Editing Saunders Lewis (section)

==First World War==
When the [[World War I|First World War]] broke out, an idealistic Lewis, feeling inspired by the [[Aestheticism|Aesthete philosophy]] of Walter Pater to, "savour this experience of life-energy at the utmost", enlisted in the 3rd Battalion, [[King's Liverpool Regiment]] on 4 September 1914. [[British Army]] records describe Lewis at the time as five-feet and three inches in height, weighing just over seven and a half stone, and as having red hair and grey eyes.<ref> Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 89.</ref>

In April 1915, Lewis applied for a commission with the [[South Wales Borderers]] and was promoted to [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|full lieutenant]] in February 1916. The following summer, he was deployed to [[active service]] on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref> Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 89.</ref>

During the war, Lewis read the [[trilogy]] of novels ''[[The Cult of the Self]]'' (French: ''Le Culte du moi'') by the French writer [[Maurice Barrès]]. Barrès, a [[French nationalist]], had called since the 1890s, alongside [[Paul Claudel]] and [[Paul Bourget]], for, "a 'return' to national values and traditions."<ref> Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 106.</ref> This volume heavily influenced Lewis' growing sense of his own Welsh identity and belief in the vital importance of [[cultural nationalism]].<ref name="Alien Face"/> 

Furthermore, according to Jelle Krol, Lewis, was amazed to see how his own father's recent words of advice were echoed by Barrès, who wrote, "the only way to cultivate your personality as an artist and to develop your own resources, is to go back to your roots".<ref> Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 105.</ref> Lewis accordingly, "discovered the importance of his Welsh roots during his service in France."<ref name="Jelle Krol 2020 Page 75">Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 75.</ref>

In April 1917, Lewis was severely [[wounded in action]] in the left leg and thigh near [[Gonnelieu]], with, "the calf of the leg nearly blown away",<ref> Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 89.</ref> as part of the [[Battle of Cambrai (1917)|Battle of Cambrai]].<ref name="Alien Face">{{Cite episode |title=Saunders Lewis: Alien Face In The Mirror |series=Writing On The Line  |first=Gwyn A. |last=Williams |author-link=Gwyn A. Williams |network=[[Channel 4]] |date=1993}}</ref> Afterwards, Lewis needed more than a year to convalesce, during which his younger brother, Ludwig Lewis, was [[killed in action]] on 7 July 1917. Although Lewis desperately wanted to visit and help comfort their grieving father at [[Swansea]], his own battlefield injuries were still far too severe to permit him to travel.<ref> Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 89.</ref>

In a 23 July 1918 letter to ''[[The Cambria Daily Leader]]'', Lewis, as he would do for the remainder of his life, explained why he felt [[cultural nationalism]] needed to precede political [[decolonisation]], "In Wales, if we gave ourselves less to party politics and more to the development of our own education and culture, we should make Wales more fitted to have an [[self-determination|independent life]] of her own under [[Welsh devolution|Home Rule]]. And Home Rule, before we have a real national spirit, would mean simply that the [[Senedd|Welsh Parliament]] would be an enlarged County Council."<ref> Jelle Krol (2020), ''Minority Language Writers in the Wake of World War One: A Case Study of Four European Authors'', Palgrave. Page 107.</ref>