The Shanghai War Memorial and its politics of remembrance, 1918–1947

The end of the First World War triggered a global mourning movement in which Shanghai’s Allied communities were active participants. Central to this local response was the establishment of the Shanghai War Memorial, unveiled on 16 February 1924 at the intersection between the International Settlement and the French Concession. This article argues that the memorial functioned not merely as a site of mourning but as a dynamic nexus where global commemorative trends collided with the socio-political structure of the treaty port. By analysing the records regarding the memorial and the ceremonies conducted in its vicinity, this study examines how the work of commemoration was manufactured by various Allied agents and explores the role of the Chinese majority as unintended witnesses to these practices. It elucidates the multifaceted interpretations of the Great War within this treaty port environment from its establishment to its eventual removal.