Explain the changing attitudes of civilians and British soldiers towards the War.
Explain the Changing Attitudes of Civilians and British Soldiers Towards the War In 1914 many British people were very enthusiastic about the war. When Kitchener, the minister of war called for "a million men and more" there was an overwhelming response. Some people, however, did not share this enthusiasm and many people's attitudes changed during the course of the war. When Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, the vast majority of British people supported the war. Lots of propaganda posters were published around the country by the government. The purpose of this propaganda was to make sure people supported the war effort. The First World War can be said to be Britain's first total war. Because it thoroughly affected people back home. Previous wars like the Crimean war did not involve/affect everyday life of ordinary people. Because they were fought far away by small professional armies. But this war affected the vast majority of people at home in one way or another. This time, civilians were even being killed by enemy action. Early in the war, German warships shelled the east-coast towns. Later in the war air raids from German Zeppelins caused further death and damage. In defence, barrage balloons, searchlights and early fighter aircraft were introduced to defend the skies above Britain. In 1918, the Royal Air Force was formed. 1500 British civilians were killed
The Battle of the Somme 1916 - source related study.
The Battle of the Somme 1916 . What can you learn from Source A about what life was like in the trenches during the Great War? Taken from a book about trench warfare, the extract in Source A shows us some aspects of life in the trenches, though it does not show us the full picture as it is probably not what every soldier in the trenches experienced, but it does show us the typical conditions. Written by an English author we can assume that this source shows what it was like for British soldiers and possibly those of the Empire but it may not represent the German soldiers and those in enemy trenches. However, the routine described would be typical for both sides. The provenance states that the book was published in 1976 and so we can assume that it was done to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the battle. This extract conveys the life of dull routine, boredom and 'bleak discomfort' suffered by the soldiers. During the daytime there would be a lull in the fighting and there would be time to rest, though it would be difficult to do so. This source does not give any reasons why it may be difficult to relax, so we are left to assume what the reasons may be. It is more than likely that soldiers found it difficult due to the poor conditions in trenches, with rats, lice, mud and the risk of getting trench foot. Also, it is probable that shells were being fired, making the
What attitudes towards the First World War have you found in the poetry you have studied and how are these attitudes revealed by the Poets.
First World War Poetry Assignment Task: What attitudes towards the First World War have you found in the poetry you have studied and how are these attitudes revealed by the Poets. The Fist World War was an exciting adventure for many people. Many young men considered it to be their duty to fight for their country. Going to war for many individuals was a portrayal of their bravery and loyalty. One poet- H. Begbie in his poem, Fall In mentions the freedom, joy and fullness of life those will achieve who join the war. A lot of propaganda poems/songs and posters were established during the war to help convince people going to war is a good thing. The main reason for the establishment of these propaganda posters/poems and songs were to persuade people to enlist. A lot of individuals specifically young boys lied about age mainly because they were looking forward to showing their patriotism. Wives and mothers sacrificed their husbands and sons so they could also be part of the victory. It was common belief that it was going to be a short war so they were expecting to see their husbands and sons in a few months to celebrate the victory. The attractions (i.e. beautiful girls) of the smart uniform drew many men to enlist. Men enlisted for their glorious uniform even though they didn't have any knowledge of the war. The thought of the uniform bringing them respect and
Dulce et Decorum Est", written by Wilfred Owen, the film All Quiet On The Western Front, and the television show 'Good byeee' (Blackadder) show the same negative view towards war.
In this essay, I will be trying to explain the diverse ways in which the poem, "Dulce et Decorum Est", written by Wilfred Owen, the film All Quiet On The Western Front, made from a book which became a world best seller by Erich Maria Remarque and the television show, "Good byeee" ( Blackadder) show the same, negative view towards war. I will demonstrate the different ways in which the 3 Medias attempt to reveal conditions in the trenches and the way the morale and attitudes of soldiers change while on the front line. I will then choose one of the 3 and explain why I thought was the most successful at showing a negative observation trench life and the war itself. CONTEXT: Blackadder Goes Forth, Episode 6 - "Goodbyeee" was written by Ben Elton and Richard Curtis in the 1980s. It was written mainly about just before the Somme offensive (Big push) in July 1916. This comedy which has a very cruel ending was written as a comedy, I think to differ to other war illustrations. It graphically shows the bad conditions in the trenches (such as low rations of food such as coffee) and the unfair treatment of soldiers. An example of this is when Captain Darling is ushered into fighting even thought he objects to it). The poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" was written by Wilfred Owen, a soldier of the British Army who fought on the Western Front which makes it an extremely reliable eye witness
War Poetry - 'Dulce et Decorum est' and 'Anthem forDoomed Youth'
War Poetry - 'Dulce et Decorum est' and 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' War Poetry Wilfred Owen was born in Shropshire on 18th March 1983. He was the son of a railway worker and was educated at schools in Shrewsbury and Liverpool. Owen was encouraged to write poetry from an early age by his devoted mother. He couldn't afford university education, so decided to go abroad to teach English in France. Owen volunteered for the Army in 1914 when the First World War broke out. After training he became an officer and was sent to France at the end of 1916, seeing service first in the Somme sector. The following year, Owen took part in the attacks on the German Hindenburg Line near St Quentin. When a huge shell burst near him, he was shell-shocked and sent back to England. The horrors of battle quickly transformed Owen and the way he thought about life. He was treated in Craig Lockhart hospital in Edinburgh. Doctors there specialized in shell shock and it was a terrible experience for Owen, who spent hours surrounded by other distressed patients. Patients were encouraged to return to their pre-war interests, so Owen decided to look over his old poems and begin writing new ones. Owen was very impressed with Sassoon's poetry, and when Sassoon arrived at the hospital in August 1917, Wilfred Owen decided to meet him. Sassoon encouraged Owen in his poetry, telling him to 'Sweat your guts out
In what ways did the attitudes of soldiers and civilians change towards the war and towards the enemy between 1914 and 1918?
