of butter should be enough)
1/2 cup of milk
1/3 cup of brown sugar
3 oz. dried currants (the only place I could find currants for sale in bulk was Whole Foods. Otherwise, raisins would make an acceptable substitute. Remember, we're talking about baking a cake during a time when simply having sweets was a luxury!)
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a pan and mix it in with the flour in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the milk, baking soda, and vinegar and mix into the dough. Transfer the dough into a greased baking pan, making sure that the dough reaches all corners of the pan. I have found that baking it in a pan meant for coffee cake or a similar sized loaf works well. Next, bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, let cool, slice and enjoy!

The recipe can easily be doubled of you want to make more for a party or gathering. While I was baking the cakes in my kitchen, it dawned on me that bakers from 100 years ago probably didn't have the convenience of being able to use an electric KitchenAid mixer, rubber spatulas, or even an electric oven! No matter how you prepare or bake the cake, it still tastes great! The texture is not unlike Irish soda bread, and the spices and currants give it a unique flavor.

I would recommend serving this cake with coffee during breakfast or for an after-dinner treat. It's a tasty way to remember what it was like living -and eating- during a time when baking your own cake was a special event all on its own. As I always say, one of the best ways to experience history is by eating it!

Happy baking,

​Jordan

​The events of World War One may be long behind us, but they have been commemorated through songs from a surprising number of genres. Here are some of my favorite songs whose subject matter deal with “The Great War” in one way or another:
 
“One” by Metallica
Unlike other heavy metal bands, Metallica has written a surprising number of songs inspired by literature. “The Thing That Should Not Be” was inspired by H.P Lovecraft’s series of novels about the monster Cthulhu, while “For Whom The Bell Tolls” was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novel about the Spanish Civil War. One of the band’s most enduring hits, “One,” was inspired by Dalton Trumbo’s Johnny Got His Gun. This pacifist novel tells the fictional story of a young man who fights in the trenches of Europe, only to lose his limbs, face, and ability to talk after stepping on a landmine. Amazingly, he survives the ordeal and is kept alive on a life support system. As he reminisces about his life up to this point, he finds out he is able to communicate with the doctors and generals at his bedside through hitting his head on the pillow in Morse code. 

​After Metallica included “One” on their 1989 album And Justice For All, the music video for the song included clips from the 1970 film adaption of Johnny Got His Gun. Not wanting to pay the producers of the film royalty fees for years to come, the band decided to cut out the middleman and purchase the rights to the movie!
 
“1916” by Motörhead
Another surprising cut from a heavy metal band, “1916” shows off Motörhead’s more tender and reflective side. Former bassist and singer Lemmy Kilmister was an avid history buff with a keen interest on military history. The title track from their 1991 album of the same name tells the tale of a young British man who enlists in the army for the sense of adventure and comradeship with his mates. His idealism quickly fades as he experiences the horrors of war: “I heard my friend cry/And he sank to his knees/Coughing blood as he screamed for his mother/And I fell by his side, and that’s how he died/Clinging like kids to each other…And I called for my mother, and she never came/Though it wasn’t my fault and I wasn’t to blame/The day not half over and ten thousand slain/And now there’s nobody who remembers our names/And that’s how it is for a soldier.”

A far cry from Motörhead’s usual fare, “1916” features none of the overdriven guitars and rapid drums that were part of their signature sound. Lemmy’s elegiac lyrics are accompanied by a subdued martial drumbeat and a synthesized orchestra, along with cello solos after the verses. This touching song would not feel out of place in a First World War documentary—not a bad work for a band who was better known for writing songs about gambling, drinking, and rock ‘n roll!
 
