Aftermath

The War’s Aftermath

One of the most vital themes of any war is it’s ending, and more than anything the constant steps a nation takes towards commemorating, honoring, and remembering all who fought in the conflict. Even weeks after the First World War ended, Americans were already moving to erect memorials to the soldiers who lost their lives in Europe, as well as reaching out to the families of those same men. Along with ideas of commemoration came also a sense of paranoia and caution geared towards America’s enemies—in particular, Germany. Posters, propaganda, and even published writings instantly surfaced in order to keep Americans on guard for potential threats in the near future, merely moments after this great conflict met its end. In this part of the exhibit the audience will find examples of different items meant to both honor America’s soldiers, as well as strees the importance of never letting the enemy out of sight. Items included will be death certificates sent to families, images of memorials, and different depictions of the enemy after the war.