WWI Battles & The Canadian Corps
The CEF in Action - How did the battles and fighting of World War One affect us as a nation?
Today's class will be spent examining 4 key battles in detail - Ypres, Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele. It is important that we understand the basics about these wars, but also their significance. Which battle was characterized by the first use of biological weapons in WWI? Which battle was the first to utilize the power of tank warfare? Which battle was considered to be Canada's greatest victory in the Great War?
Class Activity
1. WWI Battles Activity Sheet - if you lose it, you can download it on the side.
Homework Activity: Use the internets...
PART ONE: Examine trench warfare up close. Take a look at the 4 virtual tours by the BBC.
PART TWO: Choose one of the following topics below, and then answer the questions for the topic by commenting on this post. NOTE: You must leave your first/last name to receive marks & your post will not appear until I have approved it. You only need to send it once. You will receive a mark out of 5 for your post - you will be assessed on your level of analysis and your clarity. Please spell-check your answer, and indicate which topic you chose.
Topics: CHOOSE ONE AND RESPOND.
- Click on the link and choose a minimum of 2 different topics to read about from the lists.
- In your post, comment on at least TWO things that you found interesting.
- Skim the article, and write down 2 things that you found interesting about shell-shock, and its impact on the soldiers and/or their families.
- Skim the article, and comment on whether or not you believe that corporal punishment should have been used to punish soldiers in WWI. Explain your reasoning.
- Read over the introduction, and then select the section 2 "Tanks on the Western Front" and one other section of your choice.
- Comment on 2 interesting things that you learned about tanks.
Extension Activity:
Go to the Fun and Games section on the right side of the blog and play the trench warfare game. It's pretty fun. I haven't figured out how to win yet, but i'm trying.
2. I found that men getting stomach cramps when they stab thier foes in the abdomen quite interesting because it seems like they feel what their foes feel when they get stabbed. I also thought that getting nightmares when you were wide awake were interesting. The impact on these soldiers was huge. They cannot live a normal life after being diagnosed with shell shock. They wont be able to communicate properly with other people. The person wont be able to do much by himself. He would need help with alot of things. How can he raise his family if he has shell shock? Nightmares would also effect the person. They would remind the soldier of his experience during the war and he would feel scared all over again. Shell shock has a great effect on people.
ReplyDeleteI chose ‘Trench Warfare’ and I read about trench rats and no man’s land. I found out that the rats were attracted by corpses, and the food scraps. The trenches were swarming with the rats because one pair of rats can produce 880 offspring in a year. Some of those rats were as big as cats and it should have been threat to the soldiers. The rats fed on the corpses, and when I think of it, it’s disgusting! Small patrols were sent out to the no-man’s land at night to obtain information about the enemy which I think was a horrible thing to do. The soldiers, crawling on their stomachs, in no-man’s land which was filled with dead bodies and shell craters, should have been scared to death. The war was terrible-_-
ReplyDeleteSomething really bothered me: The 'Boy Soldiers' article made a mistake.. typed "men" twice :P
ReplyDeleteAnyways, what I found interesting in the 'Boy Soldier' article was that young soldiers would do almost 'anything' to get into the army. Many boys faked their birthdates and got in because the recruiting officers didn't check their details thoroughly (for they were desperate).
In the article 'Poison Gases', the interesting part was that they would use these dangerous chemicals to kill many soliders. At least gas masks were invented soon.
Mat Teoh, Block G: shell shock during world war one
ReplyDelete1) Shell shock affected not only the soldiers who produced gratutious amounts of carnage in the front lines, but also officers too. I found it interesting that in the hospitals, there were only six soldiers for every officer suffering from shell shock.
2) I thought that the pyschological trauma from shell shock only involved depression, but a soldier who had fought in the war would also experience wierd feelings such as in their head or abdomen, where they had stabbed other people before.
After looking at the interesting virtual tours, I have decided to do Topic 1: Trench Warfare - Information to comment on.
ReplyDeleteI read Trench Rats and Lice, and I found things that are quite new and informative to me.
1) Despite WW1 used a lot of "new" technology at that time, soldiers are still suffering two ancient weapons from nature, insects and rodents and the diseases from them .
2) The treatments of dead bodies and wastes from finished meals are essential for a troop to fight efficiently in WW1
I read the "Shell Shock" article. I found it interesting that Soldiers who had bayoneted men in the face developed hysterical tics of their own facial muscles. Stomach cramps seized men who knifed their foes in the abdomen. Snipers lost their sight. This took a huge burden on the families of these soldiers because they had to put up with the anxiety of the soldiers. Even thought they didn't die, they still didn't come home the same people they were before being drafted.
ReplyDeleteThe two things I found interesting in the “Shell Shock During World War One” article were the medical symptoms of shell shock and the amount of people affected by shell shock.
