World War One Sources Questions

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Sources D, E and F differ greatly in their description of the battle of the Somme, as they are three different sources, which were written at varying times by people who all had different motives for writing.

Source D is a cartoon, depicting the battle of the Somme. It portrays one big fist, about to punch a hole in the German line. The view it is giving is the official British propaganda view, which under DORA, the censoring act, had to be depicted by all newspapers. The motive of this is to try and keep public moral high, and ensure a steady stream of volunteers to the army. The source was written in 1916, just before the battle when it was vital that a steady stream of recruits volunteered. The source depicts the official British army view of the battle, and it is one of staggering over-confidence. It implies the battle will be quick and easy.
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Source E is a diary entry from a soldier who went to the war, and fought in the battle of the Somme. This source represents the average soldiers view. It is reliable as it is a diary entry. This means it is reliable as it was written for personal reasons. It plays down what had happened, probably because the author himself was having such trouble coming to terms with it. It was written as if the soldier knew what was happening, but was not willing to write it in its full horrific details. It is possible that he ...

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