The commemoration of the Great War in the City and East London, 1916-1989
The aim of the thesis is to understand how the communities of the City and East London area reacted to the human losses of the Great War. It is an investigation of how the intangible and abstract emotions of grief, pride and bereavement were turned into solid expressions via the war memorials movement. It is also the aim of the study to provide a balance to the fashionable view of the twenties and thirties as a time of disillusion over the Great War and a period in which the values of 1914 were completely rejected. Undoubtedly the War and the tenets surrounding it did undergo a form of examination and questioning during this period; but the thesis seeks to show that through the war memorials and Armistice Day rituals the values that provided the dynamic behind the War were still accepted by many throughout the inter-war years. By examining the development of Armistice Day and the growth of a common ~war memory~ in a detailed local case study, war memorials will be put into their true context; many studies take the erection of the memorial as an end in itselE However, the memorials were designed to serve a continuing need to remember and so this aspect must be integral to the study. The factors that influenced
Connelly, Mark Lewis
History
The commemoration of the Great War in the City and East London, 1916-1989. The aim of the thesis is to understand how the communities of the City and East London area reacted to the human losses of the Great War. It is an investigation of how the intangible and abstract emotions of grief, pride and bereavement were turned into solid expressions via the war memorials movement. It is also the aim of the study to provide a balance to the fashionable view of the twenties and thirties as a time of disillusion over the Great War and a period in which the values of 1914 were completely rejected. Undoubtedly the War and the tenets surrounding it did undergo a form of examination and questioning during this period; but the thesis seeks to show that through the war memorials and Armistice Day rituals the values that provided the dynamic behind the War were still accepted by many throughout the inter-war years. By examining the development of Armistice Day and the growth of a common ~war memory~ in a detailed local case study, war memorials will be put into their true context; many studies take the erection of the memorial as an end in itselE However, the memorials were designed to serve a continuing need to remember and so this aspect must be integral to the study. The factors that influenced
commemoration great war city east london aim community city east_london area react human loss great_war investigation intangible abstract emotion pride bereavement turn solid expression via war_memorial movement also aim_study provide balance fashionable view twenty thirty time disillusion great_war period value completely reject undoubtedly war tenet surround undergo form examination question period seek_show war_memorial ritual value provide dynamic behind war still accept many throughout inter_war_year examine_development growth common war_memory detail local case_study war_memorial put true context many study take erection memorial end however memorial design serve continue need remember aspect must integral study factor_influence