It commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I.
The world, or at least the governing classes, salute the dead. But it was those same classes that sent those young men to their death.
In both the Russia Federation and the United States of America President Vladimir Putin and President-Elect Donald Trump have strong support from their respective electorates.
Both men are considered 'strong men', leaders, who will return their countries to their 'rightful places' in the world.
Both Putin and Trump believe in strengthening their military forces, indeed, that is part of the reason why they are both so popular in their own countries.
Will the children of those now shouting for strong armies be mourning the dead of another generation?
The wearing of the Poppy? It brings no soldiers back to life and doesn't seem to turn our backs on war. Or does it?
Exactly 24 years later to the day, November 11, 1942 the German Sixth Army reached the Volga at Stalingrad. In Germany, Hitler announced that the city was almost in German hands.
Eight days later Soviet generals Zhukov, Voronov and Vasilevsky launched an offensive against the Germans.
The German high command urged Hitler to allow Paulus and his forces to break out of the encirclement and rejoin the main German forces west of the city, but Hitler would not allow a retreat from the Volga and ordered Paulus to “stand and fight".
In that war 60 million people lost their lives of whom approximately 26 million were Soviet citizens.
More madness. More badness.
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