The variety of attitudes to the war and how they

changed over time in Britain and Germany

Early attitudes 1914Mid-war attitudes 1915 -1917

End of the war 1918

EARLY ATTITUDESIn Britain and Germany 1914

At the onset of World War one, both the allies and the Germans had similar yet differing attitudes. Both believed that the war would be over by Christmas, making for a quick and easy victory, however, German and British nationalism fuelled a fierce determination for success.

British Source One German Source One

British Source Two German Source Two

SOURCE ONEThe Hidden Reality

The vast majority of British people welcomed the war, and the government had little trouble encouraging men to volunteer as soldiers. Support for the war was almost entirely universal, with the exception of a few socialists and pacifists. The euphoria lasted well into 1915, especially as the government was placing few expectations on the general population at this time.

Quotes from the book "Fallen Soldiers: Reshaping the Memory of the world wars" written by the historian G. L. Mosse, addresses how "high hopes" were present at the conception of the war, and how their "generation no longer knew the reality of war". Strong nationalism and "enthusiasm" experienced by soldiers on both sides fuelled their desires to volunteer, as well as "love of adventure and ideals of masculinity". The shortness of the Franco-Prussian war made the thought of a short war more realistic and more appealing to soldiers.

These quotes are important, as they indicate how German and British men had no idea of the reality of the war they were entering.

SOURCE TWOPropaganda Posters

The British relied heavily on war propaganda to encourage men in Britain to sign up for the war. Nationalism and the belief in Britains superiority, as well as believing that war was a romantic and heroic affair, also encouraged young men to join.

The image to the right was found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/images/2007/11/05/weapons_britons_i_want_you_225x300.jpg. It is a pro-war propaganda poster encouraging conscription. British propaganda posters often used strong influential figures to evoke a sense of superiority and power, as well as using images of normal people to connect with the population. The source is from the perspective of the British government, and it is useful for studying changing attitudes as it outlines the strong nationalism and pride felt by the British.

SOURCE THREE“We teach you to run!”

There was an eagerness throughout Europe on the part of the young men to volunteer and prove themselves genuine patriotic supporters of the war. Euphoria spread the nation. As mentioned, the belief that the war would be short lived was also partly responsible for this feeling.

Opposition to the war in Germany was ‘mute’. This was mostly due to the authoritarian government in control. German propaganda took a different approach than British, although in some examples they were similar. They used the nations upholding belief that Germany would be successful in the war to create elation throughout the masses.

The image to the right is a German postcard, that says “We’ll teach you to run!” with two German soldiers pointing their rifles at caricatures of Belgium, Britain, Japan, and Serbia. It was found at http://www.psywarrior.com/GermanWWIPSYOP.html, and is useful in studying the attitudes of the Germans to World War One, as it shows their intense nationalism.

SOURCE FOURGerman Peace Society

Although any anti-war movements in Germany were quickly silenced so as not to arouse any discontent within the nation, The German Peace socity were openly opposed the war. The group suffered repression, however, and quickly disappeased. Hans Passche, a naval officer at the beginning of the war, was quote saying:

“My name is Paasche, I was a naval officer and am now a revolutionary!” Berlin, November 9th, 1918

He and his opposition to war was quickly suppressed. He did not represent a majority, but rather a minority, of Germans who were not affirmative with the beginning war. The source is important as it shows that there was hostility to the war from the onset, however, strong political influence hastily silenced it.

MID-WAR ATTITUDES1915 - 1917

As the war progressed it saw the growth of opposition progress. The British government, however, did not concern itself with the increasing dissent. Earlier opposition came from groups such as the ‘Herald League’ and the ‘Workers Socialist Foundation’. One of the loudest British Anti-War voices came from the Union of Democratic Control. The German home front suffered far more than the British. The apparent futility of Germany was just one of the main factors for such weariness

British Source One German Source One

British Source Two German Source Two

SOURCE ONE“Conchies”

Very few people were opposed to the war. As it progressed, however, the reality of modern warfare became apparent.

“The destruction of our fellow men – young men like ourselves – appals us; we cannot assist in the cutting off of one generation from life's opportunities,… we deny the right of any government to make the slaughter of our fellows a bounden duty”

(S Johnston, 1915)

This source was found in the ‘World War One – From Sarajevo to Versailles’ textbook. This quote is useful, as it signifies the dissent and opposition felt by a minority of British men, who were openly against the war. The also opposed the copious amounts of money that was being ‘wasted’ on a futile war. The number of ‘conscientious objectors’ however, was minimal. Only 16 000 men did not submit to being conscripted.