ReplyDeleteSome of the symptoms of shell shock were directly connected to how the soldiers harmed the enemy. Soldiers who had pierced the enemy in the face had frantic spasms of their own facial muscles. Men who struck their foes in the belly suffered from constant stomach cramps. Snipers lost their sight. Nightmares constantly haunted the dreams of soldiers.
World war one resulted in 80 000 cases if shell shock. One seventh of discharges based on disabilities were due to shell shock. If you take physical damage out of the picture, one third of all discharges were because of shell shock. The ratio of officers to men who served at the front was 1:30, but patients in hospitals who had war neuroses, the officers-to-men ratio was 1:6. With this, medics concluded that everyone would “snap” at some point,” no matter how tough or weak, brave or cowardly the soldier might be.
Ishan Bhutani, Block 3/C
ReplyDelete1. Trench Warfare
Things I found interesting:
- All soldiers recieved rum, wine and brandy although there was a shortage of food available for them.
- Soldiers suffered shell shock due to the enemies' heavy artillery. This caused many issues which could affect soldiers fighting in hte war. Even though this gave the solders symptoms that could lead them tho their own death, it still wasn't enough to get many ordinary soldiers out of the war!
- The conditions of the war were terrible. Many soldiers would rather shoot themselves to get a leave than serve in the front lines. Even though many soldiers had taken this harsh step, instead of being asked to leave the war, they were shot by firing squad or prisoned.
Two things I found interesting in "Trench Warfare - Information" were:
ReplyDelete1) How their "iron rations" didn't last long, and if the soldiers ran out of food, they were sometimes forced to retreat from land they won from the enemy
2) I found it funny that at the Etaples Base Camp, little french boys would run along the road next to the soldiers asking for chocolate, smokes etc, and offered their sisters' "company" for 5 francs
Trench Warfare
ReplyDelete-All men had to take turns and patrolthe enemies trenches. This was extremely dangerous because they cautiously moved their way to the enemy’s trench and spy on them. No one in the higher rank have went on a patrol.
-They made a tunnel underneath the enemies trenches and plant mines beneath the enemy defensive positions and explode it. However, making this tunnel would take at least an year.
Matthias Meller / Block C
ReplyDeleteI read about the tanks and I found interesting:
- I thought Leonardo da Vinci, one of the best polymaths ever, was considered to be the inventor of the Tank with his early designs of an armoured military machine with canons or the like. Apparently there were also the Scots which used something tank-like for the first time in the 15th century. Funny about the creation of the tanks is that the producers seemed to be inspired a little bit by a short story called "The Land Iron Clads" by HG Wells.
- Another point: I was suprised, that the most of the people/soldiers first laughed about these new military machines, because I think tanks are more scary than funny, even if you see them for the first time.
BTW: Just to let you know, the links from "Sample Provincial Exam" to "Key Verbs ..." in the section "Provincial Exam Prep" don't work anymore. They seem to have expired or so. You should check them.
Trench Warfare
ReplyDelete- (alcohol in the trenches) Soldiers were provided with average of 300gallons of rum. They were usually provided after an attack or in the winter to keep their body temperature warm. French and Germans were more generous providing their soldiers wine and brandy. I think this was a good method to keep the soldiers satisfied and warm.
- (snipers) Germans and British both had snipers who mainly worked during dawn in no man’s land. They had telescopic sights so it was easy to shoot someone at night. British used fake trees while Germans used kites with English writing on it. If any of the British snipers raised their heads to read it would’ve been shot. I believe this was one of the most dangerous and nerve racking job because you never know when you’ll get shot.
Hamsa Al-attar, BK:3 said.....
ReplyDeleteAs I read about the "Trench Rats" and "Trench Foot", first of all I was surprised by the number of offspring that can be produced (880) every year by a single pair of rats. I could only imagine those soldiers' lives in the trenches. With all the dirt, disease, and horrible punishments, rats competed with them on food and the area. They were attracted by the buried corpses, which they fed on and grew to the size of a cat. They threatened their lives as they grew in size and in population; they attacked wounded soldiers and stole food from their pockets. As we discussed last class about how those dead bodies were used as sand bags and eventually eaten by rats, I realized that war made death seem normal.
Also, as I read the Trench Foot, i was disturbed by the picture and very disgusted however sorry for the soldiers. Gangrene was an awful disease caused by the cold and wet life conditions of the trenches. The soldiers had to suffer the disease, where they eventually had to cut the infected part of their body. I was surprised that over 20000 men in the British army had the disease. Yet, I was glad that later the soldiers were given time to change their socks twice a day and were given rubber boots to protect them. All and all war was the worst thing a man could get into.
