France, Eastern Front July 31, 1914 Dearest Mother, It's been three days since the Austrian-Hungarian empire launched an attack on Serbia . Now, we British soldiers are preparing for what is going to be the battle of Life and Death. My veins are pumping so much of excitement, and anxiety, but most importantly, of pride for the motherland Great Britain. You can hear the cries of the soldiers, "All hail, England!" Ah it feels good being a British soldier! Those damn Germans will pay for this and anyone who is standing in the way of the Allied Powers. I wish you were here to see this. It is very different from past wars we have discussed at home. We soldiers live in trenches. They are dug-out locations, about 6-8 ft deep where we rest or get prepared to head out towards the Western Front. I have to quite say they are quite disgusting. Rats the size of my arm roam around these holes. I guess now we are taking control of their territory. There are many parts of the trenches. The first part is where the soldiers are and they fire from here in case if any incoming enemies. The second trench, the cover trench, is in case the enemy passed the first one. It was more of a back-up trench, if you quite say. The third trench is where we rest when we are off-duty. It's not the cleanest or the nicest, but we try to make ourselves comfortable. The fourth trench has all our supplies: ammunition, food, you name it. In front of the first trench is barbed wire and in front of that is the infamous No Man's Land . It's a scary, rotten place where once you're in, you don't get out. But you know me, mama, I am a strong boy. I'm not scared of these things. Oh I forgot to mention! You know Andrew, the boy whose father owns the bakery we always go to... ... middle of paper ... ...ant to go home to you, mama. I am ashamed to be a part of this so-called wonderful country of England. The trenches are disgusting, filled with rats and falling bodies. The smell of death is near and we fear it. Brandon is now shell-shocked. He has lost his brother. Life will not be the same. This may be my last time writing to you. I don't know if I will live tomorrow. I'll probably just get shot and have my body lay on the hard ground. You'll probably get a report from the General saying I have died in war. I'm sorry, mama. I don't mean to frighten. I just want you to know I love with all my heart. You are the only one I got. Dad's not here anymore and it's just you and me now. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to see you live a life without me. I don't know what to do. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't care whether we win or lose the war. I just want to go home.
The film “Slaughter in the Trenches” shows us a big part of how terrible the World War 1 was. Men, who signed up to serve in the war, were signing up for their death. Thousands of men fought in the war, but only few hundred survived. Many of these men who did survive, became pieces of evidence of the warfare to show the world what a war does to people. The film introduces us to the trench warfare and does a great job of portraying the war, the lives of the men, and the countries that participated in it.
Life on the Western Front During World War One A dispassionate look at the numbers of the horrendous casualties sustained by the armies of the Allies and the Central Powers on the Western Front in WW1, clearly indicate that these casualties figures are far inferior to what might be anticipated if, indeed, total war had reigned in every location, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and along all the 475 miles of trenches that extended from the North Sea to Switzerland. A couple of simple examples will readily make the case. Imagine two front-line trenches separated by only 20 to 30 yards of ‘No Man’s Land’ (in some extraordinary situations, distances were even less). A determined and prolonged effort by a few hand-grenade bombers on either side could make any hope of a sustained tenancy quite impossible. Again, given the accuracy and rapidity which trench mortars could be deployed against routinely manned trenches (one battalion per 1,000 yards) and their associated dug-outs, a quite short, but determined, and mutually hostile, barrage could readily reduce both trench systems to total ruin.
Soldiers' Account of Trench Life Life in the trenches was horrific; the frontline soldiers dreaded having to return to them. During their tour of duty there, they lived in considerable tension. The trenches were far from safe; possibly one third of all casualties on the Weston front were killed or wounded in the trenches, mostly from artillery fire. In this essay I will be discussing and comparing the accuracy and differences between the soldiers' accounts of the trenches and official accounts composed by the government.
It seems that everyone’s father is going off to join the militia. Mine left to join just a few days ago. John and Timmy begged him to let them come, but Father refused, telling them, “You’re too young. Maybe in a few years, if we haven’t won yet.” It was awful, seeing him go and not knowing if he would return. I miss him already, but Mother says he’ll be all right. I’m not sure if I believe her or not. We have a lot more work to do at home now with Father gone. I don’t think the boys will be staying in school much longer. We need them more here. I personally dropped out of school several years ago.
