Not in Vain - James Martin

Fourteen years and nine months. That was the age at which Private James Martin - the youngest Australian soldier known to die in World War I - died. Born in January 1901, James was precisely as old as the young Commonwealth of Australia for which he fought.

James lied about his age when he joined the 21^st Battalion, in April 1915.  He arrived at Gallipoli in September - all too briefly enjoyed the excitement of action with his mates - and died of typhoid, on a hospital ship, on 25 October.  A century ago this year. 

At fourteen years years and nine months, he was a boy. What a waste. James did not even get a grave in an immaculate war cemetery.  He was buried at sea, so far from home and family.

Did James Martin die in vain? Did he?

For decades, especially after after World War II,  the common perception of World War I went down a false path. That war was seen as a monstrous tragedy – which it was, and a war for no reason – which it was not. The war was seen as just stupidity, just accident, just bungling. No one was to blame – or everyone was.  No. No. No.

So why did World War I, the Great War occur? 

In the thirty-seven days between the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and the start of the war, various people in various countries, for various reasons, made various decisions.  Good decisions, bad decisions. Smart motives, dumb motives. 

Historians have written big, complicated books examining these reason, motives and factors. They have studied in detail all the actions, thoughts and utterances of the players.  All very complicated it seems.

But really, it was simple. Three decisions, by Germany, pushed the world over the precipice, and into the abyss. Just three.

Let’s start with the third decision:  Germany invaded Belgium and France. This unprovoked invasion was unacceptable.  It was a big thing.  If Germany got away with it, Germany would have dominated Europe,  carved it up, looted the continent. That was not on.

And do not underestimate the big importance of little Belgium. Belgium’s neutrality had been guaranteed by treaty amongst the great powers. Treating that treaty as a mere scrap of paper caused a moral outrage not easily understood today.

That double invasion is why Britain and its empire, bit the bullet and declared war on Germany. It is why other countries fought. It is why James Martin, and the others, joined up.

Now, go back, just a little, to the other two reasons. In response to the murder of the Archduke, the Austrians wanted to punish Serbia, the country they blamed. But as that could easily lead to war with Russia, the Austrians turned to Germany for support. 

The German government gave them unconditional support. Unconditional. That was the infamous blank cheque. Yet the Germans knew full well that it could so easily lead to a big war. How utterly irresponsible.  How criminally incompetent. So that was the first German decision:  the blank cheque.

Also, senior men in the German army and government wanted a war with Russia. Russia was growing fast. In a very few years, perhaps even by 1916, Russia would be militarily stronger than Germany.

Thus the Germans thought, strike now, smash Russia, while Germany still could. That was the second decision.

The point of invading France, via Belgium, was to knock out Russia’s ally, France, in forty days and then turn east and defeat Russia. That plan, the Schlieffen plan, did not last five minutes in practice.

Consequently

Consequently, we got World War I. Consequently, somewhere between eight and nine million men in uniform died, a third, or more, of the current population of Australia. Civilians died too. Starvation and disease took everyone from babies to old people.  All up, up to nineteen million soldiers and civilians died.

Grief

So many families suffered so much grief, so much pain.  Imagine how James Martin’s family must have felt at the loss of their beloved son.  His mother’s hair went white overnight. And all the the women, the wives. So many young wives faced fifty, or even sixty, years of bleak widowhood, sometimes without even the consolation of children.

All this because the rulers of Germany made the three decisions they did.

People put up with casualties and grief because they understood it was a Just War, a war for good reason. Germany had to be stopped. 

In vain?

These soldiers who died, were their lives wasted?  Yes, their lives were wasted. Did they die in vain? No. They fought the good fight. They were heroes. James Martin was a hero. 

Young James Martin shall grow not old,        as we that are left grow old;

    Age shall not weary him,                             nor the years condemn.

        At the going down of the sun                   and in the morning

            We will remember him.