World War One Trench Warfare Sources Questions

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COURSEWORK ASSIGNMENT NO. 1 DAVID HOWE 7025 ST AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY SCHOOL 63253

Coursework Assignment No. 1

TRENCH WARFARE DURING WORLD WAR ONE

Q1        STUDY SOURCES A, B & C

        Use your knowledge of the First World War to explain which two         posters were published before 1916 and which one was published         after 1916. You must give reasons for your answer.

Sources A and B were both written before 1916. Source A was written before 1916 because conscription was not yet introduced, people were still being asked to volunteer to join the army. Source B is emotional blackmail, it is showing what may happen , some years down the line, and if the parent, or parent to be has not joined, he may be marked as a coward, for not joining the army. If he didn’t join the army, he would not be able to tell his children his contribution to it, as he would have taken no part in the War. Source C was published after 1916, because it is an American poster for the war, and America did not join the war until 1917.

Q2        STUDY SOURCES A, B & C

        In what ways are these posters similar, and in what ways do these         posters differ?

These posters are similar because they are all recruitment posters, they are all making or hinting people to join their countries army, and fight in the war The differences in the posters are in what they are saying and what country they are relevant to. A and B also use family/emotional blackmail, to try and bribe them into joining the army, for example, in source B it shows what may happen some years down the line, when your own children your grandchildren ask you what your contribution to the war is. Source 3 is propaganda. The poster shows a brute - the German, carrying a woman who is in a distressed way, and underneath it says, ‘Destroy this Brute, enlist.’ The Americans would see this, and the gullible ones would believe it and join up, as Source C is demonising the Germans and scaring the Americans.

Q3        STUDY SOURCE  D

        Use your knowledge of the first world war to explain whether or         not you think source D proves that Sources A and B were         successful in persuading men into joining up to the army.

I think that source D is not reliable enough to say whether or not is has proved sources A and B were successful. The photo may show a lot of people outside a police station, but there is not indication to say what is going on. It could be a parade or a carnival. There is also no date. The picture could have been taken before, during or after the war. If there was a date, we could be certain on whether or not it was people signing up to the army, but even if there was a date on the source, there is still no evidence saying wether or not it was those posters shown on source A and B, that convinced the people into signing up. Other reasons could be given for signing up for the war.

Q4        STUDY SOURCE E

        Use your knowledge of the first world war, to explain why the

        government issued postcards like this one to the soldiers in the

        trenches.

The government issued postcards like this one because they did not want any information given out to the people of Britain. They would not let anything else be put on the card because no details of the terrible trenches were allowed to be revealed to the people, during the censorship of all publications during World War 1, as it may lower morale amongst the friends and families of the soldiers. If some of the young men who had not joined the army,  found out about the conditions of the trenches and what the soldiers were going through, they may be reluctant to join up. Also, the publications would not give away details of army strategy and plans , ensuring that Britain had the upper hand in the war. The army also needed to keep future plans under their belts. On the postcard there is a sentence which follows, “I am well”, this made sure that the families at home were thinking that their loved ones are OK.

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Q5        STUDY SOURCE F, G & H

        If you did not know the dates of sources F & H, how else would         you be able to work out that source F and not source H, appeared         with source G in British newspapers in July 1916.

You would not know that source F and not source H, was in the paper of source G, because the dates on the sources are both in July 1916, and they both talk about the “Surreys” playing football. Source F & G showed that they were having fun (playing football), and so it ...

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