In what ways did the attitudes of soldiers and civilians change towards the war and towards the enemy between 1914 and 1918? The attitudes of soldiers and civilians changed greatly during the course of the First World War. This was the first war that Britain had been in that genuinely affected everyone in the country. Previous wars such as the Boer war had been fought overseas by small professional armies. This war was a lot closer to home and this meant that peoples' attitudes changed. After war had been declared, soldiers were excited about the war and they saw it as an adventure that would be over by Christmas. "I adore war. Its just like a big picnic without the objectlessness of a picnic," Julian Grenfell, 24th October 1914. There was a surge in patriotic enlistment and propaganda encouraging men to join up. Propaganda is an aspect that affected people's thinking at the time. Soldiers also thought lowly of the German army and their opinion of it also changed markedly during the war. This was due to propaganda from the government and also from interactions with the enemy such as the Christmas truce in 1914. Men began to arrive on the western front expecting to do very little and then come back home as a hero. This was as far away from what actually happened as possible and this mental lack of preparation for what was going to happen was a huge shock to many men who had
Based on the Poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen.
Dulce et Decorum Est Based on the Poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owens The poem is one of the most powerful ways to convey an idea or opinion. Through vivid imagery and compelling metaphors, the poem gives the reader the exact feeling the author wanted. The poem "Dulce et Decorum Est," an anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen, makes great use of these devices. This poem is very effective because of its excellent manipulation of the mechanical and emotional parts of poetry. Owen's use of exact diction and vivid figurative language emphasizes his point, showing that war is terrible and devastating. Furthermore, the utilization of extremely graphic imagery adds even more to his argument. Through the effective use of all three of these tools, this poem conveys a strong meaning and persuasive argument. The poem's use of excellent diction helps to more clearly define what the author is saying. Words like "guttering", "choking", and "drowning" not only show how the man is suffering, but that he is in terrible pain that no human being should endure. Other words like writhing and froth-corrupted say precisely how the man is being tormented. Moreover, the phrase "blood shod" shows how the troops have been on their feet for days, never resting. Also, the fact that the gassed man was "flung" into the wagon reveals the urgency and occupation
In 1915 a British newspaper printed a letter from a
HISTORY COURSEWORK In 1915 a British newspaper printed a letter from a "Lady Reader" who claimed: "The women of Britain will tolerate no such cry as Peace". Do you think that the young men of Britain would have agreed with the Lady Reader during the Great War, 1914-1918? In August 1914, Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War, saw that the conflict would be long and hard fought, and proposed a revolutionary plan for new armies of millions of volunteers, as Britain previously only relied on a small professional force. His own grim face, over the slogan "Your Kind and Country Need You'', appeared in the first poster appeal for recruits. Until conscription was introduced in 1916, young men were subjected to relentless social pressures, both official and unofficial, to join the army. In 1915 a British newspaper printed a letter from a "Lady Reader" who claimed "the women of Britain will tolerate no such cry as Peace." This negative statement emphasizes that they would not be satisfied with peace and wanted the war to continue. In the early years of the war, this would not have been met with resistance among the young men of Britain. Pre-war propaganda and advertising led to the great excitement and hype among Britain's young men ready to enlist. All young men wanted to be involved in the war movement, believing it was their duty - as many of the propaganda posters had
Were the British Generals like Sir Douglas Haig responsible for the high casualty figures?
Were the British Generals like Sir Douglas Haig responsible for the high casualty figures? '1916 was a year of killing' - Malcolm Brown, The First World War, 1991. World war one began on August 4th 1914. 'The Great War' lased an unbelievable four years, so it did not end until the winter of 1918. No one expected it to last so long people believed that it would all be over by Christmas. Another thing people did not expect was the fantastically high casualty figures. By December 1914, 90,000 British men had been killed. That resulted in the British army being left with only 10,000 men to win the war. An average of 5509 men from all the forces were being killed each day during world war one. That is over 10 times more men being killed than in the American civil war each day. By the end of the war the British army had lost over 3/4 million men. The exact figure is 761,213 men. Although this is an extremely high figure other countries lost substantially more. The german army had lost almost 2 milliom men by the time the war finally came to a close. After the first day of the Somme over 57,000 British soldiers had lost their lives or been seriously wounded. That is 75% of the British army. Were the British Generals like Sir Douglas Haig responsible for the high casualty figures or were other factors to blame? Was it the lack of training? Was it due to the fact that it was almost
Analyse the two poems 'Dulce et Decorum est' by Wilfred Owen and 'Charge of the Light Brigade' by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Then, compare their differing views on warfare.
Rebecca Newiss GCSE English Coursework 1O2 Miss Walsh Analyse the two poems 'Dulce et Decorum est' by Wilfred Owen and 'Charge of the Light Brigade' by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Then, compare their differing views on warfare. In this essay I intend to discuss the two passionately opinionated war poems, 'Dulce et Decorum est' by Wilfred Owen based on WW1 and 'Charge of the Light Brigade' by Alfred Lord Tennyson which portrays the Crimean war against Russia. Both poems are heart wrenching, emotional and thought provoking, and expressively highlight the issues of war, glory, death and heroism, all in explicit detail and compelling imagery. I shall compare how one author can see war as glorious and exciting whereas the other empathises on suffering, injury and loss and tells us the reality in gruesome and uninhibited detail. I shall study how different authors present and explore the brutal realism of war, death and glory within the context of a poem. I shall investigate if first hand experience of war differs the authors view and how they portray the suffering and grievance. I will find the effects that mood, tone, the raised and ignored issues have on their targeted audience and the vivid
