World War I was described as “the war to end all wars.” The conflict, which cost the lives of an estimated nine million soldiers and seven million civilians, ended on Nov. 11, 1918.  Dr. James Galt-Brown will examine “The Great War” in an Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College lecture on Nov. 19 titled “Lasting Impacts: 100 Years After WWI.”  

The 7 p.m. lecture in Howard Auditorium on the ABAC campus is a part of the new ABAC History Lecture Series which began in September when Dr. Jess Usher addressed “An Examination of American Immigration History.”

Galt-Brown said the ABAC History Lecture Series touches on how the events and decisions of the past resonate in every aspect of our lives.  Each event in the series is open to the public at no charge.

“This series explores issues both past and present and how those issues affect us each day,” Galt-Brown, a professor of history in the School of Arts and Sciences, said.

The timing of Galt-Brown’s address almost coincides with Armistice Day, which signaled the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.  November 11 is recognized each year as Veterans Day.

“We have arrived at the Centennial of World War I, a conflict so incredibly destructive that it remains difficult to comprehend,” Galt-Brown said.  “The enormity of World War I was such that it often masks its own aftermath.

“This lecture will examine some of those consequences on the proposition that World War I served as a foundation for much of the modern world in ways both obvious and obscure.”

Two other lectures in the series include Dr. Hans Schmeisser on “Henry Clay and the Making of America” on Feb. 28, 2019, and Dr. Wendy Harrison on “The Georgia Chautauqua in Albany” on March 12, 2019.