preview

World War 1 Pride Analysis

Decent Essays
Open Document

It is astonishing and heartbreaking to believe the pain and misery of millions happened purely because of the pride of a few. World War I is regarded as one of the most tragic events in history, killing more people than all previous wars in history combined. Simply, World War I was a gruesome, global war that was concentrated in Europe. One of the main causes of the War was national pride, which, ironically, resulted in the depression and hopelessness of soldiers and civilians across the world. Nationalistic and imperialistic leaders were willing to drag their country into war, in order to prove their country was the most powerful, deserved to have the most land, and had the most national pride. Unfortunately, this morale of the civilian population …show more content…

On the battlefield, soldiers had to endure deadly diseases, horrible weather, and live with the constant fear of death. On the other hand, on the home front, civilians were forced to maintain the labor force, ration food, and undergo attacks from the enemy. Although soldiers and civilians struggled throughout World War I in different ways, both lives were extremely miserable as they had to adapt to tremendous changes on the battlefield and on the home front, which rapidly diminished their hope and happiness greatly.
On the battlefield, a soldier’s mettle was constantly tempted by the horrible conditions of trench warfare that brought them so much misery and heartache. In trenches, not only were soldiers forced to share dirty, noxious, small areas with many men, but also a surfeit of lice. On the …show more content…

Firstly, with millions of men gone from fighting the war, women had to fill their position in the work force. They were recruited for labor in factories and on farms. Many women worked in railroads as well, which made the world appear to be “topsy-turvy” (later). Women were laboring like never seen before in order to provide income for their families. Unfortunately, this risk was not respected nor accepted by men. Although women worked longer hours, they did not receive half the amount their male co-workers earned. With these long hours, women could barely afford basis resources, and they couldn’t spend much time with their children. Also, there were many food shortages partly due to blockades by enemy forces. With nationalistic propaganda, people were encouraged to ration their food; however, as the war continued, food supplies dwindled, and civilians began to die from malnutrition. Lastly, and most horridly, with new innovative and deadly weapons, airplanes attacked cities to demoralize the civilian population. Houses were left “half-ruined” (Harrison 18), and civilians encountered the same revolting deaths as soldiers. Even with nationalistic propaganda, civilians’ pride and joy diminished once they were forced to labor, ration food, and undergo the brutality of air raids. What began as popular and happy

Get Access