100 years after First World War: Embassies to hold commemorative events in Armenia

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS: The British and German Embassies in Armenia will hold a number of commemorative events dedicated to the victims of the World War I. As Armenpress reports, British Ambassador to Armenia Catherine Lich and German Ambassador Rainer Morel stated at a press conference on World War I centenary.

The events program intends a visit to Gyumri’s schools of German and English inclination on October 31. The pupils together with the ambassadors will plant poppies, which symbolize the memory if the World War I.

On November 10 the representatives of the English and Armenian Apostolic Churches will perform a joint liturgy at Yerevan Surb Zoravor Church. On November 11 – the last day of the World War I, a liturgy will be made under the head of the representatives of the English and German Protestant Churches.

Subsequently, at the invitation of the German Embassy, the representatives of the British Embassy will visit the German Embassy in Armenia. On November 21 a competition of German and British piano players will be held.

The events program will be concluded on December 5, a football match will be held with participation of the employees of the two embassies, which will symbolize the match held between German and British football players during the years of the World War I.

World War I, also known as theFirst World Waror theGreat War, was aglobal war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. More than 9millioncombatantsand 7million civiliansdied as a result of the war, a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents' technological and industrial sophistication, and tactical stalemate. It wasone of the deadliest conflicts in history, paving the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved.

The war drew in all the world's economicgreat powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: theAllies(based on theTriple Ententeof theUnited Kingdom,Franceand theRussian Empire) and theCentral PowersofGermanyandAustria-Hungary. AlthoughItalyhad also been a member of theTriple Alliancealongside Germany and Austria-Hungary, it did not join the Central Powers, as Austria-Hungary had taken the offensive against the terms of the alliance.These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war: Italy,Japanand theUnited Statesjoined the Allies, and the Ottoman EmpireandBulgariathe Central Powers. Ultimately, more than 70millionmilitary personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history.