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On 28 July 2014 XXXVII, the Republic of Molossia held a remembrance ceremony of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. At 11:00 AM MST, His Excellency, The President, The First Lady, the Chief Constable and guests gathered at the Molossia Heroes Monument to lay a wreath in honor of the sacrifices made during the War to End All Wars. It was at 11:00 AM on 28 July 1914 that Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, the first in a series of such martial declarations that precipitated the war. Within weeks of that declaration, the nations of Europe were locked in a titanic struggle that stretched from the muddy trenches of France to the fringes of Russia to the sun-baked shores of Gallipoli - even to Africa and the distant Pacific Ocean. For over four years this all-encompassing conflict would convulse the world until finally the guns fell silent at 11:00 AM on 11 November 1918. More than 9 million combatants were killed, a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents' technological and industrial sophistication, and tactical stalemate. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, paving the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. Said His Excellency, The President at the Heroes Monument, "One hundred years ago World War I began and one hundred years later the world is a much different place. But conflict continues and world peace remains elusive. As we lay this wreath today, we do so not just in remembrance of one the greatest wars fought by man, but also in the ongoing hope for peace for all mankind." |
 At the Heroes Monument  The Heroes Monument Decorated  Flags and Poppies |