Hello, My name is Brian Tran, I have chosen the topic "Shell Shock"
ReplyDeleteTwo things i found very interesting about this was that, all soldiers even officers could experience shell shock. it seems to be that shell shock is so horrifying that no matter how many stripes you have on your jacket, you can be as weak as a little boy and a laughing clown. Being bayoneted in the face sounds harsh and I can see how it effects the soldiers in the way it did, and because of these actions the soldiers did, they are scarred for life. Dreams, visions, flashbacks, twitching, and screams all come back to them in the slightest crack. One trigger could set them off and make them scream for help. This was extremely terrible, insomnia occurs and there is nothing you can do about it because its in the brain, it is not physical in any way so asking for help would mean therapy, massages, hypnosis was even tried. The families of these poor men are most likely very traumatized as well, they have to live with the screams, have the sons explain to them what happened and go through all the pain they had to go through... It sounds intense and i hope i don't have to go to war.
Thank you good night.
(I tried this earlier, wouldn't let me post, forgot about it until this late. look what socials has done to my brain.)
VinÃcius Biela / Block C
ReplyDeleteI read "Trench Warfare" and I read the topic about "Alcohol In The Trenches", and I found out that each division (20,000 men) received 300 gallons of rum, and it was distributed after, rather than before an offensive, and it was issued in the cold winter's morning - the French and German armies were more generous and supplied their soldiers with daily amounts of wine and brandy.
I also read the topic about "Blighty Wounds" and I found out that some soldiers that was desperate to come back to their towns would shot themselves in the foot in an attempt to end their time on the frontline. Self-inflicted wounds (SIW) was a capital offence and if discovered, the soldier would face execution by firing-squad. But none of them were executed, but they all served periods in prison.
Some soldiers killed themselves, and the usual method of suicide was to place the muzzle of their riffle against the head and press the trigger with their bare big toe. Others stood up on the fire-step and allowed themselves to be shot by an anemy sniper.
And I read the article "Boy Soldier" and I found out that there was twelve years old boys who faked their birth date to sing up for the armed forces because they thought that it would be fun, and the army, desperate for soldiers let these children to go to the frontline.!
Ujjval Suri
ReplyDeleteSocials 11, Block 2
Article chosen: 'Shell Shock During World War I"
I approached this article with the thought of shell-shock being almost identical to post-traumatic stress disorder. I was surprised to read that there are different areas in the body for shell shock to take its toll. It isn't just "all in your head".
This video of soldiers who went through this gives justice to the quote: "...a soldier who suffered a neurosis had not lost his reason but was labourig under the weight of too much reason..."
--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS1dO0JC2EE&feature=related
It was interesting to read that many soldiers took shell shock as a negetive implication on their manhood: "Men arriving at Netley Hospital...were greeted with silence: people were described as hanging their heads in 'inexplicable shame'".
The part of this article that really got my attention was the description of what some soldiers might have gone through: "Soldiers who had bayoneted men in the face developed hysterical tics of their own facial muscles.", and so forth.
fin. :D
I read Blighty Wounds/ Self Inflicted wounds.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to find out that the punishment for a SIW was death, but even more surprised that of the 3894 men convicted of such, none had this punishment imposed upon them.
I was also surprised to find out that all soldiers were supplied with rum, more often after a battle than before it.
Christian Bruegmann
ReplyDeleteSocials 11 Period 7
I read "Trench Warfare" and the topics i chose where "Trench Rats and Self-Inflicted Wounds"
In the trench rats, i found very interesting on how big the rats actually got. I can't imagine what the soldiers had to live through everyday with finding rats the size of a cat eating on the dead corpses. You already have to suffer smelling all those decomposing bodies and now you have to look at these rats eating on them. I would have puked already and wouldn't stand it.
In Self-Inflicted Wounds, I was really amazed on how many soldiers were suspected of this. 3,894 men in the British Army were convicted of Self-Inflicted Wounds to be sent home. The punishment for this was death, but none of these men were executed. I can't think of how a soldier's life was out there everyday that the only way out is to shoot yourself, lie and hope that you're home safe as a crippled.
Ana Zirion :)
ReplyDeleteI chose "Trench Warfare"...and i read about trench rats and food in the trenches...
1.Trench Rats: I think it was the worst thing in the war...the rats were huge,and they could reproduce very fast (880 offspring in a year by a single pair). I read that they fed up of dead corpses, which I think was really disgusting. I also think it was terrible for the soldiers to live surrounded of rats. The worst part of the article was when a soldier is discribing the rats as "enormous rats,fat with human flesh"...
2.Food in the trenches: I read that there wasn't enough food for the soldiers. At the beginning of the war each soldier got 10 ounces of meet a day, after a while the food had been cut to 6 ounces. Also the daily bread ration was cut. They mostly depend on vegetables...The food was really bad in the war and soldiers were lucky if they got some...
Adriel Carey
ReplyDeleteTanks: Life and Times of the "Wonder Weapon"
When I think of a tank, I think of a devastating hunk of metal which is able to destroy everything in it's tracks, but after reading the articles I saw the truth behind the "wonder weapon". The lack of visibility and the amount of ridicule it got surprised me. I expected the tank to be the defining point to WWI but instead it went from being the weapon that would end the war to the weapon that embarrassed the British.
