SOLDIERS’ CHANGING ATTITUDES TO THE CONFLICT Pre-war, belief that war was acceptable & necessary. This was based on a romanticized view of small wars, cavalry charges & infantry engagements. Carnage of trench warfare confronted both Allied & German soldiers with the reality of large-scale mechanical warfare in the industrial era. Not all soldiers were dismayed by this change (eg. Hitler).

Reaction to the Outbreak of War Throughout Europe, the outbreak of war was treated with enthusiasm. In Britain, recruiting offices were overwhelmed by the number of volunteers. In Germany, there was incredible excitement. The Military Law of July 31, 1914 called up all men for military service. Photos of the time show crowds in all countries cheering their soldiers off to war. There was a widespread expectation that the war would be over by Christmas. Many young men feared the war would be over before they had the chance to become involved.

Christmas 1914 Instead of being over, the war had become bogged down in the trenches. There were hundreds of thousands of casualties. On Christmas Day 1914, an unofficial truce operated in several places on the front line. Carols were sung, men met in no-man’s land & exchanged gifts, played games, etc. Commanders on both sides put an end to this fraternization for fear that their soldiers might want to stop fighting. Instead orders were issued to ensure that the sniping, raiding & grenade throwing resumed. This prevented further instances of fraternization.

The Somme Carnage of the Somme battle brought home to both sides the realities of industrial-age warfare. Highest casualty rates in British military history. Soldiers who died here were mostly volunteers from Kitchener’s ‘New Army’ who had joined as a result of recruitment campaigns at home. These casualties were seen as ‘innocents’ – they had not ‘joined up to die’ – death wasn’t seen as an occupational hazard. Seen as the end of an era. ‘ The Somme was the muddy grave of the German field army. ’ – Ludendorff reflecting in 1918.

1917 – 1918 By now, soldiers on leave felt that civilian complaints about air raids & shortages were superficial & irrelevant. Debates about rationing were seen in a similar way. In July 1917, Siegfried Sassoon, a British war poet & officer made a dramatic gesture with his ‘soldier’s declaration’ - complaining that the young men of Britain were being wasted by a defensive war that was now being fought in an aggressive manner. During the Nivelle Offensive of 1917, French troops ‘baa-ed’ as they moved up to the front line, suggesting they were sheep to be slaughtered. After this disastrous battle, the French Army mutinied. Negotiations brought about better pay & conditions and a new commander but the French now stayed on the defensive until mid-1918.

1917 – 1918 The French Mutinies of 1917 placed onus for the offensive on the British. From August 1918, it was the turn of the Germans to face problems of desertion & surrender. Some retreating soldiers even abused reserve troops who moved towards the front for ‘prolonging the war’. Remarkably, most soldiers remained committed to the fighting. By 1918, enthusiasm for war had been replaced by a grim sense of duty.