On this day in 1914, the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were shot dead by Serbian nationalists.
A month later, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. With the help of other major powers such as Germany, Russia, Britain, and France, the international situation rapidly deteriorated, and World War I broke out.
This four-year war would cause 37 million casualties, destroy traditional social structures, eradicate ancient political systems, and start the bloodiest century in human history.
Is the cause of " vs. " just the Sarajevo assassination? How did it end that era? Is this force majeure or an inevitable social Darwinist struggle?
For more than a hundred years, people have been constantly reflecting on this.
Paul Hamm, the best-selling author of war history, tried to answer these doubts in his book "1914: The Year the World Ended" by reviewing a large amount of literature. He looked back at that uneasy era and revealed how the world at that time moved step by step. Tear apart and disintegrate.
1914 Why did it become the “year of the end of the world”?
The period at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century is also known as the "Gilded Age". It is an era that people still miss very much after many years.
At that time, the political power of the European powers was still in the hands of a few cousins. As shown in "Downton Abbey", the nobles drank afternoon tea and attended various dances; the poor served the rich and worked in the fields and factories; the soldiers read Shakespeare ; The first World Expo was held in the UK .
People praise modern civilization and machines, but they have no idea what a terrible crisis awaits them next. Countless young people will take to the battlefield and an entire generation will be destroyed.
From a macro perspective, the First World War brought an end to the "long 19th century", making 1914 an important watershed in the modern history of the world.
Siegfried Sassoon, a British poet who participated in the First World War, is best known for his poem: "With a tiger in my heart, I smell the rose"
And for millions of men, women and families, It is said that 1914 was the year the world ended. Faith and certainty collapse, and people become brutalized by the callous and ruthless daily slaughter.
The war further intensified the ethnic conflicts in European countries. Coupled with the uneven division of interests, it also laid hidden dangers for a more bloody World War .
Paul Hamm, the author of "1914", tells the story of the outbreak of the First World War objectively and comprehensively from the perspectives of different countries and based on new documents.
From the turmoil in diplomatic activities to the bloody battles on the Western Front, from the intrigues of the upper class to the suffering and sorrow of ordinary people, from the number of participants in the war to the number of weapons in each country, this book attempts to answer one of the most puzzling questions of the 20th century. 1: Why 1914 became “the year the world ended”.
The special edition of "1914" "The Setting Sun"
is now available for order
Today, more than 100 years after the end of the First World War, the editorial team of the "Obelisk" book series carefully created the special edition of "1914" "The Setting Sun".
We use the dual process of [color spraying] + [engraving] to present the pattern on the edge of the book in the form of [laser burning] , and a beautiful bookplate is included with the book.
Left: 3D view on the inner cover; Right: 3D view on the outer cover
The special edition of "The Warring Sun" is currently available at Yilin Publishing House official flagship store, Youzan, Tmall , Xiaohongshu, Douyin, JD.com, Mozambique has been launched on platforms such as Dian, , Dangdang, , and Yiyi. Price of
: 128 yuan , Yilin Book Friends can also get a coupon to enjoy a 10 yuan discount!
This subscription begins at 10:00 on June 28, 2022 for and ends at 23:59 on July 19 for . This is the only batch and no more printing will be done.
"Laser Burning" Silhouettes of Soldiers
The Tragedy of War Reflects the Preciousness of Peace
丨Design Inspiration丨
We hope that the book edge design can become a continuation of the main text, and the tragedy of war reflects the preciousness of peace.
丨Cover oil painting丨
The cover uses the painting "Poison Gas" by the famous American painter John Sargent. It depicts the scene of injured soldiers who were attacked by mustard gas during the "World War I" walking to the field hospital.
The rest of the dead and wounded lay at their feet. The dim sunset created a bleak light. Someone was playing football in the distance, as if they were not connected with the joys and sorrows of the wounded soldiers. The screen symbolizes the blindness and absurdity of war.
丨Book edge pattern丨
The book edge pattern comes from an old photo taken during the Third Battle of Ypres during the First World War. In the photo, a group of British soldiers are marching through the war-torn Belgium The countryside, to meet their unknown destiny.
Ypres is located in West Flanders, a strategic location in Belgium. During the First World War, the Entente and the Central Powers fought five large-scale battles here, including the third battle. It was the most tragic. According to various statistics, the number of casualties on both sides of the war ranged from 400,000 to 800,000.
This was a battle without a winner: after the war the German General Staff believed in a document that the battle "brought Germany to the brink of collapse", and British Prime Minister Lloyd George also admitted in his memoirs that the battle was a "war One of the greatest disasters in history."
This battle is like a microcosm of the First World War itself: while causing huge casualties and heavy losses, outstanding young people from all participating countries were destroyed in a senseless conflict.
丨Book edge crafts丨
The special edition of "1914: The Year of the End of the World" "Warring Sun" adopts the dual process of [color spray] + [engraving] , and the outline of the marching column in the photo is [laser burnt] The way is presented at the edge of the book.
Detailed display (1)
Detailed display (2)
丨Comes with a bookplate丨
The special edition of "1914: The Year the World Ended" will come with a bookplate. The
design material is taken from an print work by the famous German painter Kassie Kollwitz. In 1914, Kollwitz's son died on the front line. The grieving artist created this print called "Sacrifice."
In the painting, the mother holding the baby is half-clothed and her eyes are closed, expressing the helplessness and despair in the war, as well as the pain of losing her child, and revealing strong anti-war sentiments.
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