Agents of Suppression:
A thing that stuck out when I read the article was still the image in Tienanmen Square. On how one man who stopped a pack of tanks in their tracks just by standing in front of them with only grocery bags to his defense. It isn't something that is new to me because I have seen the footage previously and have read about the events that occurred during that riot but I really didn't realize until now how the man must have felt. Not only did he have to face the intimidation of the tanks but he also had to face the face that he was opposing his country by doing what he did. I now see why this image is so inspirational and moving.
David Minh Nguyen-Vu Period 3
ReplyDeleteI read Shot at Dawn: Cowards, Traitors or Victims?
And the articles I chose are: Expectations of War and Shell Shock
Things I found interesting:
1)That soldiers that fled from war, faced instant retribution with court martial and they the soldiers that fled face death by gun squad. Also how British and Commonwealth military executed 306 of its own men during the war. Plus their name brought shame to the country they weren't put on official war memorials.
2)I was quite surprised that by the end of the 80, 000 cases presented shell shock. Now shell shock is now called traumatic stress disorder and even in Ancient Greek its called war exhaustion. Its amazing that many soldiers with shell shock refused to be blindfolded for their executions, and they would stare down the barrel of the guns that killed them.
Bruce Chen
ReplyDeleteBlock 3/C
I chose "Trench Warfare: Information" and read the pages on Lice and Trench Foot.
While reading the page on Lice, I found it interesting how Harry Patch described the entire experience with lice, it gave you a rough idea of how soldiers had so many things to worry about in battle. It was also interesting that soldiers bathed in hot water to get rid of the lice, but new "eggs" ended up hatching which meant the lice would return.
After reading the page on Trench foot, It was really shocking to find out that 20, 000 British soldiers were treated for trench foot, and that didn't include soldiers from other nations. I also found it suprising that the only remedy was to change socks several times a day.
I chose "Trench Warfare" and the topics I chose were "Self-inflicted wounds" and "Casualties in the trenches".
ReplyDeleteIn Self-Inflicted Wounds, I was surprised that soilders would actually hurt themselves to be sent home. I can't imagine how tough it really was to be out in the middle of a war, but to hurt yourself to be sent home is kind of surprising.
And in Casualties in the trenches, I know it was hard to figure out exactly how many people were killed during the war. But not always did people who were killed slowly by their wounds, gas poisoning or diseases, show up in the statistics.
I read introduction, "Star turn" of the Western Front, and Banking on the tank.
ReplyDeleteI found out that when the first time of infantrymen saw this new powerful machine they laughed at it which is very surprised me. But once, a infantryman has been shot nearby road just because he laughed at a tank that is passing through. This shows me that tanks were very important and serious invention at that time, even more than a soldier's life.
Another interesting thing that I found is tank bank. After tanks first use at the Battle of Somme, lots of people want to see this whole new war machine. That gives National War Savings Committee an opportunity. In London, people use a used tank to build a bank. People can get war bonds and certificates from this special bank. This is first time I see a bank that build by a tank.
Crystal Phelan, Block: C, "Shot at Dawn"
ReplyDeleteCorporal punishment should be saved for murderers, rapists, and serious dangers to society. Better yet, let's draft all the inmates!
I don't think that death was a fair punishment for desertion, but then again, I don't know what a fair punishment would be. I'm temtped to go so far as to say that those who enlisted themselves deserved what they got, but those who were drafted are unfortunate losses. There's a great difference, especially during war, between diving in front of bullets, and being thrown in front of them. I think the short-/long-term physical/psychological effects would even be different.
After I read the "Star turn" of the Western Front, and the "Tank Mania" at home I found out that tank wasnt the greatesta and powerful weapons dring WWI. At the beginning, tanks came out as a new hope for soldiers at the front line at the battle of somme in 1916. but due to its slow movement, weak armours and big body, they were usually discovered by the enemies easily and got knocked down. So, enemies didnt scare of the use of tanks. Although tanks didnt help much, they helped for the battle sometimes for example, they can protect soldiers from getting shots.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I found out that before tanks were invented by the British, people kept imagine about tanks. A man called Lewis Carroll, he drew different types of "tanks" describing them as "waddling toads", "dragon", Jaberwocky" with his imaginations. Besides imaginations about tanks, people also put tanks for entertainments. People created a dance routine called "Tanko" because of tanks. Also, war poet Siegfried Sassoon created a poem due to his anger about wars named "Blighters".
Jonathan Law, Block: 7
ReplyDeleteCasualty Clearing Station
On the frontlines, although soldiers all carried emergency field-dressings(bandages and basic first aid equipment), they were not permitted to provide first aid to their fallen comrades during an advance (they were probably too busy running at machine gun fire anyways). Instead, wounded soldiers had to wait until stretchers arrive to take them to a Regimental Aid Post, where his wounds are cleaned, dressings are applied and given injections. After that, the wounded soldier is moved to the Advanced Dressing Station where they treat his wounds again, and perform amputations if they were needed. Finally, he would be moved to the Casualty Clearing Station(CCS) where surgery would be performed if necessary. Wounded soldiers did a lot of travelling.
