Why they wanted to join the army of their country enthusiasticly?
Why the people had such an attitude towards the war?
Here is some information(based on this information and own knowledge on WWI to answer the quesetion):
This is a dairy written by a British solder, George Coppard during the WWI.
Although I seldom read a newspaper, I knew about the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand at Sarajevo. News placards screamed out at every street corner, and military bands blared out their martial music in the main streets of Croydon. This was too much for me to resist, and I knew I had to enlist straight away.
I presented myself to the recruiting segeant at Mitcham Road Barracks, Croydon. There was a steady stream of men, mostly working types, queuing to enlist. The segeant asked me my age, and when told, replied, 'Clear off son. Come back tomorrow and see if you're nineteen, eh?' So I turned up again the next day and gave my age as nineteen. I attested in a batch of a dozen others
and, holding up my right hand, swore to fight for King and Country.
2006-10-16 06:05:50 · 6 answers · asked by History Lover 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
The world was very different almost 100 years ago. We were coming out of the age of expansionism and imperialism where blind patriotism would have been valued highly.
In England and the rest of Europe, you would be branded as a chicken (men who didn't sign up were given white feathers) or even a traitor if you didn't join up to support the war. In addition, since it was our FIRST world war, they didn't know how horrible it was going to be. Ignorance is bliss.
In other countries, more removed from Europe, such as the USA, the war was NOT supported to this degree. The US didn't even come into the war until it was almost over.
2006-10-16 06:11:49 · answer #1 · answered by Black Parade Billie 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sounds more like a memoir than a diary. Hindsight is frequently colored rosier than the events, however there are some interesting points there ... he admits to being young and ignorant, and there was a romanticism about war that led a lot of young men to enlist, in the US and in Britain.
The realities of the conflict - gassing, trench warfare, disease and vermin and bad food and foolish leaders and horrific new weapons (machine guns and tanks and improved ammunition - did not really strike home with these fellows until it was far too late.
So it goes. Each new generation refuses to learn from the mistakes of the preceding ones, and so makes the same stupid mistakes.
2006-10-16 06:12:23 · answer #2 · answered by Grendle 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nationalism and Ethnocentrism are my guesses.
There was a feeling of pride connecting people and where they were from as well as the feeling that their culture was superior than any other culture. By the time the US joined some of this had subsided, but because of Pearl Harbor, we felt it was our duty to exacy revenge.
2006-10-16 06:16:39 · answer #3 · answered by Mike Honcho 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cause they had no idea what it was going to be like .... they wanted to support there country. after about 2 years people stoped wanting to go so the government had to conscript them the only way you wouldnt have to go was it you had something worng with your vision hearing or was handycaped in some way but you would still have to play your part back at home making things for the war.
2006-10-16 06:11:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We yanks weren't so enthusiastic. In fact, didn't the USA have an isolationist policy and joined the war very late?
2006-10-16 06:09:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello dear!
I suppose we could call it: brainwashing!
For example, till now, the USA historians do not know why the USA took the part they took not the opposite!
2006-10-16 06:33:13 · answer #6 · answered by soubassakis 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