Poppies and Pedagogy: Learning from the ‘Great War’

Abstract

Teaching World War I (WWI) as history, teachers can be forgiven for focusing on the facts. A wide-angle view of the ‘Great War’ will take in the assassination in Sarajevo; Nationalism, Imperialism, Militarism and Alliances; battle maps and artillery; strategy and bodycounts; and the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. But it may leave out the emotion still evoked by the war itself today. Emotion is often considered anathema by academics anxious to demonstrate their objectivity. However, the author argues that where there is emotion, there are values and that as educators, we have a duty to provide opportunities for learning from those four years, 1914–18, so that this war can come into focus as a warning for the Nationalism, Imperialism, Militarism and Alliances of today. His reflections are therefore offered not only for the inspiration of teachers of history but also for those leading discussions on themes of Citizenship and Values.