I found it interesting that the women working at the CCS's were often the bravest, working constantly without rest, even as the CCS's were bombed, re-wounding healed soldiers and killing those already wounded. It's also interesting that the little sleep the nurses did get was in holes in the ground.
Sometimes, wounded soldiers would be asked to move on to a different CCS farther from the front lines if their wounds weren't too deep. Which gives an indication of how crowded the CCS's were and how busy the medics were.
A nurse in the article mentioned that many of the wounded soldiers had their legs blown off. This is evidence that artillery had a large role in causing casualties in the trenches. Bullets and gas don't blow legs off.
Kevin Hancheroff
ReplyDeleteBlock 3, Shell shock in WW1
I'm in shock after reading Shell shock article. The soldiers suffered a great deal physically and psychologically due to shell shocks. The soldiers were told to not take in any prisoners and not show any sympathy but to kill instead. I was surprised by the treatment they were given and asked to report back to duty. Soldiers with physical symptoms were given electric shocks but the ones with mental issues were given hypnosis etc. It was weird to read that the soldiers were told to deal with it in a manly way.
Jaikaran Singh: Shot at Dawn: Cowards, Traitors, or Victims?
ReplyDeleteI think that corporal punishment should not have been used during World War 1. Many soldiers that went to fight for their nation may have been forced into joining the army, so when they saw the horrors of what happens on the battlefield they decided to flee. Many people may have thought that they just have to stay there for a couple of months(which was incorrect) then they would be allowed to go home.
Same thing goes for the people who volunteered to join the army. They probably thought that going to another country would be quite an adventure, and when they came home they would be called heroes.
Shell Shock:
ReplyDelete1. Firstly I found it interesting that shell shock was first thought to be a damage or physical injury to the nerves, but later it was recognized that men who were not even in the front lines were still suffering from shell shock. Therefore it was explained as being psychological breakdowns rather than physical damage to the nerves. “Everyone had a breaking point: weak or strong, courageous or cowardly-war frightened everyone witless.”
2. I also found it interesting that the purpose for trying to treat those who suffered from shell shock was so that they could go back to fighting or doing their duties. In World War one four-fifths of the men who were hospitalized were never able to return to their military duties. You would think that people would be sympathetic towards these men, who had suffered such traumatic events, yet they were looked at as weak and people were ashamed of them.
Eni Gerhardt
Deanna Mcdonagh,
ReplyDeleteShell Shock
I found it interesting that people that didn't even fight on the front lines could experience shelll shock, that it's simply a persons breaking point with war. I found it extremely frustrating when I read that the men were considered weak because they could no longer stand the horriffic aspects of war. there is no reason for anyone, including themselves, to think any less of them because they fought to save millions of lives. I think that shell shock makes it not only hard for the soliders but also their families because their fathers, husbands son,and or brothers, were no longer the same because they saw and did things that no one back home could imagine, making it exremely hard for families to understand and help thier loved ones.
I chose Shell shock...
ReplyDeletei found that the soilders feeling pain in the places that they attacked their foes, super interesting. it was so cool how if a soilder killed someone through the stomach they would feel later on in life stomach cramps. i also found it interesting that shell shock didnt always occur immediatley. it often starts after the war is over.And that doctors believes initially that shell shock was physical damage to the nerves due to the war.
I read over the section about tanks.
ReplyDelete- It's interesting that tanks were a laughable matter when they first came out in France. I'd have thought that big, heavy, machinery weapons would have given an impression of power.
- Since the public liked the idea of tanks, the fundraising approach of the the Tank Bank was developed. It's interesting because it seemed like a "must do" thing to buy war bonds and certificates. I liked how towns would compete to see which town raised the most per head of population.
(Soun Jeon Period 7)
ReplyDeleteTwo things I found interesting in "Trench Warfare"..↓
I read about the Trench Foot. When I looked at the picture in the article, I felt so sorry for the soldiers that had to suffer. Trench Foot was an infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and insanitary conditions. I was quite surprised that over 20,000 of British Army were treated for the disease.
I also read the Alcohol in the Trenches, and I found that during the war, 20,000 soldiers received 300 gallons of rum. It was distributed after an offensive or in cold weather to warm up their body. I think it was a good idea to keep the body temperature. The French and German armies were more generous and supplied their soldiers with daily amounts of wine and brandy.
Shot at Dawn: Cowards, traitors or victims?
ReplyDeleteCorporal punishment should not have been used in World War 1 or any other incident for that matter. Soldiers were experiencing so many new and tragic things that it was bound for at least some of them to go of course for a while. I agree with the article in that, yes, desertion is unacceptable, but considering the circumstances not that unlikely. There was no need to kill these men, our own soldiers. Many other strategies could have been put into action to punish these men, they could be sent home, exiled for a day.. arguably almost anything is a better option than death. The shock of war could be enough to drive someone mad, and here our military was brutally killing these poor, regretful men, instead of offering their assistance.
