The 1910’s

By Daria Dlugosz

World War I

• WWI made a very big impact on language development.

• It began in 1914 and ended in 1918 November 18th with a ceasefire.

• New methods of attack and defence were developed, new weaponry and

people even needed new sounds. Such as:

• At the battle of the Ypres, poison gas was used for the first time, which

initiated the development of gas masks to protect from mustard gas.

Creeping barrage

Trench mortars

Whizz bang was the sound of

light shell being fired from one

of the smaller calibre field guns

as it came to explode.

WWI- Machinery• There was a very big development of machinery.

• Air warfare had a big impact: words such as dogfights and air aces became

more common. There was also distinctions made between bomber and

fighter planes.

• There was also a development of boats, such as:

Battle cruiserCarrier

Home Front WWI

• Munitioneers and munitionettes worked day and night in factories making ammunition for the soldiers.

• Women also became trained to do typical ‘male jobs’ such as: postmen, milkmen and porters at railway stations.

• Those in special serviced occupations like train drivers, and coal miners were left in their profession.

• Other men were required to sign up and become recruits to help the war effort and by 1916 all single men aged 18 to 40 were required to conscript in the national service.

Living conditions during WWI

• Rationing was implemented due to food shortages. However, massive effort was put in order to send food parcels to the troops.

• Coupon books were allocated to help in rationing. Each person had 60 coupons to use over a year, they were different colours so that they couldn’t be used at the same time. The Government would decide when the next colour could be used.

• This was also the first time that civilians were subjected to air raids and blackouts as German Zeps would fly over England.

Medical Development

• Medical knowledge developed rapidly as there were new issues occurring due to the war such as trench foot.

• Physics department looked into x-ray research to help with broken bones and to find bullets.

• Amputations became more common due to trench foot being untreated due to a shortage of doctors.

• In 1913 Lewisohn discovered sodium citrate stopped blood from clotting.

• There was also an attempt to develop facial construction, which made a very big progress.

Titanic 1912

• At 11.40pm on the night of 14 April 1912, en route to New York and on her

maiden voyage, the RMS Titanic struck the iceberg that would ultimately lead

to her sinking less than 3 hours later. At around 2.20am on the morning of

15 April, RMS Titanic disappeared beneath the surface of the Atlantic

Ocean, a disaster that resulted in the loss of more than 1,500 lives, almost

two-thirds of the people on board.

Scientific Development

• Albert Einstein followed up his special theory of relativity with a general

theory of relativity. The concept of space and time had made it’s first

appearance.

• Isotope and automatic nucleus were named. In biology department

chromosome, gene and vitamins were added.

Psychological Language

• Freudian terminology that began in 1900’s expanded dramatically in 1910’s

words such as Oedipus complex, denial, repression and persona psyche are

just a few terms developed by Freud and Gustav Jung.

• They also developed the concepts of each and explored unknown

psychological illnesses such as schizophrenia.

Entertainment

• The cross word was invented.

• Cinema was the most popular public entertainment. With silent

movies such as Westerns, news reels and cartoons.

• Slapstick comedy was very popular.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc6MV2G41X0

• In the 1910’s most popular forms of dancing were: the bunny hug,

the tango, shimmy and the cooch

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpfSx9zwAIQ

Fashion

• Most popular type of fashion at the Front was the

trench coat.

• Back home women hobble and split skirts. As well

as the development of motor car journeys meant

that scarves were used as a head covering.

• Bobbed hair was also coming into fashion.

Other countries

• Russia- Russian revolution occurred in February 1917, Nicholas II was

forced to abdicate the throne and a Liberal Government was created.

Kerensky became a PM and formed a Provisional Government. In October

Bolsheviks seized power led by Lenin and Trotsky. In 1918 the Russian

revolutionees execute the Czar.

• In 1918 Spanish influenza affected the world killing 50 million to 100 million

people.

Language

• During 1910’s was the first recorded use of ‘homosexual’ as a noun, this was

not accepted however and often would be used around negative

connotations such as ‘faggots or poofers’.