SOURCE TWOMedia Control

Censorship and controlled media and news releases throughout the entire war saw strong messages of hatred towards the Germans on the allied behalf. They printed headlines that were designed to stir up emotions regardless of whether they were accurate or not. The most infamous headlines included:

“Belgium child’s hands cut off by Germans”“Germans crucify Canadian officer”

These two quotes are from the perspective of nationalistic Britain. The source was taken from www.historylearningsite.co.uk/propaganda_and_world_war_one.htm. The source is useful for the study of the changing attitude in the home front as it was a direct example of media manipulation and the ability that the Government had on controlling press releases and effectively attitudes of the general population.

SOURCE THREEThe growth of opposition

The German home front suffered far more than the British, and the feeling of war-weariness was quicker to develop and much more stronger in Germany than in Britain. The apparent futility of Germany was just one of the main factors for such weariness.

“[the] general populace… was hungry, cold, and weary of war… The public was gripped by a mood of ‘despondency and fear of the future’”

This quote, said by a Berlin police chief, addresses the worsening situation throughout Germany and Europe. The growing discontent was also published throughout German press, despite the governments attempts at censorship. It is useful in studying the changing attitudes to the war in Germany on the home front, as economic dedication to munitions and other war inventory left the general population with barely nothing.

SOURCE FOURThe strike movement.

Germany experienced massive strikes on the home front. A 60 000 strong anti-war protest took place on the 1st of May in 1916. Many influential socialists who were involved in the strikes and anti-war movement were arrested.

The strikes worsened during the “turnip winter” of 1916, after a premature frost destroyed the potato harvest that year which had become a major source of food for the people. Instead the turnip, which did not suffer from the frost, became the main source of food for the country. The strikes became violent and saw over one million proletariat and industrial workers strike.

“The deteriorating quality of life for German workers during the war now brought out ‘with crass clarity’ the ‘development of class warfare as a result of the social upheavals of this war’”

Hohenlohe, the Austrian ambassador to Germany, reported to his government that the strike movements in Germany were becoming increasingly political, and reflected increasing “animosity” between the classes throughout the German society. The quote is important and useful in studying the changing attitudes to the war on the home front in Germany as it shows that people of all social classes were affected by the ‘upheavals of war’.

END OF THE WAR ATTITUDES

As the war continued to rage on the Western Front, the home front were equally as frustrated and resentful of the war. Germany maintained lies to mask their failures, whilst Britain relied heavily on propaganda (as did Germany) to keep the general population satisfied with their achievements. After 4 years of fighting in vain, the dedication to ‘total war’ had pulled its final strings on both Britain and Germany.

British Source One German Source One

British Source Two German Source Two

SOURCE ONETotal War Britain

One of the features of Total War in Britain was the use of propaganda posters to divert all attention to the war on the home front. British living standards did not collapse as a result of total war, unlike Germany, and the government aimed to allow the British to voluntarily. Lord Davenport the food controller in 1916 asked people to limit their consumptions per week ti 115 grams of sugar, 1.8 kilograms of bread, and 1.1 kilo’s of meat.

The propaganda poster to the right shows how the government used such advertising to persuade the public. The source is useful in studying the changing attitudes, as it is neutral in its approach to the issue, whilst still remaining informative to its audience. At this point in the war a majority of the population was still obliging to support.

SOURCE TWORejoicing on the home front – Allied Victory

The progression of the war, and the imminent allied victory changed attitudes on the home front slightly. Already weary from the effects of total war and increased industrial and agricultural efforts, the population of Brittan was ready to celebrate.

The source to the right shows civilians cheering troops parading the street. It is important and useful in studying the changing attitudes to the war as it shows how despite the futility of the war the British population still remained faithful to the war effort and the returning troops.

SOURCE THREEThree Day Fever

Not only did Germany ultimately lose World War one, returning soldiers carried with them a horrific strain of the influenza virus, which killed over 400 000 civilians in 1918. As well as the damaging effect the war loss had on the attitudes of the Germans, the flu epidemic further worsened they already despondent reactions to the war. The influenza also hit in Britain, although not as bad.

The source to the right shows a German man spraying the streets with chemicals, quarantining the town. The epidemic aided in the changing of attitudes to war.

SOURCE FOURFailure and dissent

This quote is important as it addresses the failed attempts by the German government to suppress feelings of dissent and disappointment by the population.

“As the war dragged on the German government was singularly unsuccessful in convincing the people that they were fighting a worthwhile cause.”

J Hagan, Modern History and its Themes, Longman, Melbourne