Mallory O'Neil
I read the article about the soldiers who were killed if they didn’t go and fight “like a man” by there own military. I think there was no need for that. The soldiers have seen a lot in the war so obviously they would go crazy and wanna die. It was unnecessary for there own military/country to look down on them for getting tired of seeing the same things everyday. Not putting their name up on the wall is so rude they died for there country and should be honored it. I feel bad for those soldiers. And let them rest in peace…
ReplyDeleteShell Shock...
ReplyDelete1) I found it really interesting how soldiers AND officers could feel actual pain, I thought it would have just been all in their head, but it wasn't. Another thing is how the men were considered to be weak because they suffered from this, they had barely any sympathy towards them!
2) While reading the article, the word 'karma' came into my mind. It's not as if they wanted to hurt their foe, but more as how they had no choice to. When someone says 'karma will come and bite you in the [behind]' this almost seems to prove that it really does, for they have hurt someone, and it comes back to them in the end. That seemed to really stand out to me while I was in the midst of reading it.
Mathew Teoh
ReplyDeleteBlock G
Topic: Shell Shock (with the stuff I had missed from before).
One thing intruiging from this article is that shell shock, although frquently claiming the front-line soldiers who constantly thrusted bayonnets and fired bullets, also did its damage on officers as well. I find this ironic because the soldiers usually took the brunt of the trench battles, yet, "the ratio of officers to men was 1:6" in the hospitals. Now to get an idea of how many proficient military leaders were being lost, we can assume that for every corps of 216 soldiers, there are about 7 officers, so it only took about 42 soldiers to go crazy in order to lose all of those officers (there's a picture of a batallion on p26). The conclusion? People affected by the war weren't necessarily the ones firing guns. As you can see in the case for the officers, they simply had to be involved to experience the irreversible trauma.
As for the ticks in the face and the cramps in the stomachs, these symptoms made me realize that the horrors of war (and the shell shock) didn't cause only depression. I am led to believe that the unusual and psychologically conjured feelings in the head and stomach were the long term results of the gruesome nature of killing. Perhaps these haunting feelings are ways that the soldiers feel the guilt on a subconscious level for stabbing another person in the head or the gut. After all, images of a severed head aren't the kinds of things we see or create on a regular basis...
How can it affect families? I find it hard to generalize this answer, but examples of how can be interesting. For instance, a former soldier may never be able to light firecrackers with his son ever again without cringing in fear to the loud sound of the explosion.
I chose to read the Trench warfare. The two topics I read were about shellshocks and trench foot. The two things I found interesting were that between 1914 and 1918the British army identified 80,000men suffering from shellshock. Some men committed suicide, others broke down under pressure and refused to obey their officers and some deserted under the pressure of shellshock. Due to these activities soldiers were punished by getting shot or being court- martialled. I also thought it was interesting that soldiers in trenches had to have 3 pairs of socks with them and were under orders to change two times a day. This was the only way to help with trench foots. Soldiers were also told to cover their feet with grease made from whale-oil. About 10 gallons of oil was used everyday.
ReplyDeleteI chose "Tanks: Life and Times of a "Wonder Weapon" because I already know a great deal about the other topics.
ReplyDeleteIt's puzzling to discover that the British had the tanks mascaraed around in public to raise morale. If a war has progressed long enough for war weariness to climb that high then you have failed as a leader on many accounts. There are many ways to fight war weariness, but displays of power are not one.
In addition, the lone man on Chang 'An Avenue can probably sum up the political status of China at the time. Though China may grow to have an impressive economy, they did not and never will vacate their questionable political shell which they have chosen to turtle inside of for the last decade.
In addition, BBC spelled Chang'An Avenue as "Changan Avenue [sic]." This is personally upsetting to me because I am a big fan of BBC. I hope these idiotic errors don't leak their way into their original productions chapter, I wouldn't want to see "Dolaks" fight "Coobyrmen" in the next "Doctur Whu" episode.
I skimmed the article on Shell Shock
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting (and rather disgusting) that men who were in hospitals "recovering" from shell shock were forced to face their illnesses/disorders in a "manly" way. The fact that they were looking for a quick fix is definitely difficult to believe. How were they supposed to recover from shell shock? It's not like they were going to forget, even with the treatments.
I also found it interesting that there was little to no sympathy for the fighting soldiers. It's like they were considered weak for being frightened while fighting in the war. Who wouldn't be scared?! Not to mention the reactions they had to face when they were coming home as sufferers of shell shock. They were actually ashamed and people back home were embarassed for them.
Harro this is sunny
ReplyDelete"SHELL SHOCK"
One of the two things I found very intersting about this article was the story of Arthur Hubbard.. He was buried alive!!!!!!!. Also, another thing that really caught my attention was about the 80,000 cases of shell shock that dealt with by the end of WWI. That is definitely not a small number of people to deal with when it was about a trauma caused by a WORLD WAR. Furthermore, some of the impacts of the soldiers from the combat included something like Rowland Luther's scenario, when the shell shock has taken him to the point where he found himself not being able to eat, deliriously re-living the moments of combat. Lastly, shell shock effected everyone immensely that they all had a breaking point, weak or strong, bold or cowardly, the memories of the war frightened and haunted them no matter what.
