Conducting World War I
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues — My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
—Wilfred Owen, from “Dulce et Decorum Est” (1920)
Learning Objectives
- C: Explain how governments used a variety of methods to conduct war.
British poet Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est” is one of the most
famous war poems of the 20th century. Most of the poem describes the horrors of modern warfare, and the final lines of the excerpt, translated as “It is sweet and noble to die for one’s country,” he labels “The old Lie.” No previous war had involved as many nations from different parts of the world and none had killed as many soldiers and civilians.
At the outbreak of World War I, Britain was the only major power going into the war without universal conscription, compulsory enlistment in the armed forces. Realizing that patriotism could be contagious, the British Army began to recruit “Pals Battalions” made up of men who already knew each other. The first of these was made up of a group of stockbrokers from the City of London. Other Pals Battalions were recruited in cities throughout Britain, such as Liverpool and Manchester. Because the men who volunteered were friends or associates, these battalions were especially close knit. By the end of the war, one out of four British men had served in the military.
Sections
Changes in Warfare
The United States Enters the War
Total War
A Global War
The Paris Peace Conference
Think As a Historian: THINK AS A HISTORIAN: IDENTIfY SUPPORTING EvIDENCE
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Reflect
REFLECT ON THE TOPIC ESSENTIAL QUESTION
1. In one to three paragraphs, explain how governments used a variety of methods to conduct war.
AP Exam Practice
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