The Attitudes of British Soldiers to their Commanders During the First World War
On their own they are not very useful to a historian studying the
attitudes of soldiers to their commanders in World War I. However, if
used together and with some of my own knowledge, they could be useful
in creating a picture of what the attitudes of soldiers towards their
commanders were like.
Time would have been a major influencing factor on the attitudes of
the soldiers to their commanders. As the war went on and the soldiers
began to realise that they weren’t getting anywhere they would begin
to doubt their commanders. This coupled with the volume of casualties
would have made them increasingly distrusting of their leaders.
The difference in rank would also have affected the soldiers’ view of
their leaders. A soldier would have had more respect for a more
junior officer, as they would have been experiencing the same
conditions as the regular solders. The generals, however, were often
behind the lines and would not have known the privates that they
commanded. The relationship between low ranking soldiers and generals
is shown in Source B. It describes the general and his staff as being
‘incompetent swine's’. Source B was written by a junior officer who
had plenty of experience in the trenches. The poet, Seigfried
Sassoon, had been promoted through the ranks to become a junior
officer and in 1917 protested to his commanding officer about the
prolongation of the war.
Probably the biggest thing that would affect the relationships between
soldiers and commanders would be pals battalions. They would have a
completely different view to a regular battalion who would have had
some military experience as a pals battalion had none whatsoever, only
maybe one or two of them having been in the army before. Pals
battalions also knew each other before the war. The officers directly
above them would also have been known to the men. They would have
been their bosses at their place of work or another position of
World War Two, like other great wars, impacted the lives of many people, and although widely remembered in a negative light, World War Two changed the social attitudes of the majority. Especially in the Borough of Bexley.
Operational leaders see how the individual components of an organization fit together and use those individuals work to make a larger outcome. When they focus on a problem, they think of what works best within the process and systems to make an impact on the situation. These types of leaders play a big part in making sure that things get done in an effective and functioning manner. According to the Army Doctrine ADP 6-0, the Army over time has strayed away from operational leaders and adapted Mission Command, which gives leaders the ability at the lowest level the capability to exercise disciplined initiative in an act of carrying out the larger mission . Mission Command is made up of the following six steps: Understanding, Visualize, Describe, Direct, Lead and Assess, in which a commander is responsible for. General Patton understood the intent of the Battle of the Bulge on different levels, he was able to form a mental image for the course of actions for the allies, enemies and lead his Army into combat while guiding his officers and soldiers to succeed in meeting his intent. The Battle of the Bulge is where General Patton gained one of his greatest military achievements by using his tactical leadership and logistical genius, which in return helped him turn around the main forces and forced the Germans to drive back in their final counter-offensive. General Patton strongly exercised Mission Command by understanding, visualizing, leading, and commanding what was known as the largest and bloodiest battle during World War II.
To illustrate, according to Churchill, it indicates the worst side of World War I as how it was the most damaging and cruel war of humanity because it was global and wounded most people. Moreover, it confused the thought of how the war started, who was responsible for the war, and how it ended up, and no one still got a right answer, but the previous war was not cruel that kill most of the people around the world. It was well known who started the war and whose fault it was. Also, Generals in WWI were not participating directly with their soldiers and were sitting far from the wars with having information through telephones. Therefore, they had less effects on their soldiers, and the armies did not get encouragement from their Generals as in the previous wars had, such as the physical battle of Hannibal and Caesar, Turenne and Marlborough, Frederick and Napoleon. Another point of view in the essay is that Generals as Napoleon have hard work to do in order to attack a place. For instance, they should organize their armies, have better tactics and plans, know how to defeat themselves, know the right time of attacking, and make big decisions. Hence, it is the deal of thousands of men’ life including the General himself in the previous wars, but the World War I was only the armies and citizens as well were the victims, so Generals were disappearing. That’s why
All Quiet on the Western Front shows the change in attitudes of the men before and
too pushed the men they knew too join the army as they believed it was
In his book, My Fellow Soldiers, Andrew Carroll tells the story of World War I through the eyes of the American participants. He uses quotes, personal letters and diaries, from an array of characters, to depict a day in the life of a WWI warrior. Though, he narrows his focus on the untold story of General John J. Pershing, a US army leader. He uniquely talks about the General's vulnerable and emotional side. "Pershing was notoriously strong-willed, to the point of seeming cold, rigid, and humorless, almost more machine than man" (p.XVIII). Pershing is commonly recognized for his accomplishments during the war and remembered for his sternness. He was "…especially unforgiving when it came to matters of discipline" (p. XVIII). Nicknamed "Black Jack" due to his mercilessness towards his soldiers, in this book, Pershing is portrayed as a General with much determination and devotion to his troops, family, and close friends.