Thankyou bye now :)
Stefan Stankovic Block #3
ReplyDeleteShell Shock during World War One
What I think is interesting was people that experienced shell shock would get cramps in their stomach if they stabbed thier opponent in the stomach. Also, after shooting people in their face, they would feel discomforting pain in their faces as well.
What I also thought was interesting was that in the front, the ratio of officers to men was 1:30 while the ratio of officers to men in the hospitals was only 1:6.
The impact shell shock had on soldiers was huge because they were playing with their nerves. It related shell shock to being buried alive, so they were punished for sacrificing their lives for others, which is disgusting.
Esme Lee
ReplyDeleteSocials 11 Period 3
I read #3 - the punishments used on soldiers during WW1.
In my opinion, the corporal punishments shouldn't be used. The soldiers were the ones who witnessed the war and the horrible scenes during WW1. They were so stressed and mentally abused that a lot of them gone insane. It is very disgraceful to kill a soldier that was once a part of the army - that contributed so much to the country. I also think that the idea of the firing squad is terrible. It is a very cruel thing to kill one's own friends. Moreover, some soldiers were shot at a very young age. This definitely had a great impact on their families and friends.
Cory Bernard block C,
ReplyDeleteI decided to read about the tank, i found it interesting the propaganda and speculation about the tank back at home. Because of military cencorship the general public got an extremely far-fetched and exagerated description of the tank.
One other thing that caught my eye is the use of and the resistance to tanks as suppressive actions. one man stopped an entire column of advancing tanks armed with no more tan a plastic bag. i find that although these actions are very reppressive, the humanity of the tank driver, and the trust in basic human comradery is interesting and moving.
Shell Shock during World War One:
ReplyDelete-I found it interesting how soldiers suffered from psychological trauma brought on from the war to the point where they were having terrible nightmares about attacking other people and finding themselves unable to eat because of the trauma. This impacted the soldiers negatively, as they experienced these nightmares not only at night, but even in the middle of ordinary conversations during the day or just by seeing the sight of somebody they previously attacked. I also thought it was really interesting how the soldiers felt pain as they attacked their enemies.
-I found it interesting that four-fifths of men who had entered the hospital due to shell shock were never able to return to military duty, even though it took simple procedures such as rest and massages to help them recover. It proves that shell shock was just as bad as being wounded!
Daniela DeMeo
Period 3
Kapish Suri - Shell Shock
ReplyDeleteThere were multiple things that i found interesting about this, such as the number of people that were harmed and/or killed, the emotional and mental trauma that was caused and left on the soldier such as the snipers losing eyesight and such.
The impact that it left on their family was pretty depressing because imagine a mother seeing her son randomly feeling his stomach and crying in pain, when nothing was actually wrong, only mentally. Majority of these soldiers were left to live the rest of their life with mental pain and memories of the way they killed other living people.
4. Tanks: Life and Times of a "Wonder Weapon"
ReplyDeleteTwo things I found interesting concerning tanks are that:
1) During World War I, tank soldiers had to spend the first weeks performing "mechanical ballets" in front of officers and VIPs in France, when this time could have been used for more relevent ideas, such as practicing co-ordinating before going into battle.
2) In Manila, civilian protestors (including priests, nuns and children) won the confrontation against philippian president Ferdinand Marco during the ESDA revolution in 1986 when they were threatened of being crushed by tanks.
Two things that I found very interesting about tanks were.1) that people used to laugh at them and think of them as a comic.2) Back then i would have thought the tanks would have been very helpful towards the british army. instead they just caused more problems. Because the tanks were so big they would get stuck in trenches, and mud piles. they also moved very slow. which cause many of problems for the British army. over all i was surprised
ReplyDeleteSabine Sherrin: Shell Shock
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that officers suffered much more shell shock than men in battle. I think this is interesting because officers then had to be the commanding ones and were expected to be more courageous and brave, yet many were getting this neuroses that was thought to be for those who were not brave, those were are weak. I also found it interesting that at first, shell shock was thought to be when someone had suffered a great physical trauma, and did not have to do with psychological trauma. It was only later that they found out it was more to do with the functioning of the brain than anything else. Finally, shell shocfk affected many soldiers and their families because they weren't able to fight, and suffered mentally for a long time, making it hard for everyone around them
Sarah Garcia blk B
ReplyDeleteShot at Dawn: Cowards, Traitors, or Victims?
