The Impact Of World War I On The Western Front

The advent of World War I brought forth new strategies and technology that had never before been seen on the front of war. The rapid industrialism at the turn of the century resulted in a distinct gap between the technological abilities of each nation’s armies, and their ability to psychologically deal with the horrors of war. From intensely powerful weaponry to the newly introduced chemical warfare, the new war tactics heavily impacted the average soldier and caused warfare as a whole to drastically change, with the war eventually becoming known as the first total war. Overall, while it is important to note the wide scale physical impact and heavy toll that the war had on every side, perhaps the most important effect to consider would be the psychological impact that the war had on the soldiers themselves, and how their motivations varied based on what they experienced during the war.
As already stated, we cannot ignore the physical impact that the war had on the countries involved. The western front is famous for its iconic trench warfare and images of ruined landscapes, blasted
During the period leading up to and including the beginning of the war, relationships between countries were far from peaceful; while there weren’t necessarily large wars breaking out in high frequency, there was certainly tension between them, and this is the cause for one of the main reasons given for soldiers wanting to join the war: nationalism.
(EXPAND about what nationalism at this time is.) Throughout their own accounts and other sources, there is a range of individual reasons — everything from “QUOTE” to “QUOTE” (sources), but all point having a certain pride in their country. ROBERT GRAVES QUOTE ABOUT COUNTRY AND
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However, despite this nationalism serving the soldiers well before the war, it also served as a key factor for them to stay in the trenches, and to keep fighting. During a time when masculinity was very much tailored to a certain set of values, each country’s nationalism was also tied to a set of values, and it was necessary to adhere to both should a soldier be a man of his country. Often, a soldier’s accounts of the other side is influenced by what values he saw to be important, and insulting them so — for example, EXAMPLE 1. It is not an extreme statement to conclude that each side viewed the other as men, but men who were not quite as civilised as their own; in the case of a German soldier, the other side would have been considered men, but not respectable, German men, and therefore they were not superior to German soldiers. Proving one’s own masculinity through heroism and bravery, and beating the other side in a strong show of force was what many young men believed they would be heading into at the beginning of the war, and as that image shattered and , the thought that they were doing an important duty for their country was one of the reasons that kept them going.