World War I
by Hunter Meredith
The Great War that raged from 1914 to 1918 was one of the bloodiest, most destructive conflicts in world history, resulting in the deaths of over nine million soldiers alone, to say nothing of the countless civilians caught in its wake. Many said after the war’s end that it had claimed the lives of an entire generation of Europe’s young men. Approximately twenty million more would still have to suffer from massive wounds later in life.
The conflict drew in all of the great world powers of its day and raged all across the continent of Europe and some ways beyond. While many had hoped for a quick end to the war, it became evident very quickly that it was going to be a long, prolonged slog. Trench warfare was the tactic of choice, with miles of trenches dug across the landscape as a defensive line for the combatants to hold. The result was always months of stalemate over a few miles of land.
The concept was unhealthy both physically and mentally. Soldiers were confined to a wet, crowded trench to live and sleep in, knowing that the enemy is only a stone’s throw away and could launch a new attack at any moment. All the while they’d have the knowledge that a mortar shell or gas canister could fall right on top of them. Not to mention that the damp living conditions, tight quarters, and the constant presence of rats trying to steal their food made the trenches a breeding ground for numerous diseases. About a third of the combatants would die to diseases like the Spanish flu rather than at the enemy’s hand.
The disillusioned men and women to survive the war produced many noteworthy writers that came to be known as “The Lost Generation.” Not the least among these authors were F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, and Ernest Hemingway. The latter had been an ambulance driver during the war and had seen more than his fair share of carnage.
His famous work The Sun Also Rises tells a story of confusion, resentment, and hopelessness in the wake of the Great War that all too many would have easily related to. An injured war veteran can find nothing to do with his life, and most of the relationships that he tries to cultivate with women and old friends end disastrously. A similar theme would emerge in the wake of the Vietnam War decades later.
by Hunter Meredith
The Great War that raged from 1914 to 1918 was one of the bloodiest, most destructive conflicts in world history, resulting in the deaths of over nine million soldiers alone, to say nothing of the countless civilians caught in its wake. Many said after the war’s end that it had claimed the lives of an entire generation of Europe’s young men. Approximately twenty million more would still have to suffer from massive wounds later in life.
The conflict drew in all of the great world powers of its day and raged all across the continent of Europe and some ways beyond. While many had hoped for a quick end to the war, it became evident very quickly that it was going to be a long, prolonged slog. Trench warfare was the tactic of choice, with miles of trenches dug across the landscape as a defensive line for the combatants to hold. The result was always months of stalemate over a few miles of land.
The concept was unhealthy both physically and mentally. Soldiers were confined to a wet, crowded trench to live and sleep in, knowing that the enemy is only a stone’s throw away and could launch a new attack at any moment. All the while they’d have the knowledge that a mortar shell or gas canister could fall right on top of them. Not to mention that the damp living conditions, tight quarters, and the constant presence of rats trying to steal their food made the trenches a breeding ground for numerous diseases. About a third of the combatants would die to diseases like the Spanish flu rather than at the enemy’s hand.
The disillusioned men and women to survive the war produced many noteworthy writers that came to be known as “The Lost Generation.” Not the least among these authors were F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S. Eliot, and Ernest Hemingway. The latter had been an ambulance driver during the war and had seen more than his fair share of carnage.
His famous work The Sun Also Rises tells a story of confusion, resentment, and hopelessness in the wake of the Great War that all too many would have easily related to. An injured war veteran can find nothing to do with his life, and most of the relationships that he tries to cultivate with women and old friends end disastrously. A similar theme would emerge in the wake of the Vietnam War decades later.