After reading the article I came to the decision that I belive corporal punishment should not have been used in WWI. Firstly, it is extremely ironic that a soldier fighting on behalf of their country is in the end killed, in a sense, by their country. It also almost seems like a form of torture which is against national law to begin with. In addition I think there are far better less inhumane ways to deal with soldiers who cant help or deal with the traumas of war. Living with the trauma, loss and guilt of abandonment one might feel is a good enough punishment for commiting the act many soldiers faced in WWI.
Amtinder Badial blk G
ReplyDeleteI chose Trench Warfare and I read about "alcohol in the trenches" and "self inflicting wounds". I found it very interesting that in the time that soldiers spent in the trenches the they still got wine and rum to drink. I find this interesting because the soldiers had so little yet they still had the luxury of having rum and wine. I also found it interesting that some soldiers in trenches would rather kill themselves then stay in the trenches for a long amount of time. This really made me realize how bad the trenches really were.
Sheldon Bachra
ReplyDeleteI decided to read Shell shock because i wanted to expand my knowledge on this topic. Most soldiers who suffered from shell shock were not able to go back to war. One really interesting fact that i read about was that snipers eye sight would be affected and that wouldnt be good because they might miss their target and get shot. Shell shock is the most severe pain physically and also mentally because it will affect you for the rest of your life. The families would be affected in a bad way because the soldier is coming back dramatized and their reputation took a big downfall. One thing that caught my eye that was weird was that the if a soldier stabbed someone in the stomach they would have stomach pains. Soldiers also have flashbacks in which will give them bad memories and they wont forget them. Shell shock has had a big affect on soldiers.
what was interesting to me was the trench rats and how they would be so bold to go to the sleeping soldiers and steal their food and if someone was wounded, the rats would go after them, but some people were able to fend those rats off. If a rat the size of a cat came and tried to take a bite out of me I would kill that bugger because I would'nt want such a nasty creature on me that has survived solely on eating my dead buddies.
ReplyDeleteBy: Robert
(Jacomina Kilburn block G)
ReplyDeleteLike many of us I too have chosen shell shock.
There are many interesting things about shell shock but the two that really stood out to me was the fact that when the surviving soldiers came home they would be in complete trauma/shock from everything that they witnessed on the battlefield. These helpless men were scared for life and that would effect everyone around them because they changed so dramatically. Another interesting point that i found, was these soldiers would have twitches in their faces because they would have a flashback to where they were on the battlefield for example stabbing their enemy in the face. Or the same thing would happen with their stomach where they would suffer great pains.
Being a soldier is not only surviving physically but mentally too.
Milica Bjelica, Period 7
ReplyDelete"Shell Shock During World War One."
I found it interesting that at first shell shock was known as someone who had suffered a physical trauma as a result of their war experience, but it wasn't until later that they found out it had to do with the function of the brain. I also found it interesting that the men were only being treated because they were expected to go back to the military. In World War One four fifths of men who were being hospitalized were not able to return to the military. Many men were considered weak because they were suffering from shell shock and they didn't get any sympathy.
Shell shock affected the soldiers and their families because they suffered mentally and it was hard for them to be there for their children. They didn't come back as the same person as they use to be.
KarenK
ReplyDeleteShell shock
I found this article very interesting. Shell shock didn't only ruin the lives of soldiers and officers it also ruined the lives of their families. Their families had to see them suffer. it's so weird how after stabbing their foes in the abdomen they began to feel painful cramps. Doctors believed that shell shock was caused due to physical damage to the nerves.
i choose Trench Warefare and i decided to read about Boy Soilders and Feild Punishment One
ReplyDeleteBOY SOLDIERS: i found it interesting that boys would lie about their age just to go to war. Some would lie and say they were sixteen when in truth they were only thirteen! These young men actually WANTED to go to war, they thought of it as "fun", but when they got there it was FAR FROM fun. The British were quiet desperate for soldiers so they started to recrute BOYS and young men UNDER the age of NINETEEN!
FEILD PUNISHMENT ONE: If war wasnt bad enough with all the killing and dead bodies falling all around you, you get punished too! If you were to commit desertion of sleep on guard duty you were sentenced to four month's imprisonment with hard labour and penal servitude. It was interesting to find out that for these crimes a soldier could also be executed. In 1881 Feild Punishment One was introduced. For these minor offences a soldier was attached to a post and left there for two hours up to three months at a time. Sometimes these soldiers were put within enemy shell-fire!
-Malika Renee Butts
Trench warfare was very tragic to human lives
ReplyDelete1.Many soldiers endured terrible conditions where disease,lack of food or water, the cold wet weather,I can tell that how terrible was their living conditions.
2.The soldiers were walking across an open field while enemy shot their bullets at soldiers who had no real protection. This kind of tactic was the main reason that many poeple died.
Andrew Quinn Two things that I found very interesting about tanks were.1) that people used to laugh at them and think of them as a comic.2) Back then i would have thought the tanks would have been very helpful towards the british army. instead they just caused more problems. Because the tanks were so big they would get stuck in trenches, and mud piles. they also moved very slow. which cause many of problems for the British army. over all i was surprised.
ReplyDelete