Author Topic: WWI, a thought (Read 521 times)

SMIDSY · « **on:** August 13, 2005, 05:40:39 AM »

was just thinking to myself about the soldiers in the first world war. and the more i think about it, the more i am amazed at the sence of duty of the average soldier. these men saw the waves of their comrades get cut down like grain, then without hesitation, charged to certain death simply because they were ordered to. even in the conscript army of france (not a crack at france, but at draftees).

how can men summon the courage to do such things?

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2005, 09:10:20 AM »

Equally astounding I have often asked this about the Civil war.

These guys set up in nice neat formations marching directly into the face of enemy fire.

Imagine being in the front line of that.

heh the one time I'd rather be at the back of the line thankyouverymuch

soda72 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2005, 09:41:46 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
Equally astounding I have often asked this about the Civil war.

These guys set up in nice neat formations marching directly into the face of enemy fire.

Imagine being in the front line of that.

heh the one time I'd rather be at the back of the line thankyouverymuch

Early in the Civil War men would laugh when they would hand out shovels to dig trenches. Hiding behind dirt or a tree was not seen as very manly. As the war progressed that attitude changed. Soldiers seeing time and time again their friends blown to bits realized that hiding behind a mound of dirt has a lot of appeal....

Cold Harbor, was a turning point for this... After making a frontal assualt against an entrenched confedrate line the union suffered over 10,000 causalities. When Grant ordered another assualt one commanding officer said that he would not go even if Jesus Christ order him to do so... It was the frist time troops on the front line said this is insane, wrong, and we aren't doing this anymore...

Gunslinger · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2005, 11:29:58 AM »

Yea there's not much to standing in a nice grouped line and exchanging fire with the enemy....except Guts that is.

This form of warfare was based on attrition. The person with the most men in the end would win the battle. This is why casualties would be so high and we'd end up losing more than a half million Americans by the wars end.

they allways taught us in boot camp that you didn't charge that hill or in there case climb the trench and run out into "no man's land" becuase you were brave or had a sense of duty. You did it because the guy next to you was going. In a sense you don't want to let him down. It's one of the most powerfull tools of leadership in warfare.

Zakhal · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2005, 11:34:39 AM »

I just watched the movie "fields of glory". Makes one understand more the german post-ww1 viewpoint with versailles treaty on their neck.

Gunslinger · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2005, 11:36:53 AM »

I still love the story about the two apposing lines that quit fighting over christmas, exchanged gifts, and even had a soccor match. IIRC those two units had to be transfered to different areas of the front because they refused to fight eachother.

Skydancer · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2005, 11:40:50 AM »

I think it was good old British stubborness that kept our men going over the top! That and the fear of being Shot!!!!

If you understand the terrible loss of life in Britain and France during WW1 you go a good way towards understanding why we were reluctant initialy to start WW2 and why when we did we were damn determined to bomb em to dust and not to let them start the third.

Zakhal · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2005, 11:58:17 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skydancer
If you understand the terrible loss of life in Britain and France during WW1 you go a good way towards understanding why we were reluctant initialy to start WW2 and why when we did we were damn determined to bomb em to dust and not to let them start the third. [/B]

France and britain got their "revenge" with versailles peace treaty.

Germans got nothing, instead they were punished more (like they didnt suffer enough in the war allready). WW1 left them with a lot anger which breeded the WW2.

Allies handled real well post-ww2. They didnt repeat the mistake and today.. europe is united (ok not without som little disputes). But still...all those people in great war didnt die for nothing. Look at as now!

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2005, 06:27:02 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Zakhal
europe is united (ok not without som little disputes). But still...all those people in great war didnt die for nothing. Look at as now!

Give em time. Give em time

Gunslinger · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2005, 06:30:20 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Zakhal
France and britain got their "revenge" with versailles peace treaty.

Germans got nothing, instead they were punished more (like they didnt suffer enough in the war allready). WW1 left them with a lot anger which breeded the WW2.

Allies handled real well post-ww2. They didnt repeat the mistake and today.. europe is united (ok not without som little disputes). But still...all those people in great war didnt die for nothing. Look at as now!

just wait till the EU bans all pointed kitchen knifes and assigns mandatory helmet laws for sidwalk strolling.

Zakhal · « **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2005, 07:20:17 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
just wait till the EU bans all pointed kitchen knifes and assigns mandatory helmet laws for sidwalk strolling.

Oh please my mother ate newspapers for hunger. What we have now is just kindergarten problems.

Gunslinger · « **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2005, 07:23:07 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Zakhal
Oh please my mother ate newspapers for hunger. What we have now is just kindergarten problems.

meaning you need a nanny

nanny = EU

just my thoughts

Zakhal · « **Reply #12 on:** August 13, 2005, 07:36:10 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
meaning you need a nanny

nanny = EU

just my thoughts

No she really did eat newspapers. It wasnt a joke. Poor people...hunger.

vorticon · « **Reply #13 on:** August 13, 2005, 08:58:33 PM »

whats duty got to do with it? sure if they went over the trenches they could get shot, but if they didnt they would be.

Hangtime · « **Reply #14 on:** August 14, 2005, 02:03:09 AM »

Surprised you guys missed the French take on WWI warfare.

Mutiny. In May 1917, their entire ARMY refused to fight.. and for the remainder of the war, the Commonwealth and the US carried the brunt of offensive operations.

That's right folks.. France, with the invader on her soil, had entire divisons refuse their orders to assault German Positions, leaving the dirty work to British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian troops. Took the arrival of US troops a month later, in June; to break the stalemate. French troops were never again used in an Alled offensive. Had the Americans not been in France the following spring the Allies would have folded under the weight of the German offensive (they defeated the Russians the previous fall). The result was the Germans, unable to sustain their very successful Spring 1918 offensive operations against the combined strength and reslove[/b] of the Commonwealth and American troops, the Huns would have won the war.