Distinct Occupations in the Western Theatre
World War I was in its concluding stages when President Woodrow Wilson sent American troops in 1918 to assist the Allied powers against the Central powers in France. The Allied powers consisted of France, Britain and Russia (124). The Central powers included Austria, Germany and Turkey (124). There are many sources with information about the war, but primary sources like personal diaries can aid us in understanding historical events such as this one. Wartime diaries in particular reveal personal, first-hand accounts of everyday life at war (129). The following diaries analyzed were written by American soldiers that had distinct occupations during the war. Captain Eugene Kennedy was an engineer,
…show more content…
Captain Eugene Kennedy was an engineer during the war and his crew was responsible for building and repairing roads and bridges which the artillery branch desperately needed. As opposed to already being enlisted, Kennedy was drafted into the war at the top age limit (133). It seems as if he lacked proper nutrition and hygiene based on some of his entries. For example, he wrote, "Nothing to eat" on October 8 (135). His entry on October 16 briefly describes the first bath he takes after seven weeks, therefore leading to the implication of poor hygiene (135). Another factor Kennedy describes is the condition in which he worked. Camp areas were always cold, muddy and wet (134). On many occasions they moved along in "heavily congested traffic" (134). Aside from horrible conditions, he was exposed to many hazards during his service due to his occupation. Based on his entries about the German attacks or "Jerry" as they called them, one can infer his job was one of the most dangerous. On several occasions he described Germans dropping a magnitude of shells, interfering with their duties (134). He also describes mine explosions that resulted in casualties among them and even having to switch to the night shift in order to avoid being attacked (135). He describes that "the "bosche" had blown two French men, two horses and a wagon into fragments"
“Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” – William Shakespeare
World War I, or “The Great War”, began in 1914 and ended in 1918. The devastation witnessed in those four years alone, caused nearly 9 million people to die and millions more crippled, grief stricken, maimed, or psychologically scarred. Considered by some to be the first man-made catastrophe of the twentieth century, many scholars still debate over the main underlying causes of World War I. Many things contributed to the war, changing the lives of many people, many of them still evident today. Beginning only as a European conflict, gradually it developed into a world war.
World War I changed the landscape of Europe, particularly France, like no war had ever before. The memoir, A Life of Her Own, depicts the experiences of Emilie Carles, a politically active French women. The memoir depicts the country’s history throughout, not only World War I, but most of the 20th century. Carles brother, Joseph, was caught in a German Prisoner of War camp for a good portion of the war. While there, he would write to the Carles and documented the horrors of war. The article A Republic of Letters: The Epistolary Tradition in France during World War I accurately demonstrates the letters exchanged between Joseph and his family throughout the duration of the war. The French economy needed an influx of workers to cope with the departure of abled bodied men while the war took place. For example, The Carles had to sacrifice any leisure time they had to deal with losing another worker on the family farm. These workers were replaced by immigrants. The impact of these new laborers is documented in Workers in France during World War I. The story of Emilie Carles and her family was just one of many examples of families that were dismantled emotionally and economically due to World War I.
The First World War, also known as the Great War, began in about 1914 and went on until 1918. This brutal war was an extremely bloody time for Europe and the soldiers that fought in it. These men spent their days in trenches holding down bases and taking in attacks from all sides. The soldier's only free time was consumed with writing letters to those on the home front. The letters they wrote contain heart breaking stories of how their days were spent and the terrible signs of war. The War consumed them and many of them let out all their true feelings of war in their letters to loved ones. In The First World War: A brief History With Documents we can find some of these letters that help us understand what the First World War might have
World War I was a time full of despair, it saw courageous soldiers valiantly defend our freedom, leaving families behind to face the prospect that their loved ones may never return. Upon the arrival of ANZAC’s in Gallipoli on the 25th of April 1915, the mateship strengthened with
World War One was a time when millions of men and women joined the military to fight, because of their desires, or because their government forced them. The major world powers were eager for the war, and all expected greatness. “The outbreak of the war was greeted with enthusiasm in the major cities of all the belligerent powers” (Howard, 27). Ernst Junger describes his experiences before and during the war in his book, Storm of Steel. He speaks about his negative experiences, but also promotes the positivity of the war and his German comrades. Louis Barthas describes his experiences in his book, Pouilu, mainly speaking about the negativity he deals with while serving for the French military. Barathas is never truly able to find his
In the opening remarks of the first chapter, Ernst Junger describes the idealistic origins of many of the soldiers called to action. Most of the soldiers drafted into the war were students and factory workers, all of whom lived a fairly sheltered life beforehand. Being drafted was seen as the adventure of a lifetime. They “shared a yearning for danger, for the experience of the extraordinary.” Much like his comrades, Junger had the same sense of adventure, seeing the war as merely a new challenge to conquer. After his first real experience with war however, his enthusiasm is quickly dashed. The harsh reality set in that this war was not, in fact, an adventure. Junger and the former schoolboys and craftsmen quickly learned that life in the trenches was a challenge of endurance. As the war persists, reality slowly sets in and Junger learns the true violent nature of the war and the constant threat of imminent danger through which he must persevere. Ernst Junger’s accounts in the memoir Storm of Steel show the reality of a soldier in World War I and the taxation of enduring such great trauma.