What would you do if you knew that you were endangered of being killed? Following the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, more than 1,000 Jews were killed on 4 September in bombing raids on the nearby village of Sulejow,where they had fled before the advancing German army. It is September of 1939,and the persecution of the Jewish residents has begun immediately. Jewish men were caught in the streets and random killings and beatings become very common. Although over 2000 have managed to escape you are still in much danger. The occupation has begun to grow throughout the neighboring towns and cities, including Warsaw, Lodz, Belchatow, Kalisz, Gniezno and Plock. Although it might be intriguing to stay and try to fight off the German army, you must not fight, and go in to hiding so you have protection, and can stay with your family for as long as possible and be safe, during this dangerous time.
This excerpt not only give the reader a clear idea of what is physically happening in the trenches, but the language used and in particular, the incoherent shouting in the first line also implies the confusion of the situation, as if the author can recall no more than a blur of it.
The stars illuminate the sky making every move visible. I have to hide under the trench walls at night, so that the light the stars provide won’t reveal where I am. To the enemies on the hills and in the aircrafts above. The nights are so loud, I can barely even hear myself think over the loud noises the circling aircrafts are
The air was warm, the beams of sunlight shined on my skin, and the sweet laughter of my daughter came as she ran about. I could hear the bark of the neighbor’s dog in the distance, the scraping sound of a jogger's sneakers on the gravel sidewalk and I could smell the sweet aroma of the ripening peaches coming from the tree in our backyard. It was a brilliant summer day just like any other. My husband, Matthew, pulled in. Our daughter ran to him as he walked up the drive, “Daddy, Daddy,” she shouted as she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him with love. My husband sat beside me and began to speak. My heart began to beat slowly and erratically at first, my eyes began to burn in their sockets and a lump rose in my throat. The hair on my arms stood on end as my eyes began to fill with tears. “I got orders babe, I’m going to be shipped out in eight days.” These words my husband spoke would be the begging of a whole new life, a whole new fear. This day my life changed forever. On this day I learned my husband was going to be deployed.
A big "celebration" dinner was planned for John's going away. All of his family and close friends came to enjoy good food and fellowship before leaving in the morning. His parents were to drive him to the airport where he would fly to the army base. The same base his father trained at many years ago. John's father was proud of his son, but also a little concerned, for he realized the seriousness of this war.
"First World War.com - Feature Articles - Life in the Trenches." First World War.com - A Multimedia History of World War One. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2011. .
I am making this letter to thank you, and all veterans that have helped our country and me. I feel very grateful that you would give up your life and freedom for this country and its people. I understand that veterans day used to be called Armistice day. I also understand that you and many other military people have helped save and protect our country's freedom and faith. Veterans day is a day to thank and respect all military soldiers. All people have someone in the family, dead or alive, that has served in the military at one point in time,and they should treasure it and if your family doesn't treaser you then they need to start and do it quick because any military solider is special and should be thanked every day even if it isn't veterans
Trench warfare became a common practice in World War One, leading to a war of attrition. Both the Allies as well as the Germans enacted similar basic defense strategies and dealt with many of the same debilitating trench conditions. Trenches were built in an elaborate networking system, with three major sections, the front lines, the support, and the reserves. There was a rotation schedule for soldiers in the trenches, so that each regiment served time at the front lines. Trench conditions were horrendous including rodent infestation as well as unsanitary living spaces; many were infected with diseases such as trench foot with most trenches were filled with dead corpses for weeks after they were first killed. Defense mechanisms included creating dense fields of barbed wire in No Man’s Land, between the enemy trenches, in order to prevent an attack on the trench. Trench sanitation and defense were not the only reasons for the stalemate connected with World War One. The weather played
Son, after I'm gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy's country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open (Ellison 430).
When one thinks of war they think of one side attacking the other, but in this war we spend much of our time in damp, muddy trenches, which smell of sewage and rotting corpses. The sun is high so we all lay low in the trenches to avoid sniper fire. So I sit and rest enjoying the break, using the time to clean my bolt-action rifle. My fellow brothers-in-arms are busy taking care of everyday tasks such as personal hygiene or writing letters home.
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.