The White Feather Campaign.

Both sources show the campaign worked because in Source B the title of it is, ‘William Brooks, talking about why he joined up in 1915.’  Source E states: ‘I went to the recruiting office…I was in!’  The campaign was successful because it humiliated the men who had not yet joined, source E says, ‘Oh, I did feel dreadful, so ashamed.’  It made the man feel selfish, lazy, and guilty - it had a big impact on their conscience.

3.  Source C gives the idea of life in the trenches was that the atmosphere was laid back, relax and that there was lots of spare time to do things like smoke cigarettes.  It gives the impression that life is clean because the uniforms are immaculate.  The soldiers are happy and joking with each other making it seem like a clean and enjoyable event.  Source C shows that it is a sunny day and there are no dead corpses or barbwire, in fact it seems like it is not a war they are participating in at all.  The only proof that suggests there is a war occurring is that there is a gun in the distance behind them.  The war does not seem serious as they are hanging out of their trenches; their guns not prepared to fire and no sign of wounds and are wearing soft hats when they would have worn hard helmets, whereas if they were in a real war they would have been killed by then.  This is completely different to source D, the trenches are very cramped, disgustingly dirty with dead bodies in it and clutter in them.  The soldiers are wearing hard helmets, hunched as low as possible looking unhealthy, scared and very unhappy.  The uniform looks uncomfortable and not very tidy; there is nothing pleasurable to do apart from write letters home.

4. The two sources give such different images of a trench because source C is trying to sell cigarettes by making it look appealing and glamorise life in the trenches so the product would be bought.  They advertised it using the example of soldiers in the trenches because people at that time thought soldiers were courageous and if the cigarettes were good enough for soldiers then they would be good enough for them.  However, source D gives a different image because it was what life really was like in the trenches it is the one that is truthful and is not trying to give an impression of the war because that was how it was.

5. Source A has no real value to the historian because it is only an advertisement for cigarettes and does not show any real experience of the actual situation.  The person who drew this had clearly never been to a trench during the war, but it does show that this is what people back home pictured it to be like.  The only accurate features in source C that might be of any use to the historian was that the uniforms are correct probably because soldiers were seen in their uniforms before they went to war walking the streets of London.  This would explain the how clean the uniforms are and the soft hats, whereas when in the trench they would of worn hard helmets.

6. In source F it shows Keir Hardie opposed war, this was because he believed the quarrel between the two countries was nothing to do with the workers and that they should not fight and kill other men who have done nothing wrong. Evidence of this is: ‘You have never been consulted of this war.  The workers of the countries must strain every nerve to prevent their Governments from committing them to war.’  People who did believe this were socialists who believed that rich people and factory owners in their own countries and Germany were the enemies because they cause this trouble.

7. Sources F and H do agree about why the Labour party opposed the war because Source H describes hoe Aneurin Bevan did not believe that the whole of Germany was his enemy, therefore he did not want to fight them he would only fight his own en enemy that he chose.  He did not want to fight because ‘I am nor and never have been a conscientious objector.  I will fight but I will choose my own enemy…’  Both sources imply that they would rather fight the British rich people than the German workers; both sources say how it is not their war to fight in.  

8. I think source F is very useful to the historian studying reasons why conscientious objectors opposed the war because it is first hand information coming straight from the Labour Party leader, ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’.  It is also useful because the statement was issued as soon as the war broke out, which means it is an immediate reaction from the moment of study.  

I think source F is not very useful information to the historian as it is second hand information, Jennie Lee talking about her fathers experience as well as others.  Also she talks about Aneurin Bevan and quotes him; this is second hand and could have changed slightly since he said it – not very reliable.  Finally, the source is Jennie Lee looking back and remembering the views whereas source F was said at the time.