The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

George V Sweeping Out His German Titles

During the turbulent days of World War I, anger towards the enemy and anything that could be familiarized with it was common. This seems to be a natural reaction in times of war, when people are bent upon the domination of their foes by force, any semblance of their enemies at home is usually treated with hostility. It was such motivation that led to the creation of the House of Windsor, which still rules today in Britain through Queen Elizabeth II. Anti-German sentiment was on the rise in England, especially after the introduction of a new heavy German bomber in 1917, that was capable of crossing the channel and attacking London directly. Then king, George V was cousin to his German enemy Kaiser Wilhelm II through their grandparents Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Their first daughter became the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm, while their first son became the father of King George. This meant that George V inherited the title of House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha through the male line as was tradition. Now here he was, leading his country in the fight against his German cousin, the "Hun", in the name of England, while he himself held a German title! So, George felt he needed to be English, not just in reality only, but also in name. An official proclamation was made, and the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha became the House of Windsor, possibly chosen for its ties to Windsor Castle a famous royal residence. Upon hearing of his cousins' name-change, Kaiser Wilhelm II is reported to have quipped that he planned to see "The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha."

Veterans Day: Remembering the Armistice

A U.S. Navy Railway Gun

What is today celebrated as a day to remember all the veterans that have served the United States, originally signified the end of the international conflict in the early 20th century. The armistice celebrated November 11th marks the signing of the final armistice of World War I between Germany and the Allied powers. Three days prior to the signing the delegates from Germany were secretly brought across the war zone to a secure location on board  a carriage of Marshall Ferdinand Foch's private train parked in the forest of Compeigne. When the delegates arrived they were given a list of demands and 72 hours to agree. There was no room to actually negotiate during the period, and very little was promised in return by the Allies. Only a few impossible terms were they able to correct, such as the demand that they decommission more submarines than were in their fleet. After three days reviewing the harsh demands, with pressure from Germany for the armistice, the delegation signed at 5:00 AM, November 11th, 1918, ending the fighting. The last shot of the war was fired by the U.S. Navy railway battery number four near Verdun at 10:57:30 AM, timed so it would land far into the German-held territory right before the 11:00 AM cease-fire. Interestingly, no fighting had ever occurred on German soil in the West the entire length of the war. Now the actual terms of peace were not formalized until 6 months later after the Paris Peace Conference at the signing of the Versailles Treaty, which was signed  on the 28th of June, exactly 5 years after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (See previous post.) Rejecting President Wilson's 14 points, which the German's were reportedly expecting, the other Allies opted for harsher punishments for Germany, blaming them solely for the war. Many have criticized the Versailles treaty as not being designed to ensure a lasting peace, but is actually one of the reasons for the Second World War.