An article appears in the New York Times archive, titled "Guns to Stop Laughing" and dated January 7, 1914, just over 100 years ago this week, related to the Zabern (Saverne) Affair, a conflict that arose in Alsace-Lorraine, between a Prussian military unit and the local population. The conflict was initially over a second lieutenant's use of an ethnic slur to refer to Alsatians. It then escalated. False arrests ensued, as well as highhandedness and oversensitivity on the part of the military: "Col. von Reuter in court twice admitted that he had machine guns brought out from the barracks into the streets of Zabern in readiness for use against the citizens." The Zabern Affair sparked protests against militarism around Germany.
References:
1. This article at Mental Floss is a nice summary of the Zabern Affair, in social and historical context. It also reprints a contemporary political cartoon.
2. The Wikipedia entry is detailed and includes a photo purported to be of Prussian soldiers on the streets of Zabern in December of 1913. In the photo, the soldiers seem to be in good spirits. They are accompanied by a boy, who also seems to be in good spirits. To the left, a dog can be seen trotting away from camera, in the opposite direction of the soldiers and the boy. (Who are all of you? What were your lives like? What did you hope for? What did you dream about?)
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