World War I: Soldier Diaries Between the years 1917 and 1918 the First World War transitioned from a trench warfare tug of war, to a stalemate on the western front. During this time both sides would launch their own offensive to capture ground and advance their war efforts. One of the most notable offensives was the Muese-Argonne offensive, which would last until the end of the war in 1918, and the battle of St. Mihiel. During both of the endeavors the AEF or American Expeditionary Force, consisting of about 2,000,000 men, would have to wade through horrible conditions through until the end of the war.
On June 28th, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated; his death would be the spark that ignited World War I. Spanning over the course of four years, World War I, due to new military technologies and the horrors of trench warfare, saw unprecedented levels of carnage and destruction. Soldiers in the trenches were surrounded by “inhumanity and depravity”; they could not escape the overwhelming boredom, the desire to kill, and the constant threat of disease and shellfire (Slade 1583). The war claimed the lives of more than 16 million people, and those who survived beyond the battlefield were forever altered.
David Kennedy’s Over Here: The First World War and American Society gives the reader an in depth description of American history during Americas involvement in World War I. The book covers from President Wilson’s war message to Congress on April 2, 1917 to the Armistice on November 11, 1918 pointing out major dilemmas within the country, whether they are political, social, or cultural. Kennedy starts the book out with a prologue that sets the scene. After the prologue, Kennedy jumps into explaining the war and the thoughts of the American people about the war that was carried into the battlefield. During this time, Wilson had just won his re-election of 1916, which was won by promising to keep America out of the war. So it was not hard to
World War I (1914-1918) was a war that changed world history forever. The technological, industrial, social and political advances that took place at beginning of the 20th century paved the way for today 's world. And the parties involved in World War I used those advances to create one of the first modern wars. For those reasons World War I is referred to as many things including, an industrial war, a war of attrition, and as a total war. These aspects is what makes the war so revolutionary and groundbreaking and equally as devastating. A novel that helps illustrate each of these categories is All Quiet on the Western Front (1928), by Erich Maria Remarque. The author tells a German soldiers experiences through the war. The book does not
Roman theatre initially began in 240 BC when Greek theatre was discovered and translated to Latin, then being brought to Rome. The first drama was held at Ludi Romani, the Roman Festival or the Roman Games. This occurred just before Rome became an empire in 27BC. There were many types of these festivals during a year for all sorts of reasons according to history. Theatre was, and is a diverse art form. It ranged from festival performances, street theatre, and acrobatics to eloquent tragedies.
Greek theatre and medieval drama were both very popular artistic events in their own periods of performance. However, from ancient Greece to the renaissance, time has set them apart in terms of methodology; their practitioners use a creative process based off of different mindsets. Therefore, the significant time lapse between the two genres has had an evident impact on the way theatre was perceived and presented. In comparing aspects such as religious motivations, conditions of violence and character development, the distinct theatrical natures of Greek theatre and medieval drama will be made apparent.
World War I, along with World War II and the rise of Marxist-Leninist states in Russia and China, is one of the defining moments of the 20th century. Parts of Europe lay in devastation and the United States found itself in an increasingly prominent place on the world stage. The United States’ decision to intervene in World War I meant that American soldiers would be fighting in foreign lands under brutal conditions. All aspects of society were rapidly changing as developments in technology and changing economic conditions redefined every part of everyday life. These developments along with World War I allow for the birth of Modernism. Modernism represents the uncertainty drudgery of contemporary life and the desire to achieve a new social order capable of overcoming the failures of the past. Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald present readers with two different accounts of modern life rooted in the same context of “American life.”
Imagine if it only cost you one penny to get tickets to a Broadway production. It would almost seem too good to be true! Well, back in the 1600s, in London, you could buy your way into a theater for as little as one penny. This price made it easy for anyone of any class to be able to partake in the festivities. Hence, the reason the theaters became so popular from 1562 to 1642. The theatres were very profitable based on the fact they were so popular in the community. The Elizabethan theatres were viewed as popular entertainment because of their fanciful attributes, their various events, and their several venues.