“And The Band Played ‘Waltzing Matilda” by Eric Bogle
​Scottish-Australian folk musician Eric Bogle wrote this song in 1971 in response to what he perceived as a lack of knowledge and respect for the Australian soldiers who fought and died during the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915. This battle was fought mainly by the British Empire against the Ottoman Empire and their German military advisers. The plan was to launch an attack against the Dardanelles Strait in Turkey that joined the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, creating a safe passage to send reinforcements to the Russians in their southern Caucasus Front. The invasion did not go according to plan, as many British naval vessels were sunk by Ottoman mines and artillery, and most of the ground force was pinned at the beaches along the Dardanelles. For the first time in their military history, soldiers from Australia and New Zealand fought together under the banner of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, or ANZAC. They were joined by a strong sense of duty, camaraderie, and "matesmanship" that ceased to fade even as the ANZAC forces were forced to retreat.
The song alludes to "Waltzing Matilda,"a beloved Australian folk song that tells the story of a hobo or "swagman" on the run from the law. "Waltzing Matilda" occupies much the same space in Australian popular culture as "Yankee Doodle" does in America. Some Australians even see it as an unofficial national anthem for their country.

When Eric Bogle wrote "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" in 1971, Australia was involved in the Vietnam War, which proved to be unpopular with a portion of the population as it was in the United States. In a 2009 interview, he stated that "I wrote it as an oblique comment on the Vietnam War...while boys from Australia were dying there, people had hardly any idea where Vietnam was. Gallipoli was a lot closer to the Australian ethos--every schoolkid knew the story, so I set the song there." ANZAC Day remains as important of a holiday in Australia and New Zealand just as Remembrance Day is in the United Kingdom or Memorial Day in the United States. In recent years, "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" has become a fixture at ANZAC Day ceremonies and has been covered by numerous other musicians. 

​One of the more unsavory aspects of World War One was the loss of civil liberties by many American citizens. By law, the Constitution permits citizens to speak and publish freely in a public forum, as well as giving them the right to protest and petition against matters deemed important by them. But during WWI, the fear of subversion and sabotage by radical elements of the population forced the government to sign the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918. The former, signed on June 12, 1917, forbade willful and intentional interference with war-related industry and commerce, as well as “any cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces”. Individuals or organizations convicted of making these statements could also lose their mailing privileges. Whereas the Espionage Act dealt with overt, physical acts of interference with the war effort, the Sedition Act, signed on May 18, 1918, penalized the very act of voicing an opinion against the war. The act forbade publicly announcing or printing “any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States,…the Constitution…the military or naval forces…the flag…, or the uniform of the Army or Navy” with the intent “to incite…resistance to the United States, or to promote the cause of its enemies,” or to bring “the United States into contempt, scorn, or disrepute.” Stories abounded of citizens being jailed over complaining about the design of military uniforms or making a passing remark about the Kaiser on a trolley full of soldiers! 

​Enter Victor Berger, a Wisconsinite who became one of the only two Socialists ever elected to the United States Congress. As a Socialist, he was opposed to the United States entering WWI, as it meant that working-class men would have to leave their jobs to fight overseas while war industry businessmen gained profits over the sales of weapons and munitions. Compared to the more radical forms of Socialism then and now, Berger would be considered a moderate Democratic Socialist. He believed that Socialism represented the best interests of like-minded individuals who did not want to become involved in a foreign war. However, Socialists in Europe as well as America had a reputation for being firebrands of subversive thought and activity, and many Americans saw no difference between their beliefs and those of the Communists who took control over Russia in late 1917.

On March 9th, 1918, Victor Berger and other leaders of the Socialist Party of America were indicted under the Espionage and Sedition Acts in the federal court in Chicago. This came as Berger was well underway with his campaign for the House of Representatives and after the Milwaukee Leader, the only English language Socialist newspaper published in America, was stripped of its ability to print and distribute its newspapers. Berger and his wife Meta both ran the newspaper and relied on it to spread the word of their cause. Berger would eventually be indicted two more times that year, on October 28th in Milwaukee and on December 3rd in La Crosse. Despite his indictments, he managed to secure enough votes to represent Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District in Congress. Berger would eventually gain his seat in the House, but not after a special committee was set up to decide whether convicted felons would be able to hold positions as Congressmen. He was stripped of his post in March 1919, but was amazingly reelected by his constituents and regained his seat.

