Oh! What a Lovely War - Belgium put the kaibosh on the Kaiser

Belgium put the kibosh on the Kaiser,
Europe took a stick and made him sore,
On his throne it hurts to sit,
And when John Bull starts to hit,
He will never sit upon it any more....

[@TheTeej08]

Oh! what a lovely War. Studied it in A-Level English. It quickly became my favourite play.

[@MrDaiseymay]

ONE OF THE MOST IMAGINATIVE INTERPRETATIONS OF A SONG, IN THE WHOLE BRILLIANT FILM.

[@XxDrBenzedrinexX]

OMG! My school did this for our production :) I played the Kaiser :D

[@MrDaiseymay]

DID YOU ABDICATE ?

[@PonteFractus]

Glad this important part of our history is being kept alive in schools. Good luck with the play. :-)

[@SarahLeia]

We put on 'War' for our play - the last performance was just yesterday. I find that this is the only song I miss hearing from the wings. I wasn't actually in this scene but I loved hearing it.

[@JoshawottNerdsOut]

This is my set text for my A-Level Drama. And this song is my favourite song from the play. Right now I'm revising for a mock exam on it tomorrow...trying to get as much info on Sir Haig as I can xD.

[@didifire6shotsor7]

sooo wanted to do this for our production. such a great song! but i got to sing "keep the home fires burning", so i can live with it i guess ;P

[@SuperJUPP1]

I saw this film on its' release. This is one of the best scenes , and so symbolic. What more is there to say?

[@MrDaiseymay]

BUY THE DVD

[@RudyCrespi]

Are French soldiers (Cavalry),not Belgians.

[@ffscantfindausername]

I did this play at school I loved it

[@missbabyice]

Directing concept for Oh What A Lovely War? I want to steer away from the dated agitprop (war is bad- I don't need a play telling me that) and present it as more of a nostalgia shattered and people forced to perform in a world they can't comprehend- an arena which highlights the divisions. What would you think of a production like that? It's just that there is no obvious dramatic driving force and the agit-prop irony makes the play drag on and sound too bitter.

[@radicalgoodspeed16]

Jean-Pierre Cassel has got some singing chops

[@MrDaiseymay]

MAY HE R.I.P.

[@dysonshowtime]

strange how everyone I can see commenting on this is learning it at school (including me). seems that nobody has looked at this because they watched it out of their own free will...

[@x42brown]

@monkeytypistAll the people in the scene are meant to be French. The uniforms are all French as are the Ladies outfits. The song has to do with the complex system of alliances that brought countries into that war. Before Germany attacked Belgium France was facing Germany close to alone. The attack committed Britain and through them The Empire, Russia and Japan. Hence Belgium put the kibosh on the Kaiser by bringing France a pile of allies giving rise to a false optimism.

[@MrDaiseymay]

BUT A SUBSTANTIAL ENDING

[@PonteFractus]

That's correct mgarmais, the song is about the start of WW1 in the west which started when Belgium 'kaiboshed' the Kaisers plans.

[@MrDaiseymay]

THEY HELD THE LINE TILL THE FRENCH AND BRITISH ARRIVED

[@jonjamg]

Jean-Pierre Cassel

[@Finglesham]

I left school 48 years ago and am looking at it! my unlce died in this bloodbath

[@PonteFractus]

No, I'm from Leeds just exiled in Ponte! :-)

[@SarahLeia]

As 'Third Man', did you say, "Watch it! I said, watch it!"?

[@pjhill3400]

Saw it too on a high school trip. Made no impact at the time. Took a while for it sink it.

[@edwardianeccentric]

Yup, the idea was when Germany invaded Belgium and forced Britain, who had a treaty with Belgium into the war she was doomed, facing both Britain and France at the same time. Didn't quite turn out like that...

[@MrDaiseymay]

YERBUT, THEY MADE THE MORTAL MISTAKE, IN BOTH WARS, FIGHTING ON TWO FRONTS

[@edwardianeccentric]

@@MrDaiseymay tbf they lost six months after the Eastern Front campaign ended with Russia’s exit from the war. But you’re right, three and a half years of two fronts ground them down.

[@monkeytypist]

@Chriseycarlyeah324 i have to say i'm suspicious of the 1st point. Why would the French sing about how great the British Empire was? And indeed the British joined the war because of Belgium - which is why I don't understand why a Frenchman (as opposed to a Belgian) sings it.

[@HoundogAlex]

@x42brown almost right except Russia was already in. Britain Brought in her Empire and Japan post the German invasion of Belgium which all the powers declared to protect when she gained indepnedece from the Netherlands in the 1830's.

[@JTWilliams74]

Heh, right... how was that Schlieffen plan?

[@PonteFractus]

I think the good citizens of Ponte asked for the castle to be dismantled after the civil war 'cos they were sick of been besieged, tho' I could be wrong. :-) I had a mate called Adam who moved to Lancaster from Ponte, it's not you is it?

[@SuperJUPP1]

Does anyone know who the lead is in this scene ?

[@tobz5050]

@Finglesham Sorry about that.

[@cardiffbear]

he was also in monte carlo or bust

[@monkeytypist]

@Chriseycarlyeah324 I know, I know how important the BEF was. And I know many Belgians speak French. But they don't wave French flags - that's like saying that people from the UK should wave American flags because they both speak English. I still don't understand why the movie has a frenchman singing the song.

[@MrDaiseymay]

ASK DICKIE ATTENBOROUGH

[@monkeytypist]

@@MrDaiseymay well he's not going to answer me now is he? He should have popped in here 12 years ago when I wrote the comment.

[@HoundogAlex]

@x42brown except Russia was already in.

[@monkeytypist]

Why is it a French flag rather than Belgian?

[@pauldhoff]

I didn't make thru the movie. I just wanted to die.

[@maarsyDTH]

song about belgium ... he carrys a french flagg

[@MrDaiseymay]

HE MENTIONS LOTS OF COUNTRYS, LOOSEN UP BOTHE WORLD WARS, IN THE WEST, WERE FOUGHT ON FRENCH SOIL

[@Kejsaren]

Plot Twist: All people dancing at their shallow dishonorable victory end up dying at the hands of the greater German Wehrmacht, or in the Blitz.

[@jamiehumphreys7828]

Kejsaren in the song or in general?

[@Kejsaren]

Jamie Humphreys Probably both. If they're dancing about like fools at the cost of the suffering of people they indirectly screwed over, then they deserved such a fate.

[@pelinalwhitestrake5682]

'Dishonourable'

[@jcfailgamer7157]

Would Germany like a 3rd go, shall I change the chant to 3 world wars and one world cup now, or later?

[@lazypoo6117]

*Germany:* (joins an ally in an offensive war, proceeds to bitch because the opposing alliance also applies) *Britain:* "don't invade Belgium or we'll fight you" *Germany:* (invades Belgium anyway) *Britain:* (declares war) *Germany:* (Loses the war because of Belgian resistance and the British Blockade) *Germany:* "This is a shallow and dishonorable victory" Germany acted like an asshat and lost the war because of it. If anyone was dishonourable it was them. Imagine being as much of a bitch as this guy. Cry more you big Bavarian baby, and tell us all about how great Germany was in the other war they started and lost.

[@TylerMaple3009]

Germany > Belgians

[@monkeytypist]

Why is it a French flag rather than Belgian?

[@mylesag2]

Jean-Pierre Cassel

[@MrDaiseymay]

R.i.p