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The Reversal Of Attitudes During World War One

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Title Examining the reversal of attitudes during and after World War One explains the great acquiescence of World War One. Many people wonder why nations, politicians, and ordinary men and women were willing to make the huge sacrifices that the Great War required? In addition, many further wonder why the same war was so thoroughly rejected in its aftermath? Historians propose that nationalism was the driving force behind what urged nations, politicians, and other men and women to make this huge sacrifice. However, as the war dragged on, the heroism of the war faded and the actuality of what was happening on the battlefield caused a “rejection” of the war in its aftermath. One of the most powerful ways to spur a nation and its people to …show more content…

They say that this can be seen by looking at the fact that “the Great War period was the first time in which the machinery for mass large-scale propaganda existed, and people were subjected to it for the first time” (A-R&B 108). People were constantly reminded of the “greatness” of their cause and how each citizen must do his/her duty in the war effort. Additionally, propaganda was the determining factor in the countries’ prolonged support for the war since the constant media coverage of it assured people that what they were doing was the right thing. However, A-R&B contradict this by claiming that support instead came from “the nations’ emotional investment in the war…[support]was not simply the result of massive propaganda” (99). In fact, the propaganda that was seen was “horizontal propaganda,” utilized by citizens to garner enthusiasm for the war. Thus, during this time, there were examples of children’s books, journals, etc. all trying to support for the war effort. Additionally, they demonstrate how many recruiters decided that mass advertising actually had a negative effect on the process of recruitment and devalued the act of enlistment. Thus, recruitment campaigns had little influence from outside propaganda. Therefore, it was a sense of nationalism that convinced men to fight in the war. Throughout the war, Europeans believed that their initial feelings towards the war were justified. However, it

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