British Contemporary Memory of the First World War

In British modern memory the Western Front of 1914-18 has been widely accepted as a symbol for tragedy and suffering. This had a profound

effect on the ways in which the First World War has been remembered, and Britain’s memory of the conflict has always been contentious. However, as we

enter the centenary period there are signs that Britain’s contemporary memory of the First World War is beginning to change. At the turn of the millennium it was asserted that in British modern memory the First World War was a ‘forgotten victory’, and that there are two Western Fronts: the Western Front

of literature and popular culture and the Western Front of history.1 However, in 2014 these views do not reflect the multiplicity of ways in which the nation is commemorating the centenary of the conflict 2014-2018. Indeed, the centenary commemorations provide an ideal opportunity to reassess how the First

World War is remembered in contemporary Britain. This article will outline some of the main developments at the start of Britain’s centenary commemorations, and explore how elements of the war are being re-represented and re-remembered in contemporary Britain.