The current conflict in Ukraine frequently elicits parallels with the first world war. It’s a comparison being made by politicians, journalists, analysts and military personnel.
Coverage over the past winter months, for example, has focused on how Ukrainians are fighting in WWI-like muddy trenches in Bakhmut, while Russia suffers almost WWI levels of casualties.
It’s no surprise that commentators turn to these comparisons. The return of war in all its destructive might to Europe has awoken western society’s cultural memory of war on this scale. Unfortunately, these comparisons are often unhelpful.
