The most famous fakes the First World War

• The most famous fakie on World War I

It is no secret that one of the important tools of war is propaganda. Thousands of leaflets, which showered each other opposing sides during the First and Second World Wars, the exaltation of his victories and frank exaggeration losses enemies tales of inhuman cruelty (albeit had by a kind of foundation) of the enemy - all these methods were widely used during all conflicts XX century. But the rank of real art fakes built them, perhaps the British.

The torture of Canadian officer

Under this name in May 1915 published an article in The Times, tells the story of the Battle of Ypres. More precisely, a single case, which allegedly took place during the battle. Subsequently, he often "chew over" by the British press and has gained a lot of details (sometimes quite ridiculous and implausible).

According to an article in the German cavalry battle iprskogo were captured an officer and two soldiers of the Canadian Corps. In the ensuing torture prisoners crucified either in a tree, or on the fence of the church, just as it did with Jesus and the robbers in the biblical tradition. Witnessed the incident were allegedly soldiers of the Royal Dublin Regiment. Speech newspaper had a huge impact, and after a few days was discussed in the House of Commons.

Its effect in case upstaged news about sunk by a few days before the "RMS Lusitania" 1200 dead passengers. The British government immediately took the story of the crucifixion on arms, and even find out after a while the fact that it's just a fake, absolutely no one is confused.

Other fakie and consequences

"Torture is a Canadian officer," reprinted by the British media in a variety of variations and interpretations. Thus, the British tried to persuade its soldiers that they are waging a just struggle against the monsters, and drag in the US war. That is why since 1915 the history of the alleged atrocities at the front all the worse became part of Germany.

Frequently told that German soldiers captured using women and children as human shields, although no official evidence of similar cases in the First World no fronts. But the cases of looting and rape took place - though British newspapers invariably represented as victims of innocent nuns. A pinnacle feykovye stories are stories that in Germany the bodies of soldiers and prisoners of war are processed to feed the pigs.

For explanation of the story of the crucified Canadian officer in 1918, the British sculptor Francis Derwent Wood created a monument to "the Canadian Calvary." The work has been exhibited in London, but the German side came out with the requirement either to remove the monument or to provide convincing evidence of the episode. Soon, the monument was dismantled.