THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18

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THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18

• War broke out in Europe in August 1914.
• GB, France and Russia V Germany, Italy and
  Austria-Hungary.
• People thought the war would be over by
  Christmas.
• But, because of new weapons such as machine guns,
  both sides soon dug trenches for protection.

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The British government wanted to encourage men to
enlist for war. They said the war would be safe,
hardly any fighting, a good lark and over by
Christmas. They used advertising posters to
encourage this idea!
A picture of soldiers going Over the Top
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The reality of going over the top was very
different!
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Soldiers were expected to carry all of their
equipment with them at all times. They were
supposed to keep it clean and in good condition
they were British after all.
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How the uniform and equipment changed after just
three weeks in the trenches
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Posters always showed men ready and willing to
fight. They never showed the boredom of the
trenches or actual fighting taking place. Why do
you think the government showed no fighting?
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Conditions in the trenches

• Boredom there were long periods between
  fighting.
• Constantly walking in muddy water caused soldiers
  feet to rot trench foot
• Rats were everywhere, the size of cats, feeding
  off dead bodies.
• Mens bodies were covered in lice.
• They suffered from shell-shock due to the fear
  brought on by being constantly bombed.

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No smiling and relaxed faces No clean uniforms
Their equipment is scattered everywhere Boredom
and sleep are obvious
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Mass Devastation
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Freezing Winters
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The soldiers had very little decent food, and
what food they had was often attacked by
rats. These rats were the size of small rabbits
and badgers because they had fed on the
decomposing bodies of dead soldiers.
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Trench Foot
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