COMMEMORATIVE POLITICS-THE DELVILLE WOOD SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL MEMORIAL AT LONGUEVAL, FRANCE

摘要

The armistice of 1918 ended a period of violence and began a period of reconstruction. Priorities were restoring infrastructure throughout war-torn Europe as well as commemorating those who had fallen on its battle-fields. Constructing Great War memorials on the western front became common practice for the colonial empires of France, Germany and Great Britain. While it was British practice to honour the 'Colonials', the men of the Dominions who had fought for'King and Empire', on general monuments, the colonies themselves also built memorials. Canada, India and Australia all constructed memorials to their fallen at battle sites critical to their national military history; South Africa was no different.