100 years.
100 years of mourning. 100 years of war dead and wounded.
100 years since the end of the war to end all wars. Least that's what we thought until 1939...
Also known as The Great War, World War 1 began with the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in 1914 by the hands of a Serbian gunman after a failed bombing and the carriage driver taking a wrong turn down a road which lead to the front of the cafe where the very same gunman was to shoot and kill the Archduke and bring about War.
During the rest of 1914 and into 1915, 1916, 1917 up to November 1918, millions of soldiers and civilians would be killed, missing in action or wounded. Those who weren't injured were nonetheless victims as a new and very little known symptom would arise, Shell Shock.

Since very little was known about the cause many believed that it was cowardice that was taking over the men which lead to many suffering from it to abandon their posts and sadly resulted in their execution for desertion.
Though the war was fought throughout most of Europe and the Middle East, the biggest front was along the French and Belgium border. Trench warfare would result in a stalemate from 1915 through til the end of the war bringing about new developments in technology and in the field of science. New machine guns, rifles, artillery shells and the use of gas warfare...

On the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month the guns would fall silent, marking the end of World War 1, and unknowingly the slow rise to the beginning of World War 2, ending in more dead and missing than the war before it, and the reopening of old wounds for many and the opening of new ones.

On this day we mark the 100 years since the end of The Great War and we remember and honour those who fought, were wounded and those who died in order to secure peace for their respective countries. Today and years before, we show our respect by wearing a poppy over our hearts and we take a moment to remember all the brave men and women who fought and died for us and for their country and those who still fight to keep everyone safe...

Lest We Forget.

(this is my first piece of art so feel free to knock it down or whatever you feel, but go easy x3)