Why did so many Britons volunteer to fight in the First World War?

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Why did so many Britons volunteer to

fight in the First World War?

    An excessive wave of nationalism had been one of the primary sources of pre-war tension that had been a significant factor to help cause its outbreak. The announcement of Britain’s involvement in the war released this tension and was met with an extraordinary wave of enthusiasm from the public, which was echoed by citizens of countries around the whole Europe. However, Britain’s initial involvement in the First World War demonstrated that they were in need of a larger Army; caused by the fact the rest of Europe’s combatants had started their armament process early and also because conscription to the armed forces had not been made compulsory until now. The appeal went out and was met with an outstanding reply from British men, eager to do their bit for King and Country. The Secretary of State Lord Kitchener didn’t believe the war would be ‘over by Christmas’ as the mainstream press were predicting, and sent the call for 100,000 men that he needed to send to France for the beginning stages of the war. He got nearly double that. Each man would be signed up for three years, or the duration of the war, with most serving anywhere they were ordered to. By 1916, the year that conscription was made compulsory, around two and a half million men had volunteered for Army service and life on the battlefield.

        The main policy that the government used to attract men was to deliver a constant barrage of propaganda all across the country, mainly in the form of posters, broadcasts and public meetings. The famous Lord Kitchener ‘Your Country Needs You’ poster is a product of this time. Public speeches were purposely held after popular events of the time, such as football matches and trade union meetings, with the intention of generating such an extent of patriotism that men would sign up there and then. This also helped tap into the politics of local villages where able bodied men who had not given their services to the Army yet were eventually pressured into doing so.

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    The standard of living conditions in Britain at the time can also give us an indication of why people may have decided to join up. Many young men’s lives were restrained, especially in places such as Wales and the northern industrial areas, mainly because their job career usually ended up with them following in the footsteps of their fathers down the mines or in the factories. Also, the average Army wage would bring in more money than you would get being unemployed back home and in some cases even more than that of a skilled worker. Barracks would ...

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