A l’Est, la guerre sans fin. 1918-1923

There has been a lot of talk recently about war, in a Surrealist atmosphere, in which the celebration of the end of a deadly conflict was above all an opportunity to exchange belligerent accusations. We only hope that the frightening proverb, according to which those who have forgotten history are condemned to repeat it, will not come true. But we can’t ignore that the knowledge of these facts is very superficial for some of our leaders. This catalogue, which accompanies an exhibition at the musée de l’Armée until 20 January, gives us the opportunity to plunge back into a less mediatized scene, that of Eastern Europe. We have forgotten realities such as Fiume or Dantzig, dreadful images – the famine in the Volga in 1921, persons with thick moustaches (Hamelin, Franchet d’Esperey), declarations and treaties- that come out of the shadows. But we also see the flames of Polish hussars, diaries of marches, Adrian helmets, stamps of the Red Cross, and excellent maps that allow us to define fragile frontiers, in particular in our memories.

• A l’Est, la guerre sans fin. 1918-1923, Gallimard / Musée de l’Armée, 320 p., €29.