It's late afternoon on the last day of peace, August 4, 1914. The British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey is counting down the hours until 10pm when the British ultimatum to Germany expires. He has a friend with him. As he stands at the window, he sees the street lights being lit. Sensing the impending cataclysm, he makes this grim prediction.
‘The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.’
To mark the 100th anniversary, people in the UK are being asked to turn out their lights and leave a single candle or lamp lit from 10pm to 11pm (the exact anniversary, summertime was introduced during WWI). This national event is being coordinated by
Lights Out under sponsorship from the government's Department of Culture, Media and Sports.
There will be a service a Westminster Abbey where the congregation will extinguish candles gradually until the only flame will be on the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. At 11, that too will be snuffed out. Many organizations, local and national government buildings, art galleries, theaters and companies are to darken their buildings from 10 to 11. This is the National Theatre's Warhorse tribute.
1914-1919 was not the "war to end wars" as we know too well today. Instead it became the first industrialized war in which civilian populations were the deliberate target of aerial attacks. Yet on Sunday the Presidents of France and Germany embraced to symbolize the deep friendships between nations that can come out of conflict.