"Commemoration. Cult of the fallen"
Résumé
The First World War ushered in an unprecedented wave of commemorations. Mass death elicited a construction spree in memorial objects and sites across all countries and territories involved in the conflict. These sanctified sites served as splendid vessels inscribed with the names of the fallen. They also lent themselves to patriotic readings. Mourning amongst survivors was expressed partly in a normalized ritual framework, associating consolation and political interpretations of war casualties. The cult of the dead was thus able to fuel at once unabashed patriotism, militant pacifism, and warrior nationalism, thereby continuing the mobilization of cultural representations that had occurred during the war itself.