Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Centennial Commemoration Lecture Series

 

The Tomb and the World: The International Significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Written and presented by Dr. Jenifer Van Vleck, Contract Historian, Arlington National Cemetery


This episode examines the international history and significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from 1921 to today. The American Tomb was inspired by the examples of Great Britain and France, and other nations subsequently created their own tombs, resulting in a shared international culture of mourning and memory. Placing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in this global context offers fresh perspectives on this century-old national shrine.

Listen Here: The Tomb and the World: The International Significance of the Tomb

Dr. Jenifer Van Vleck is a contract historian and writer at Arlington National Cemetery. She earned her Ph.D. in History from Yale University, and she specializes in 20th-century American history and the history of U.S. foreign relations. Her first book, Empire of the Air: Aviation and the American Ascendancy, was published by Harvard University Press in 2013.  


1. Britain Dean and Chapel of Westminster

An estimated 1.5 million people paid their respects at the Unknown Warrior’s grave, at Westminster Abbey in London, in November 1920. (Dean and Chapel of Westminster) 


2. France BnF ANCHRC compressed

The French tomb at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, after the “flame of remembrance” was added in 1923. (Bibliothèque nationale de France)


French crowds watch the Unknown Soldier’s procession through Châlons-sur-Marne, October 24, 1921. The banner reads, “Glory to the Unknown American Hero.” (Bibliothèque nationale de France)


French Minister of Pensions André Maginot presents the Legion of Honor to the American Unknown in Le Havre, France, October 25, 1921. (National Archives)


Crowds watch as USS Olympia prepares to depart from Le Havre, France, October 25, 1921. (National Archives)


3. Portugal Batalha LOC crop

Portugal’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, created in 1921, at Batalha Monastery. (Library of Congress)


Italy’s Tomb, also built in 1921, at the Victor Emmanuel II Monument in Rome. (Library of Congress)


Belgium’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Congress Column in Brussels, dedicated in 1922. (National Archives)

 


11. Australia U.S. Navy

The Secretary of the Navy lays a wreath at Australia’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Canberra, April 1, 2012. (U.S. Navy)


12. South Korean President Moon Jae-in

President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea lays a wreath at the Tomb, May 20, 2021. (U.S. Army/Liz Fraser)