1. 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’

2. The reality of ‘going over the top’ was very different!

3. How the uniform and equipment changed after just three weeks in the trenches…

4. 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?

6. No smiling and relaxed faces… No clean uniforms… Their equipment is scattered everywhere… Boredom and sleep are obvious…

10. 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.

13. Recruitment ► Initial recruitment used posters, leaflets, etc. to build an army quickly ► What is the message of this poster? ► How would this poster encourage men to join the army?

14. Recruitment ► Initial recruitment used posters, leaflets, etc. to build an army quickly ► What is the message of this poster? ► How would this poster encourage men to join the army?

15. Recruitment ► Initial recruitment used posters, leaflets, etc. to build an army quickly ► What is the message of this poster? ► How would this poster encourage men to join the army?

16. Conscription ► Voluntary recruitment was decreasing, but the demand for troops was increasing ► Voluntary recruitment didn’t share the burden between all parts of society (the poor people suffered more) ► Conscription introduced in 1916 ► All men aged 18-40 had to register ► They could be called up to fight at any time

17. Conscription ► Conscientious objectors opposed the war for political or religious reasons ► They refused to fight, and were imprisoned – or executed – for doing so ► Others helped the war effort, but not through military action  Field hospitals  Stretched bearers

18. Rationing ► In 1917 voluntary rationing began, led by the royal family ► In 1918 compulsory rationing began  Sugar  Butter  Meat  Beer

19. Propaganda and Censorship ► All news was tightly controlled (censorship) ► Reports aimed to:  Maintain morale  Encourage civilians to support the war effort  Create hatred and suspicion of the enemy ► Newspapers, radio broadcasts, films and even board games were used

20. Propaganda and Censorship ► It is hard to measure how effective propaganda was ► BUT  Support for the war was reasonably constant ► Only really changed with the enormous causalities at the Battle of the Somme in 1916  People read lots of newspapers, and watched the films, so they were being exposed to it