Political History

The presentation of the Pre-War, the depiction of trench warfare, and the space given to the AEF differ by location. Apparent in both museums, is a neutral position, although in differing manifestations.

Pre-War

The depiction of the Pre-War environment differed between France and the United States. 

 In France we learned about:

The resentment by France of the loss of Alsace-Lorraine in the Franco-Prussion War of 1870

The build-up of the military mindset in both France and Germany starting with young schoolboys

The alliance with Russia

The interrelated European society

The assassination in Sarajevo

The assassination of Jean Jaures

I did not see arms race, naval race, or the construction of the dreadnoughts.

General Boulanger - French Minister of War

French Imperial Map

Military training started in early in French schools.

German schoolboys

Celebration of the alliance between France and Russia

Queen Victoria with the inter-related heads of Europe.

The assassination of Jean Jaurés

      The war was presented as an inevitable chain of events unlike   the view of at least one historian, Margaret MacMillan, who thinks events could have been different (The War, xxix).

In Kansas City, the introductory movie A World on the Edge describes the set of circumstances prior to the war. The spread of Empire, the Naval race, the turmoil in the Baltic, the interrelationship of the European ruler's, Socialism and worker's unrest, the changes in society due to the Industrial Revolution and Nationalism are explained.

The first gallery repeats the Pre-War situation graphically on a background of the German, French and English capitals - Berlin, Paris and London. The gallery repeats the points in the movie to the benefit of those who bypass the movie. Again, the Arms Race, the heads of the European countries, Nationalism, the intertwining of European economics and Imperialism are depicted. An important artifact in this gallery is a copy of  Alfred Thayer Mahan's The Influence of Sea Power Upon History 1660-1783. Although a small note explained the significance of this work I would have liked a big arrow pointing to it labeled "THIS IS IMPORTANT!". 

Neither the movie or the first gallery mentions Alsace-Lorraine or the Franco-Prussian War. A docent confirmed that this topic is not included.

This informational sign at the WWI museum summarized the pre-war situation.

Trench War Fare

There was a decided difference in the presentation of the stalemate of the trenches. In Meaux, there was an elaborate reconstruction in the main gallery along with a side cave-like area. 

Reconstruction of trench section

Trench sleeping area with stove

Communication equipment in simulated underground 

In contrast the trench reconstruction in Kansas was in a side area visible through viewing openings:

View of trench reconstruction in Kansas City

This difference in presentation is clearly due to the difference between the European experience and the American experience.

Equality of Experience

As an American from the mid-west both museums present the war neutrally. The battles are described by the movements of the military lines and casualties, not in terms of victory and loss. In Meaux the civilian leaders of the countries are depicted side by side as are the military leaders.

In Kansas City a large board of numbers is an example of the museum's neutrality. 

In Kansas City the flags of all the nations were in the cafe, in contrast to the flags at the entrance to the Meaux museum, and, of course the U. S. flag was front and center

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Because there was so much to see and hear, the neutrality was not obvious at first. Not being familiar with military uniforms, or sad to say, international flags, it took some research to see that they were all represented. The Meaux museum used the three languages, French, German and English for informational signs, clearly intending to be neutral. Kansas City, on the other hand, stayed exclusively with English.