GESCHICHTE 150 Friday October 18 2013 OUTLINE Wartime Experiences The Western Front Trench Warfare The Battle of the Somme July 1 November 18 1916 British led offensive with French support vs Germany Background August 5 1914 Lord Kitchener became the Secretary of War the British army number roughly 250 000 men Recruitment of volunteers for the British army Britain did not introduce conscription a military draft until January 1916 sample recruitment posters Pals Battalions Results nearly 2 5 million men volunteered for the army British Commander Douglas Haig Video clip results of Day 1 July 1 1916 September 15 the British unveiled their new weapon the tank November 18 Haig called off the offensive results Poetry by Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon reading for today Background NOTES August 5 1914 Lord Kitchener becomes Secretary of War a War hero from the Battle of Omdurman b Has small army and requests that they build it up believed that the war would last at least 3 years rather than the popular opinion or conventional wisdom that the war would end in only a few weeks i ii At the beginning of the war army recruitment relied on volunteers Units of Pals Battalions men were encouraged to sign up together so they would be in the same battalions together peer pressure and the power of the group ultimately these men grew up trained and died together in the first world war Image recruitment poster Lord Kitchener illustrated pointing at the viewer audience YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU was the message displayed Inspiration for the future Uncle Sam posters in WWII GESCHICHTE 150 Friday October 18 2013 Image recruitment poster BRITAIN NEEDS YOU AT ONCE Contemporary version of a knight the new crusade cause Imagery of Saint George slaying the dragon representing Germany Image recruitment poster Addressed at women To the Young Women of London encouraged women to persuade their best boy fighting for them and their country implied to women that a man who didn t fight for their country would later neglect his girl or wife as well using the manipulation of relationship to persuade men into the army Crowd of men waiting in the recruitment line with smiles on their faces excited to be part of the wartime effort volunteered Image photograph Battle of the Somme Considered to be initiation test for the men and their experience with trench warfare Britain s first major battle of the war Douglas Haig British commander fiercely defended and criticized for his part in the battle The civilian volunteers fighting were ultimately not battle tested Haig s worry Britain sets off a massive explosion below the German troops and when a small silence followed they advanced toward the German trenches by crossing no man s land the German troops leave their trenches and begin to fire on the unprotected British forces with machine guns devastating British casualties in comparison to German casualties Statistics of war handout Britain unveils their new weapon the tank Battle drags on until Haig calls off the offensive NOT because of casualties but because heavy rain reduced the field to mud acted more like cement hindered navigation some men drowned Ultimately the British army gained about 6 miles while 125 000 men lost their lives MASSIVE LOSS OF LIFE LITTLE TERRITORIAL GAIN Image photograph Soldiers on the battlefield large pockets of water on the ground trees throughout the landscape are barren and dead Ground became like quick sand or cement Image photographs Scenes on the battlefield soldiers bodies lying on the ground GESCHICHTE 150 Poetry Friday October 18 2013 What are some themes presented by Wilfred Owens and Siegfried Sassoon Collision of excitement and the reality of war How horrible it is to die in war Dolce describes a soldier who fumbled with his gas mask and couldn t put it on in time drowning in the gas soldier in the poem is haunted by the memory of this event now disillusioned with warfare Men returned changed mentally physically emotionally psychologically Men came back to their countries but were treated differently their lives affected those around them