On 11 November,1918, after four, grueling years of continuous warfare, the guns of the Western Front fell silent and negotiations commenced to forge an Armistice.
A WAR TO END WARS
A war to end wars,” said David Lloyd George, Woodrow Wilson and Georges Clemenceau,
At the Treaty of Versailles, after much political bickering and quid pro quo.
But who could seal those dreadful portals of hell,
Or block the road to Armageddon, that had been trodden so well?
And could the weapons and trappings of war be eradicated.
Or its savagery and malevolence eliminated?
Sadly, the treaty diminished neither enmity nor strife,
And failed to enhance the common citizen’s quality of life
It was a deeply flawed proposal and, before the ink was dry,
Mammoth cracks were splitting the treaty of Versailles.
The imposition on Germany of swingeing reparations,
Resulted in a rebound by many other nations.
Meanwhile, universally, wars were unabated,
Uprisings and insurgencies were widely activated.
The scorching flames of genocide blazed across the globe
Fueled by the extremist, stoked by the xenophobe.
Hostilities unfolded as the swell of hatred rose,
But none possessed the savvy to bring conflicts to a close.
We’ve now addressed this problem using toothless organisations,
Who come under the aegis of the great United Nations
And are sworn to champion and defend the innocent civilians
Whose deaths in recent conflicts now stand at many millions.
Mankind it seems is bent upon a path to self destruction,
And undoubtedly will reach it without hindrance or obstruction..
Maggie Smart
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