Victor Berger was living proof that not all Americans were supportive of their country's entry into World War One. He managed to represent his state in Congress amidst accusations of disloyalty and treason; the fact that his beliefs were punishable by law seemed to not help his case. However, Berger's antiwar rhetoric was the exception, not the rule across the country. Perhaps President Woodrow Wilson foresaw this kind of reaction in his address to Congress upon the declaration of war against Germany:

"If there should be disloyalty, it will be dealt with with a firm hand of stern repression; but if it lifts its head at all, it will lift it only here and there without countenance except from a lawless and malignant few."
​--Woodrow Wilson's Address to Congress, April 2, 1917

​www.missourioverthere.org/explore/articles/the-espionage-and-sedition-acts

Berger, Meta. A Milwaukee Woman's Life on the Left​. Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin Press, 2001

​With income tax season upon us, this is a good time to reflect on how taxes and tax laws have changed since World War One. In addition to having to deal with food rationing, the draft, and fuel shortages for the first time in history, Americans saw dynamic changes to how their taxes were collected and disbursed during the WWI era.
 
America has always had an uneasy history with taxes. Our revolution from the British Empire was inspired in part by the “No Taxation Without Representation” ethos, and citizens have always tried to keep their taxes as low as possible. However, the success of the government and its services depends on taxes, making them a necessity that people still grumble about. Abraham Lincoln created the first federal income tax law and the Internal Revenue Service in 1862 to help fund the Civil War. The federal income tax was repealed in 1872, only to be brought back in 1894…only to be repealed a year later. Finally, in 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, legalizing the federal income tax. In that year, the common income tax rate was 1% on net income above $3,000, with an additional 6% surtax on incomes above $500,000. With tax rates that low, it would have seemed that people would not have had much to complain about! 

During World War One, the government needed a bigger source of income to fund the military and support its allies in the conflict. The highest income tax rate jumped from 15 percent in 1916 to 67 percent in 1917 to 77 percent in 1918. This was on top of Americans being asked to contribute what little discretionary income they had left to purchase Liberty Bonds! People would have to wait until the Roaring Twenties for tax rates to lower significantly and have more income to purchase luxury goods or common household objects.
 
Americans also had to file their taxes before March 15th during the WWI era. After the passage of the 16th Amendment, the date for filing was originally March 1st. Following tax reform laws in 1954, the date was pushed back to April 15th, where it remains to this day. This was to allow government workers to collect, sort, and tabulate taxes all by hand—a necessity in the era before Turbotax and other computerized tax filing systems.
 
Admittedly, I am not an expert on tax laws or the ins and outs of finance. However, it is important to know the history behind how tax laws are formulated and passed, as they affect everyone in America. And it goes without saying, be sure to work on your taxes if you haven’t started them yet!
--Jordan 
 
https://bradfordtaxinstitute.com/Free_Resources/Federal-Income-Tax-Rates.aspx
 
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/hottopic/irs_history.html
 
https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/brief-history-of-irs

​With the 100th Anniversary of World War One upon us, 100 years seems like an incredibly long time for some people to imagine. Most people can’t imagine anything 100 years old, much less anything that has existed since then. To give a sense of perspective on exactly how long 100 years is, here is a brief list of some things that had not existed in 1918:

• Sliced bread was first sold in stores in 1928. Otto Rohwedder of Davenport, Iowa, had developed a prototype bread slicer in 1912, but it was destroyed in a fire. Until then, people had to make do with slicing whole loaves of bread to make toast or sandwiches!  

All of these things that we take for granted had not existed when the United States was involved in World War One. 100 years may seem like an incredibly long time to think about, but in the grand scheme of history, it's only the blink of an eye.
​--Jordan