Warfare has always been experienced differently by men and women. In many cases, men are in the frontline and face different conditions as compared to women who are on the home front. World War I is one of the most discussed wars that the world has experienced so far. The sheer extent to which the war affected people in different countries around the different continents around the world is appalling. The structure of the society was shaken by World War I. People no longer lived according to the norms they had known before. Both men and women had to adjust in order to fit the societal experience brought about by the war. Though suffering was experienced by both men and women despite where they were during the war, their experiences were completely different thus making it important to look at these experiences from a deeper perspective.
The Battle: The Story of the Bulge is not a book about how the American’s used sheer numbers and force to overcome the Germans. It is a story of how the GI, who was independent, cocky, and had poor garrison etiquette, overcame the odds and became an unlikely strong adversary thus winning the battle. I can relate to the GI because I find myself at times to be cocky and not always wanting to take orders I don’t agree with. I think this relation helped me to understand some of the emotions the soldiers expressed throughout the
The same idea of an unwavering hierarchy that extends beyond title and into the deep roots of merit are inherent in both concepts. Even dealing with other branches of service, there are certain expectations to be upheld when dealing with an officer, a senior enlisted, and even with your peers. Officers are saluted by enlisted members, just as junior enlisted members stand at parade rest when addressing Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO). This level of respect would continue on into a civilian environment, although no saluting would be present in civilian attire. For example, a lower enlisted member could be at a restaurant or a bar over the weekend and happen to see his Company Commander. Even out of the work environment and military setting, the should still subtly take each other’s rank into account with everything said, such as a “Sir” every now and then from the enlisted member as well as avoiding certain comments that could get a soldier in trouble when dealing with his Chain of Command. This same level of military bearing will also carry on into encounters with civilians as military members and prior service member can almost always be spotted in a crowd with relative ease. Bearing can be taught at a basic level, but one must have the initiative to follow the guidance set before them and behave a certain
Respect to me is admiring someone for their abilities, qualities, or achievements. I think respect is always earned an can never be given. As soldiers soldiers we should always respect our peers because they have made the same sacrifice as us. But as soldiers we should have a higher level of respect for our NCOs because they have done their time an have earned it. Being respectful is not hard it is simple, just treat others the way we would like to be treated ourselves.
"...no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both."
Brotherhood #1 Erich Maria Remarque’s copy of All Quite On The Western Front clearly demonstrates the importance of comradeship throughout the novel. Comradeship is another word for friendship, meaning that the role of having friends throughout the war is most definitely important and useful for making these 19 year-old boys strive to survive through loads of chaos. These boys are the only ones who don’t have family or anyone really to look to get back to after the war, making it really hard for them to have purpose and not act like this as a “suicide” mission.
Cavalry has been used for many years, including throughout the Civil War and World War 1. Through looking at the types of cavalry, the breeds of horses they used, and the success they had, one can see how important cavalry truly was to the Civil War. In addition, through exploring the uses of cavalry, the breeds of horses used, and the struggles that were faced, one can also learn of the difficulties cavalry experienced in World War 1.
In document thirteen, we encounter a letter written by a young English soldier fighting the Germans from the woods. He starts his letter by explaining how once again he was forced to be out in the trenches for forty-eight consecutive hours. The letter, addressed to his parents, illustrates how devastating it can be for a young man out at war. When he asked for time alone they told him to take a group of men with him and after a bit of difficulty they finally let him go off on his own. While he is out on a stroll he comes across a German trench and kills an officer, he does the same thing the next day. By the end of the letter he simply defines the experience as awful.
Men were by far the most affected by the war, due to the Conscription Act that was passed in 1916. This included all men aged 18-40 who were able to fight against the triple Alliance. The number of volunteers were decreasing, because of circulating news reports of the horrifying experiences and the living conditions the men were expected to live in. War’s glamorous side was destroyed and replaced with fear. With Britain’s army diminishing, they had to bring in conscription to maintain the necessary numbers of troops. Not all men agreed with this measure and those who opposed conscription were known as conscientious objectors. These men were usually pacifists or highly religious individuals, who were treated like criminals by society; many were assaulted and publicly humiliated. These men were forced to take on jobs that aided the military. The men that refused this alternative to fighting were either sentenced to death or put in solitary confinement. This exhibits the extreme mea...