Most believed it would be “over by Christmas” a “brief cleansing war” which for some would settle old scores, restore the balance of power in Europe or create a new world order.
Some saw it coming arguing that the imperial tensions between the great powers and the arms race which had existed from the start of the century made war if not inevitable then certainly a darned near certainty.
Sarajevo might have been a spark but the logic of an arms race is that one side will at some point decide that their advantage in weapons and men can’t last and a pre-emptive strike is the best option.
And of course the set of alliances that the Great Powers locked themselves into left little room for manoeuvre which was not helped by the deadly routine of train timetables which meant if troops had to be mobilized it had to be done to a set plan but which alerted your enemies to your intentions.
The causes will continue to be debated and now as we enter the centenary of the outbreak of war there will be the opportunity to see its impact on the ordinary men and women who were caught up and carried along by it.
The first opened in Southport on July 28 and the second will be opening today at the Oldham Archives, Union Street, Oldham.
The strength of David’s material is that much of it is the ephemera of war, including porcelain tanks meant for the mantelpiece, letters and postcards from the men and women at the Front and the medals and official communications from the War Office.
All of which gives a sense of how people coped, like Mrs Davidson of Hulme whose husband was killed in the last few months of the war and whose collection of letters cards and much more David has carefully looked after.
**The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport from July 28 and Oldham Archives, Union Street, Oldham, from August 4
Pictures and memorabilia; from the collection of David Harrop
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