world war 1 and collapse of empires

by jacethespace 8 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  jacethespace

  The tower has often used the information about world war 1 and how many empires that had existed for thousands of years collapsed during this war and that the map of europe was changed forever as evidence that their 1914 date is accurate.They also quote comments from people saying that morals, politcal, religious, finacial, fell apart during this time too and has been on a downslide ever since.

  Im intrested to see what people think of this information.And if they have anymore info concerning this. jacethespace.
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  oompa

  Jace: map of europe was changed forever as evidence that their 1914 date is accurate.They also quote comments from people saying that morals, politcal, religious, finacial, fell apart during this time too and has been on a downslide ever since.

  Jace, keep asking good questions like this. Are people more barbaric and immoral since 1914, or for the thousands of years before 1914? What does history show. Well, what did lots of peple do for entertainment during the first century of Christanity? I think thousands showed up for live shows in Rome (the center of culture) to watch people eaten alive by animals, and men hack each other to death with sharp weapons; and all we get today is Rugby ang Wrestling? During the same period of time, there were standard for how countries acted during war, these were Kill, Rape, Pillage, Plunder, and Enslave, today so called civilized countries go to great extremes to not even kill civillians and at least have some rules of conduct. By the way, shortly before 1914, the USA were also using the same old rules when taking the land from the American Indians.

  Keep your bull$hit dectector running at all times.......oompa
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  Hellrider

  how many empires that had existed for thousands of years collapsed during this war and that the map of europe was changed forever as evidence that their 1914 date is accurate

  This is a (very) naive historical analysis, typical of the Watchtower. Yes, Europe changed, but any historian can tell you that these changes were long overdue, and in many cases, a number of the "empires" (such as the Ottoman empire and Tsarist Russia) had already collapsed long before 1914. The outbreak of war was just the final deathblow to these nations. And either way, none of these "empires" had existed for thousands of years. Compare the changes taking place after WW1 with the changes resulting from WW2. The changes resulting from WW2 are far more dramatic than the changes after WW1.

  Now let me show you my analysis: The Watchtower is led by a bunch of old men, in many cases the children or grandchildren of the Bible Students who were alive back then in 1914, who saw with their own eyes these "dramatic" changes in the world. Of course, in a historical perspective, these changes weren`t very dramatic at all, but to anyone witnessing a dramatic event (such as a world war) - the event taking place much seem like "the end of the world" (or...the beginning of the "end of the world"). And so, they established all these ideas on the basis of the events taking place at that time, combined with peculiar interpretations of the Bible, tailor-made to fit the events of the world at that time. And so, today, the children and grandchildren of these people are still clinging to their ideas and expectations, refusing to acknowledge that their parents and grandparents were wrong in their expectations and beliefs! And now, these children and grandchildren of these original Bible Students are passing the insanity and the stubborn refusal to accept error in judgment, on to the next generation, expecting their respect, just as they themselves have respected their own parents and grandparents (although history has proved that they too were just full of shit)

  That picture of the young woman out in field service helping that living 90-year-old corpse still delivering the "important, life-saving message" at the doors, is just pathetic. It`s sad, but still, I`m loving it. It`s sad, but poetically sad. Clinging on to life and hope till the end, ha ha!
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  stillajwexelder

  Compare the changes taking place after WW1 with the changes resulting from WW2. The changes resulting from WW2 are far more dramatic than the changes after WW1.

  So as an example, before 1945 Europe and the Mediterranean was still the epicenter of the world as it had been for well over 2000 years. After WW2 (1945 not 1914) it indisputably moved to North America and Asia.

  After WW2 the Nuclear Age was ushered in and totally changed the ways wars are fought and not escalated.

  After 1914 nothing that much changed about Europe - it carried on pretty much the same as it had before. After 1945 Europe was broken and divided "From Stettin in the Baltic toTrieste in the Adraitic, an Iron Curtain has fallen across the continent."

  No question in my mind that 1945 was a more momentous year than 1914
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  Satanus

  The wt can't seem to see farther into history than 1914. Wars generally change maps. The greeks, genghis kan. Napoleon made huge cultural changes. The first and second ww's are merely the a couple more in the string. S
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  sir82

  After 1914 nothing that much changed about Europe

  Soviet Union replaces 300-year old Romanov empire

  Germanic empire replaced by Weimar Republic

  Ottoman empire dissolved

  Austro-Hungarian empire dissolved

  I agree that WW2 brought forth momentous changes....but don't short-change the effect of WW1.

  The Society's problem is not in describing monumental changes wrought by the war beginning in 1914, but in making the statement that those changes were the most significant in all of history, that all other changes before & after pale in comparison. 1914 was one of numerous dates where history made a radical shift in direction.
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  Sad emo

  A lot of the Middle East problems started from WW1 as well - Balfour Treaty, redrawing of national borders and creation of artificial states.
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  JeffT

  Throughout history a number or European countries changed borders the way most of us change our socks. A couple of major participants in WWI (Germany, Italy) didn't exist 100 years earlier. The WTBS' position on this is absurd. Sure a lot changed in 1914, but a lot changes all the time.
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  5go

  A lot of historians would disagre on WW2 impact being greater than WW1. WW1 you had age old empires that fell, and yes some weak before hand though the war directly lead to their falling in the case of Russia there is no debate if WW1 had not happen the Romanov dynasty would still be in power. Also, more and more historians are starting to consider them both the same war with just a pause in between. Which is the view I hold on the matter.