Sir, – It was surprising that Paul Gillespie ("1916 was the start of a century of Ireland's influence on British imperial history", World View, March 26th) did not discuss the key global geopolitical event of 1916 – the battle of Verdun.
This brutal 10-month stand-off has emblematic importance for France, Germany and Europe, as it represents to many an existential battle between republican democracy and expansionist autocracy.
Such was the danger to the French republic in 1916 that the Franco-British assault at the Somme was brought forward by several months, partly to divert German resources away from Verdun.
Not only were approximately 800,000 people killed at Verdun, but the psychological effect on the two countries affects pan-European relations to this day. Paul Gillespie mentioned the “emergence of smaller European democracies”, but without reference to the military and diplomatic processes that enabled this. National self-determination was an underlying theme of the peace treaties. But the extent to which Irish republicanism influenced thinking about this at the time isn’t a subject that your columnist thought useful to discuss either. – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN EVANS,
Walferdange,
Luxembourg.