Tynemouth WW1 Commemoration Project

Last year of peace was far from harmonious at home.

99 years ago, on the 28^th June, 1914 an event that would change the world forever, and alter the balance of power and influence across the globe, was recorded as just another example of disaffection in Austria-Hungary, in a small part of the former Ottoman Empire – at Sarajevo, in Bosnia.

In a month the world would be plunged into the most terrible conflict yet seen. However, the common view over many years of a Britain at that time set in a serene position of peace and harmony at home with a dutiful collection of Dominions and colonies overseas is far from the truth of the immediate pre-war years.

In reality, the notion of a long period of Edwardian prosperity and social peace is not supported by the facts of the period. The government of the Liberal Party had to force through legislation to contain the power of the House of Lords to frustrate the Commons (1911). Trades Unions had engaged in some of the most bitter and protracted industrial disputes between 1910 and 1913, while constitutional issues of Irish Home Rule and a possible insurrection in Ireland (formation of the UVF and Ulster Covenant), were troubling the government of HH Asquith. He also had to contend with insistent campaigns for Women’s Votes in Parliamentary elections. So when the crisis in Europe loomed, ending in the declaration of war by Britain against Germany for her invasion and breach of Belgian neutrality, the government and population diverted their attention from some very intractable issues at home and plunged headlong into a war many had long foreseen as inevitable at some point.

The incident in a faraway corner of SE Europe developed into a stand-off between the great power blocs of Europe, with little Serbia on one side supported by Russia and therefore involving France as Russia’s treaty ally, set against Austria- Hungary and Germany (the Central powers – with Italy, who did not join in the conflict immediately and then later only on the Allied side).

By 28^th July, 1914 Serbia had acceded to all but one of Austria’s demands in response to the assassination of the heir to the Austrian Empire, Arch Duke Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo a month before, by Bosnian nationalists and allegedly supported by Serbia.

Austria, encouraged by a militarist administration and army in Germany saw this as the lever to begin a long-planned war to counter perceived threats from the Russian and French power in Europe. War was declared by Austria against Serbia and within days the main nations of Europe were mobilising for war. Britain followed on the 4^th August, after German troops entered Belgium and thus began the greatest conflict to affect the British nation and her colonies.

The Tynemouth Project will mark the forthcoming centenary of the start of that war [2014] and its effects on the population in the coming year in a series of public events and the launch on the internet of the database recording the history of many of the local victims researched over the past three years.