THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY I came up to in 1917 was a shadow of her normal, self-assured self, its population a tenth of that in 1914 before the war, a number lower even than in the years following the Black Death.
The Oxford University described in 1917 was significantly diminished compared to its usual self. The student population had plummeted to only a tenth of what it was in 1914, reflecting the dire impact of World War I on education and society. The numbers were even lower than those seen in the aftermath of historical plagues like the Black Death, indicating a profound transformation in the university's vibrancy and spirit.
This stark...