Seventeen million people around the world lost their lives in

In the wake of conflict, when the dust settles and the cries of battle fade into silence, there remains an indelible scar upon the earth, one that cannot be erased by time. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in his somber reflection, reminds us of the horrific toll the First World War took on the world, stating, “Seventeen million people around the world lost their lives in the First World War, countless suffered and were marred for life.” These words carry the weight of a profound truth, one that echoes through the corridors of history and into the very core of our humanity. The Great War, as it was known, did not simply claim lives; it left in its wake generations marked by loss, trauma, and the haunting memory of destruction.

When we think of war, we often focus on the glory of victory or the bitterness of defeat, but the true cost of war is measured in the lives torn apart, in the spirits crushed, and in the future forever changed. Seventeen million lives—a staggering number, too vast to fully comprehend, yet the pain of each individual lost is felt in the hearts of those who remain. Imagine the loss of sons, fathers, and brothers, all taken by the machines of war—the weapons of death that scarred not only the bodies of soldiers but the very fabric of society. The trenches of Europe, where so many perished, became graves for dreams, for futures, for hope itself.

But the suffering did not end with the fall of the final soldier. The wounded, those who returned from the battlefields of France and Belgium, carried with them more than just physical scars. Their minds and souls were broken, ravaged by what they had witnessed and endured. The war left behind a generation haunted by the echoes of battle, by the guilt of survival, and by the ever-present shadows of shell shock and mental trauma. In the ancient world, wars too left scars on their survivors, but the First World War was a new kind of destruction—one that extended far beyond the battlefield and deeply into the psychological fabric of humanity. The battle was not just against armies, but against the mind itself, as soldiers were left to face a world forever altered.

The horrors of this war are best understood when we look at the example of Wilfred Owen, a poet who fought in the trenches of the Western Front and captured the raw agony of war in his words. In his haunting poem “Dulce et Decorum Est,” Owen paints a visceral picture of the suffering and the mental anguish of soldiers, urging the world to see the true cost of war. His words, "If in some smothering dreams you too could pace / Behind the wagon that we flung him in," speak not only of physical death but of the moral death that comes from witnessing the brutality of war. Owen’s words remind us that the true scars of war are not just seen in the body, but in the soul.

Steinmeier’s reminder of the staggering loss and suffering caused by the First World War calls us to understand the cycle of violence that war perpetuates. The Great War did not begin in a vacuum; it was the culmination of decades of political tensions, nationalistic ambitions, and military posturing. Yet, as is always the case with war, the true price is paid not by the leaders who decide to engage in it, but by the innocent—the civilians, the soldiers, and the families who bear the weight of their decisions. The aftermath of the war did not simply leave behind the survivors—it left behind a legacy of hatred, distrust, and division, sowing the seeds for further conflict in the years that would follow.

The lesson here is one that transcends the past and calls to us in the present: war is a force of destruction that touches every life, whether directly or indirectly. Victory in war is hollow, for it is always paid for by the blood of the innocent and the sacrifice of the vulnerable. Steinmeier’s reflection urges us to consider the human cost of our actions, to reflect on the long-term consequences of violence and the path of destruction it leaves in its wake. In our own lives, we too must confront the cost of conflict—not only the physical toll it takes but the psychological and emotional wounds that linger long after the fighting has ceased.

In this light, our task is not simply to mourn the lost lives of the past but to ensure that such suffering is not repeated. We must strive for peace, for understanding, and for the healing of those who are wounded, both in body and mind. Just as the ancient warriors sought to restore peace after conflict, we must seek to create a world where the terrible price of war is no longer a necessary sacrifice. Let us carry with us the memory of the seventeen million lives lost, and let that memory serve as a beacon guiding us toward a future of compassion, unity, and lasting peace.