WARFARE DURING WORLD WAR I
The British government wanted to encourage men to enlist for war. They said the war would be safe, hardly any fighting, a good lark and over by Christmas. They used advertising posters to encourage this idea! A picture of soldiers going ‘Over the Top’
The reality of ‘going over the top’ was very different!
Soldiers were expected to carry all of their equipment with them at all times. They were supposed to keep it clean and in good condition – they were British after all.
How the uniform and equipment changed after just three weeks in the trenches…
Posters always showed men ready and willing to fight. They never showed the boredom of the trenches or actual fighting taking place. Why do you think the government showed no fighting?
No smiling and relaxed faces… No clean uniforms… Their equipment is scattered everywhere… Boredom and sleep are obvious…
Shell Shock ► Early symptoms included tiredness, irritability, giddiness, lack of concentration and headaches. Eventually the men suffered mental breakdowns making it impossible for them to remain in the front-line. front-line
Effects of Shell Shock ► In some cases men committed suicide. Others broke down under the pressure and refused to obey the orders of their officers. Some responded to the pressures of shell-shock by deserting. Sometimes soldiers who disobeyed orders got shot on the spot. In some cases, soldiers were court-martialled. committed suicidecommitted suicide ► Official figures said that 304 British soldiers were court-martialled and executed. A common punishment for disobeying orders was Field Punishment Number One. This involved the offender being attached to a fixed object for up to two hours a day and for a period up to three months. These men were often put in a place within range of enemy shell-fire. executedField Punishment Number OneexecutedField Punishment Number One
More Trench Foot ► infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and insanitary conditions. ► The feet would gradually go numb and the skin would turn red or blue. If untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result in amputation. ► Remedy change socks three times a day, cover feet with whale fat
The soldiers had very little decent food, and what food they had was often attacked by rats. These rats were the size of small rabbits and badgers because they had fed on the decomposing bodies of dead soldiers.
Rat Hunting in the trenches
Lice infestations in the trenches ► It is estimated that 97% of soldiers who fought in the trenches had either head, pubic, or body lice. ► Lice spread “trench fever” ► Lice problem made worse because soldiers only bathed 2 or 3 times per months
Lord Kitchener the English Secretary of War
British Italy has need of meat, wheat, fat and sugar
God punish England!
On ground level, you see a soldier, presumably German, cheering up at the sight of the two other figures. Mounted on horse is the Emperor (or "Kaiser") Wilhelm II, who reigned as the "strong man" in Germany from 1888 until his abdication in As in all images of him, the Kaiser concealed his left hand, which was damaged due a birth defect. Protecting the emperor with her shield is a very masculine, slightly scary depiction of Germania, the female national personification of Germany
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