“The bluest blood of Germany, England and France has been poured out in battle. So great has been the loss in British officers in particular, that quite a number of heirs of great wealth among them have passed their entailed fortunes on to babies. Germany has had to give of her foremost families of the ancient nobility, of high government officials who were serving as volunteers or reservists, of college professors, authors, scientists, newspapermen, actors, artists, musical virtuosi, sportsmen and other prominent men of business or public life. A similar loss has been borne by France, Austria, Hungary, England, Russia and all other belligerent countries.”
“Death’s harvest among champions in the athletic and sporting world has been sweeping. It includes names known to the followers of tennis, golf, polo, horse racing, pugilism, rowing, running and track events.”
Click here to read a 1916 VANITY FAIR article about how the war had affected the British upper class in particular.
Click here to read a 1919 article about how the European aristocracy was faring at the end of the war.
