Slides from the class!

1. Shell Shock: The War in Your Head:
Film Response #2: If War was a Musical
Oh! What a Lovely War (directed by Richard Attenborough, 144 mins., 1969)
Base your response on the film, the previously assigned readings, and
Boxwell’s “The Follies of War: Cross-Dressing and Popular Theatre on the
British Front Lines, 1914-18” (2002). 5% of grade.
Write a 3 page (typed, double-spaced) essay based on the questions posed
below.
Oh! What a Lovely War explores the myths and the music of World War I.
How do the songs reinforce the imagery of the film? How does this film
depict the myths of the Great War? In what ways does this film support
Boxwell’s article of the threatricality of World War I or war as a social drama?

3. 'Supply rabbit furs!
To dealers and breeding associations.
The Army needs them!'
'Fishermen, bring train oil!
Catch dolphins and seals...' 1917

4. The Battle Front by 1918
• Fussell “A perceptive observer could date corpses and skeletons lying on disused
battle fields by their evolving dress, (p. 50).”
• In 1918, Major P.H. Rilditch: “The progress of our successive attacks could be
clearly seen from the types of equipment on the skeletons, soft cloth caps
denoting the 1914 and early 1915 fighting, then respirators, then steel helmets
marking attack in 1916. Also Australian slouch hats, used in the costly abortive
attack in 1916.”
• War had gone on too long.
Subscribe to the 7th war bonds
1917

5. “Turnip Winter” (1916-17): Hunger
• Berlin official weekly rations for adult in winter of 1917: 2-6 lbs. of
turnips (rutabagas) or 2 lbs. bread if available, less than 2 oz. butter
and 1 oz. margarine. Government report stated that “lack of
enthusiasm” apparent as food/butter riots break out.
• Ersatz common: “War Bread” created in Oct. 1914 (potato starch
replaced flour). By summer 1917, 837 nonmeat substitutes for
sausages and cold cuts patented. Health issues: TB, rickets,
dysentery, typhoid fever
• Consumption reduced to 50% of normal level. Wartime deaths
related to malnutrition around 750,000

6. Fighting the War at Home:
• “Economic War” British Blockade and poor state planning led to
severe food shortages. Had relied on Russian grain and meat before
war.
• By 1917-18 Agriculture 60% decline from pre-war levels; GDP falls in
1917 to 76% of 1913 level. Black market thrives.
• Hindenburg Program in 1916 demands unrealistic munitions increase
(300% increase in shells and machine guns), cost of war rose from 36
million marks a day in 1914 to 136 million marks a day by 1918.
Creates VAST debt, devaluation of mark, destroyed financial security
• Gov’t favored credits to pay for war (taxes unpopular)

7. The Rising Cost of Living During World War I

8. 'Collect nettles!
If you want clothing and thread!'
1918.
'If the enemy’s hate and army win,
the workplaces will stand empty...'

9. This is how it would look in
German lands if the French
reached the Rhine.' 1918.
Bolshevism brings war, unemployment and famine. Association for
conquering Bolshevism - 1918

10. 1918 Spring Offensive: Maybe This Time?
Hindenburg and Ludendorff’s “pre-calculated” figure of 600,000
casualties but argued worth it
Gamble fails: Battle of Amiens, August 8, “the black day of the German
Army” (Ludendorff), mass capitulation of soldiers to British at Amiens.
Ludendorff sought immediate armistice,
Ludendorff blames home front poisoned by Marxism
Military “stabbed in the back”
Massed German POWs at a
clearing station after Amiens

11. The End is Near!
Peace Treaty of Versailles vindictive and humiliating (but remember T of B-L!)
440 articles with numerous appendices. Presented to Germany 7 May 1919;
given 3 weeks to accept. Germany to relinquish significant territory: West
Prussia to Poland; occupation of Rhineland for 15 years; cost of war and war
reparation and war guilt (see Article 231).
German statement: “The German people would thus be condemned to
perpetual slave labor.” Have to relinquish self-determination in internal
affairs and economic life controlled by international Reparation Commission.
To sign decree would be for Germans to sign their “own death sentence.”
Presents counter-proposals of demilitarization, territorial issues, and
payments but a no go.

12. Post-WWI Peace Settlements and Shattered Empires:
How to make a “good peace” after such a horrific war?
War of exhaustion
ends 11/11/18
Versailles Treaty
(1919)

13. Mass demonstration in front of the Reichstag against the Treaty
of Versailles

14. Peace?: Versailles, Victory, and Victimization
• Balance Sheet of dead: Between 10-13 million dead total, 37 million
military casualties, 30 million civilian casualties
• Germany 2 million
• Russia 1 ¾ million
• France 1 ½ million
• Britain just under 1 million (Civilian deaths 16, 366, much lower
than on continent) Over 6 million men served in Brit military, roughly 58%
of all Scots, Welsh, and Eng. Men aged 15-49 served, Irish 15%)
• Italy ½ million
• America 50,000 (a little over 2 million served)
• Canada 65,000

15. • Total of 3 million widows and 6 million orphans as estimate.
• For France and elsewhere, “Virtually an entire society was probably in mourning;
an entire society formed a community of mourning.” (Audoin-Rouzeau and
Becker, p. 212)
• Number of men killed as % of total population:
France 3.4%
Germany 3%
Austro-Hungary 1.9%
GB and Italy 1.6%
Russia 1.1%
Turkey 3.7%
Serbia 5.7%

23. Between the Wars:
Returning and Remembering (or not)

25. Ezra Pound and the whole Myth of the War:
“Mauberly” Stanzas IV and V (1920)