The German ‘Landser’ The horrors of life in the front-line trenches has so often been described in lurid detail: the appalling suffering and loss of life, the fear and the monotony, the incessant artillery barrages, the rotting corpses, the damp, the cold, the mud, the rats and the lice.
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How did the Germans view ww1?
Germany has been heavily criticised for being ‘uninterested’ in the conflict, and for not doing enough to commemorate the centenary.
What did German soldiers think about going to war in 1914?
In 1914, German foreign minister Gottlieb von Jagow said dryly: “Soldiers who dream of peace are an absurdity.” Today, military personnel in all countries may be ready to go into battle in the hour of need, and some may dream of action – like the firefighter who hopes for a fire to fight.
How did Germany respond to ww1?
Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August and France on 3 August. Germany’s violation of Belgian neutrality and British fears of German domination in Europe brought Britain and its empire into the war on 4 August. These actions reflect the fears, anxieties and ambitions of the European powers.
What did German soldiers think of American soldiers ww1?
I have found your American Army the most honorable of all our enemies. You have also been the bravest of our enemies and in fact the only ones who have attacked us seriously in this year’s battles. I therefore honor you, and, now that the war is over, I stand ready, for my part, to accept you as a friend.”
Did Germany almost win ww1?
Yet Germany nearly captured Paris in 1914, crushed Serbia and Romania, bled the French Army until it mutinied, drove Russia out of the war, and then came oh-so-close to victory on the Western Front in 1918. Don’t underestimate the power of Imperial Germany.
Why is Germany blamed for ww1?
It’s a little more complicated than who started what but Germany gets the brunt of the blame for the war because of how the fight between Austria and Serbia escalated so fast, and no attempt was made to de-escalate it.
Who were the best soldiers in ww1?
6 American Heroes of WWI
- Alvin York. Sergeant Alvin York was once described as World War I’s “greatest civilian soldier,” yet he began the conflict as a conscientious objector.
- Frank Luke.
- Henry Johnson.
- 6 Soldiers Who Refused to Surrender.
- 6 Famous WWI Fighter Aces.
- Charles Whittlesey.
- Edouard Izac.
- Dan Daly.
Do they still find bodies from ww1?
Nine British soldiers who died in World War One have been buried more than a century after their deaths. Their bodies were discovered during engineering works in De Reutel in Belgium in 2018.
Who was the most powerful country in ww1?
The first grouping were the three most powerful states—Great Britain, Germany, and France. The second grouping were lesser in rank, but remained significant for the period—Austria-Hungary and Russia. A sixth power was Italy, but this newly unified nation was unpredictable and still suffered from internal problems.
Why was Germany so powerful in ww1?
Despite all political rhetoric of a “nation in arms”, conscription had not been fully implemented before 1914 for a mix of political, budgetary, and military reasons. Germany’s military had a well-trained reserve force, which gave the army a tactical advantage, especially in the early phase of the war.
How many German soldiers died in ww1?
2,037,000 German soldiers
2,037,000 German soldiers were killed in World War I. These losses were a military and demographic catastrophe which had enormously important political, social, economic, and cultural consequences.
Did Germany want a general war?
10. Did Germany want a general war? Germany wanted to replace Britain as the dominant global power, but needed more colonies.
What did British soldiers call the Germans in ww1?
Fritz
British troops tended to call German soldiers Fritz or Fritzie (a German pet form of Friedrich) or Jerry (short for German, but also modelled on the English name).
How did soldiers feel about ww1?
Disease and ‘shell shock’ were rampant in the trenches.
As they were often effectively trapped in the trenches for long periods of time, under nearly constant bombardment, many soldiers suffered from “shell shock,” the debilitating mental illness known today as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What did German soldiers call each other?
Boche (pejorative) Pronounced [boʃ], boche is a derisive term used by the Allies during World War I, often collectively (“the Boche” meaning “the Germans”).
Would Germany have won ww1 if the US didn’t enter?
It would have been a negotiated armistice or a German victory. The Allies alone could not possibly have defeated Germany. Without U.S. entry, there would have no Versailles Treaty, termed a “diktat” by Hitler, who used it to arouse Germany against the Weimar Republic and Wilson’s League of Nations.
Would Germany have won ww2 if the US?
Even with everything noted above, Germany and its European partners could have still won the war were it not for Germany’s declaration of war on the United States on December 11, 1941. It was really the only time Nazi Germany had actually declared war on an enemy, and it needed not to have happened.
What did Germany lose after ww1?
The Versailles Treaty forced Germany to give up territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland, return Alsace and Lorraine to France and cede all of its overseas colonies in China, Pacific and Africa to the Allied nations.
Who was most to blame for WW1?
The Treaty of Versailles, signed following World War I, contained Article 231, commonly known as the “war guilt clause,” which placed all the blame for starting the war on Germany and its allies.
Why did Germany get punished for WW1?
Intense negotiation resulted in the Treaty of Versailles’ “war guilt clause,” which identified Germany as the sole responsible party for the war and forced it to pay reparations. Germany had suspended the gold standard and financed the war by borrowing.