The War That Destroyed the 19th Century

1914

REFLECTING on the new millennium, Charley Reese, newspaper columnist for The Orlando Sentinel, wrote: “The 1914-18 war that destroyed the 19th century is not over.” What did he mean? He explained: “History doesn’t pay any attention to calendars. The 19th century—defined as a set of beliefs, assumptions, attitudes and morals—did not end on Jan. 1, 1901. It ended in 1914. That’s also when the 20th century, defined the same way, began. . . .

“Virtually all of the conflicts that we have been concerned with all of our lives stemmed from that war. Nearly all of the intellectual and cultural currents that we have lived with were born out of that war. . . .

“I think it did such damage because it shattered people’s belief that humans can control their destiny. . . . The war disabused people of that belief. No one on either side thought it would turn out the way it did. It destroyed the British and French empires. It killed off the best of a whole generation of British, French and German men. . . . In a short period of time, it killed 11 million people.”

For over 120 years, Jehovah’s Witnesses have pointed to 1914 as the end of what Jesus called “the appointed times of the nations.” (Luke 21:24) In that year, the resurrected and glorified Jesus Christ was enthroned as King of the heavenly Kingdom. By means of that Kingdom, Jehovah God will permanently eliminate all the suffering that has characterized this century.—Psalm 37:10, 11; Ecclesiastes 8:9; Revelation 21:3, 4.

[Picture Credit Line on page 32]

U.S. National Archives photo