Britain and the First World War

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Vikash Sharma

Depth Study E Britain and the First World War

1)

                The headline in Source A reads, “The day goes well for our patriotic heroes”, this tries to boost morale amongst the British public by putting across the idea that the first day of the Battle Of The Somme went well, when infact it did not go according to plan at all. The British severed heavy causalities on the first day and did not really gain much land, this headline is trying to cover up that fact and make everyone back home think that the British were successful. The cartoon also conveys a positive message towards what happened in the Somme. It shows a fist labelled The British Army punching the nose of the German Kaiser (Wilhelm II). This image has the backdrop of the Somme and the western front. The cartoonist is trying to show that the strength of the British army has obliterated the Germans and left them in a pool of blood. This however was not the case because on the first day, power was pretty much equal-as well as the cartoon; this headline is also trying to disguise the fact and instead boosting morale back home. Also the cartoonist has drawn the fist representing the British army extremely larger than a normal sized one, this emphasises the size and strength of the British compared to the German face, which looks terrified of the fist and surprised and shocked of the move and the power. The final message is of the British’s success on the first day, and the writers are using this idea to boost morale amongst the British public.

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3)

                Source H is a description of the first day at the battle of the Somme by a former soldier who took part in it. It was written 55 yrs after the battle in which he has had time to reflect on it and therefore, it is quite reliable as he has also had first hand experience. There is a slight chance of the time gap making this source unreliable as he might of forgotten about the details of the event, but this is unlikely as the realities of war would of not escaped his mind. Source I ...

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