History 1040

The Great War

Week #4:

September 21:

In this class will  examine the "myths," if they are myths, about the enthusiasm for war in 1914.  Many Historians now dispute this and argue that nations did not great the war with the enthusiasm we have come associate with 1914. That leads us to question the role of the State in mobilizing their peoples for war. 

• For an example of mobilization for war read this article and view the posters from each combatant nation:  http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/index.htm

• View the opening scene from All Quiet on the Western Front:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEHFIyaBWvs

• Go to Courseweb - Video Files - "War Children" and watch the clip of the children.  What they said is what children were taught before the war.

September 23

Today will deal with the "Beginning of the War and the beginnings of Total War" -download this PowerPoint on Courseweb and bring it to class.

Readings for next Tuesday:

• 15-44 in 14-18: Understanding the Great War

• 134-148 in Strachan

• 253-256 in Strachan

• The Western Front and the Birth of Total War - Dr. Stephen Badsey

RECOMMENDED BUT NOT REQUIRED: Go to YouTube to listen to various poems from the Great War illustrating the shift from the 19th Century to the 20th Century War. These are a bit creepy, but very interesting! 

• Rupert Brooke - The Soldier

• Laurence Binyon - For the Fallen

• John McCrae - In Flanders Fields

• Allen Seeger - Rendezvous with Death

• Wilfred Owen - Anthem for Doomed Youth and BBC Education Site on Owen

• Siegfried Sassoon - The Dug Out

• Playlist on YouTube of the War Poets

Readings for next Thursday:

Read:

•  83-93 in Fero

• 179-204 in Strachan

• BBC article on The Battle of the Somme - Animated Map of the Battle - Very Short

• PBS on the Battle of the Somme and the Year of Slaughter - Very Short

• Imperial War Museum on the Battle of the Somme - Browse through this as it gives you something to look at in the interpretation of the battle.

• Henri Barbusse "Under Fire" (excerpt)

  • For entire book, Under Fire - Not required

  Browse through the following sites.

  • The Trench Experience

  • The Human Experience - BBC - use this site to also look for the Front Line Experience

  • The German Front Experience

  • The Trench Experience - The Guardian

Watch:

Recommended:

• Shell Shock

• Faces of The Great War

Primary Documents

• The German Trench Experience

• The Wipers Times - British Trench Newspaper