Why British Men Enlisted in the British Army in 1914

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Why British Men Enlisted in the British Army in 1914 When Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, Europe erupted. The Austro-Hungarian Empire invaded Serbia; Russia sends troops to its borders with Austria and Hungary. Germany declares war on Russia and France and marches into Belgium and Britain declares war with Germany and her allies. Although Britain already had a well-trained professional army, it was far too small to be able to stand a chance against the huge German army that was more than three times its size. As a result of this Lord Kitchener immediately went on a recruiting campaign calling on all men aged between 19 and 30 to enlist in the British Army. There was a huge response, during August and September 1914 736,000 Britons volunteered for the army. In this essay, I will explore the reasons why the response was so successful at the start of the war. The majority of men went out to fight out of a sense of patriotism, honour and duty. They loved their King and country to the extent that they felt it was worth dying for. They thought it was a matter of honour and duty to fight for the British Empire if a foreign force threatened it. Propaganda helped enforce the British portrayal the Germans as evil and sadistic. Every single atrocity that the Germans committed was reported at home. When an American passenger ship was sunk by German u-boats many people were shocked, their idea of war was something that only involved soldiers not civilians or traders. This inspired people to volunteer in the hope of finding a way of getting revenge. Things that happened in industrial cities like Scarborough, where German hot ... ... middle of paper ... ...If he does not think that you and your country are worth fighting for - do you think he is WORTHY of you?.' The glamour of a uniform and travelling to different countries also attracted a number of men. Men who had never travelled past the nearest town or city were after the chance of an adventure. And especially since every one expected the war to be over by Christmas it felt like a holiday for some. Patriotism, honour, duty as well as pride in ones town or city played a considerable part in explaining why men volunteered. Propaganda pushed men to enlist as a way of getting revenge for all the deaths in places like Scarborough committed by the Germans. Women too played a vital role in moving men to volunteer, particularly the Order of the White Feather which disgraced men in public by labelling them s cowards.

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