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The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 made war illegal and was signed by most developed countries, but had no way to enforce it. World War II began only 11 years later. War follies include the introduction of motorized ambulances during WWI and unexploded bombs still found in Germany.
Hope may be “the thing with the feathers,” according to poet Emily Dickinson, but when it comes to war, hope remains entrenched. Consider the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928. Created in the aftermath of the worst fighting the world had ever seen – World War I – the international agreement was to be a vow by its signatories never to wage war again and to pledge in battle only an act of self-defense. In fact, the document made war illegal, and over time, almost all developed countries signed it. But there was no way to enforce the accord or truly define the limits of “self-defense,” and before long, minor incidents around the world made it clear that the accord had no teeth. World War II began only 11 years later in 1939.
War follies:
Motorized ambulances were introduced during World War I to help wounded soldiers; one of the first pilots was Walt Disney.
More than 70 years after the end of World War II, at least 2,000 tons of unexploded bombs are still found in Germany every year.
More American soldiers died from the “Spanish” flu during World War I than were killed on the battlefield.
