The Last Witness of War

I was listening to a radio program last week that was discussing the importance of preserving battlefields. When asked just why they should be protected, the historian being interviewed explained that the battlefields were the last witness of war.

This got me thinking, just what is the importance of protecting battlefields.

Here's a list of three reasons that I thought were relevant:

Increases your understanding: I once spent a whole day walking the battlefield at Waterloo. This was a battle that I had known well since childhood. Yet, my understanding of the battle was revolutionised by the experience. For example, I had located the position at which the French Old Guard had begun their attack towards the end of the battle. I then walked the exact ground they trod as they marched into the British cannons and gunfire. The result? It was a long way! It gave me a whole new understanding as to just why those brave French soldiers turned and ran for the first time in their lives.

Catalyst for study: It is now part of the UK GCSE syllabus for students to study the First World War. I believe this task is made far easier by the fact that pupils often visit the battlefields in the Western Front. An experience that, if done correctly, can inspire the pupils with a life long love of history.

Last Witness: After much thought I decided that a battlefield was in fact the last witness to a battle. I often travel to see friends in the South of England and the route I travel takes me across the battlefield at Naseby. Though I have stopped many times, I don't always. Yet, every time I drive past that sign a little part of me is reminded of what happened on that day. The battlefield acts as a voice, a reminder of the past, challenging us to dare forget. 

 

Technorati Tags: Battlefields, Waterloo, military History

Comments

[Mark Stoneman]

I was never drawn to battlefields, although I did once visit Harpers Ferry and found the place rather haunting. Still, I do academic history, which can be rather dry to normal people. Battlefields can inspire an interest in history, which is a good thing, even if those interested participate in another activity that mystifies me, reenactments.

I suppose in some ways battlefields are also as important as cemeteries. Abraham Lincoln certainly made that connection in his Gettysburg Address. And one of the most haunting songs I've ever heard was inspired by a soldier's grave, "No Man's Land," aka "Green Fields of France."

[David Hollins]

" For example, I had located the position at which the French Old Guard had begun their attack towards the end of the battle. I then walked the exact ground they trod as they marched into the British cannons and gunfire. The result? It was a long way! It gave me a whole new understanding as to just why those brave French soldiers turned and ran for the first time in their lives."

Sorry to disappoint you, but half the ridge was scraped away to build the Lion monument in the photo above. It wasn't the first time French troops had run away nor the first time that Nap's guard had been defeated.