2014: A Historic Centenary

On my visit to the Menin Gate today, I will be looking for the name of my great, great Uncle. Captain John Geddes died in the second battle at Ypres in 1915 – the first of five members of my family to be killed in the First World War. Of course no-one alive in my family today knew him. Yet like many across Britain, I feel a strong connection with all the members of my family who gave their lives in the War. I look at those fast fading sepia photographs and see them posing stiffly and proudly in their uniforms. I imagine how they felt going off to war and the fear and horror of what they went through - and I reflect on their bravery and selfless determination. This means a great deal to me and I want my children to feel the same way.

There is something about the First World War that makes it a fundamental part of our national consciousness. It is hard to comprehend just how many young people of that generation were lost. Every village I go to, every town hall I visit, the list of names lost in the First World War is all too often twice as long as those lost in World War II. It is humbling to think of the sacrifice they made for us. That mix of horror and courage, suffering and hope which defines so much of the First World War has permeated our culture too. From the poems of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen to modern day writers like Sebastian Faulks and Pat Barker, the literature and poetry inspired by the First World War still captivates us today.

For all these reasons and more I believe it is important to mark the historic centenary that begins next year. That is why the government set up a panel of some of the most senior figures in British public life, together with world leading experts, to advise on and oversee the commemorations.

As we take these commemorations forward there will be some who feel we should just note the scale of the slaughter and leave it there. Others will say we should be clear about why our countries went to war: the atrocities in Belgium and the threat of a Prussian dominated Europe. Looking back, the world would have been a much darker place if Britain and the Allies had failed to act. We should not be afraid of recognising that.

So how do we mark this important moment in our nation’s history appropriately?

The first key element is the restoration of the Imperial War Museum. This will re-open in the summer following the complete refurbishment of its First World War galleries - funded in part by ￡5 million from LIBOR fines imposed on financial services firms for misconduct. I love taking my children to this incredible museum. From the breath-taking sights of the hanging gallery to the moving personal stories recorded there, this museum is at the heart of an enduring cultural and educational legacy that can educate and inspire for generations to come.

Alongside this, a ￡10 million fund has been established to enable people working in their communities to conserve, explore and share local heritage of the First World War. Two children from every school in England will also have the opportunity to visit battlefields and cemeteries on the Western Front. Similar funds will underwrite a rich cultural programme running throughout the centenary and support projects such as the restoration of HMS Caroline in Belfast, Britain’s last surviving ship from the World War I fleet.

Today I am also announcing an additional ￡5 million of new funding to repair war memorials up and down the country and increase people’s understanding of what happened. We simply should not tolerate damaged war graves in our country. Our memorials and cemeteries must be places of respect and education.

Altogether, we are spending over ￡50 million on building a truly national commemoration worthy of this historic centenary. Beginning on 4th August next year with the anniversary of the first day of conflict, the government will host a series of national events that will set the tone for a commemoration that captures our national spirit in every corner of the country – from our schools and workplaces to our town halls and local communities.

Our ambition is to unite in remembrance with all those countries that lost so many. It is striking how in the midst of the debate over Home Rule, so many men from all parts and all communities of Ireland fought for peace, united against a common enemy. Today the Irish Taoiseach and I stand together in remembrance at the Menin Gate. For many years that would have been unthinkable but today we do so united not just in remembering the common suffering of 100 years ago, but by our own progress for peace in Northern Ireland.

The greatest lesson of all from the First World War is that from war and hatred must come a confidence and determination never to go back. Britain and Ireland today share that common purpose. I hope it can be the start of what I believe will be a lasting commemoration for us all.