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Author’sPreface
Weknowmoreorlessallthereistoknowaboutthewaythehos-
tilitiesofthe1914-1918wardeveloped.What’sstillleftobecleared
uparejustafewdetailswhichwillnothavemuchofaneńectonthe
generalpictureofthearmedconflict.Atthemostthey’llhelptonu-
ancethechronicleofthewar.Ofcourse,wewon’tmanagetoexplain
orsortoutalltheproblems.Wecertainlywon’teverbeabletoestab-
lishtheprecisefiguresforlossessustainedbythebelligerentsinpar-
ticularclashesandbattles.Terewilljustbeestimates.Ontheother
hand,betterprospectsforresearchareopeningupforhistoriansin-
terestedinthesoldiers’predicament,inwhatwasgoingonbehindthe
frontlines,intherolecivilians,communities,andnationsplayedin
thewar,inthewareconomiesandeverydaylife,orintheroleofthe
womenwhomadeanenergeticentryintoauman’s”story.Itwillbe
worthwhiletostudythestoriesofindividualsoldiersandwhatthey
suńered,ofheroismandtreachery,ofpeoplelosingandrecovering
theirfaithinGod,ofstrugglingtosurviveandgrowingaccustomed
todeath.Anareawhichońerspromisinghorizonsforresearchishis-
toricalanthropology,whichhasthecognitiveinstrumentsneededto
embarkonnewpathsofstudyandtheeńectiveverificationofwhat
hasbeenaccomplishedhitherto.Anotheropportunitytoenhance
ourknowledgeoftheGreatWararethecasestudiesbeingconducted
inmanyoftheworld’sacademiccentres,examiningtheinsidestory
ofthewarfromthepointofviewofitsrank-and-fileparticipants.
Yetanotherprospectiveareaforstudyaretheattemptstoclassifythe
dińerenttypesofarmedconflict.Inaword,researchonthefabricof
thewaranditsparticipantsońersthechanceforprogressontheway
toaglobalunderstandingofthenatureandessenceoftheGreatWar.
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