The Century

Shell Shock- p.22-41.

1. How did men view war before WWI? What changed that?
The though it was a competition won by the side with more grit, but with modern technology
warfare had changed. They also thought it was exciting, honorable and a rite of passage. Many
young men couldnt wait to go into battle but after being in the trenches most of them were shell
shocked. When trench warfare started many men were told to dig out and wait. This was
different from what they imagined because before the new technology came out it was hand to
hand combat. No with the new technology the enemy could kill you by throwing poison gas at
you and you could die without them even getting close.

2. Read the blue section on page 25. React to this mans memory of life in the trenches. What
did you find most surprising?
I found going over the top part very surprising because they would have to run into the no
man's land and if they didnt run fast enough they would get shot in the foot by the general
which is crazy to me because they would than not be able to walk and probably died in the no
man's land. In the text it says Some were visibly shaking. Some were crying. Some were
almost shell-shocked before they started There was always an officer a few yards behind you
with a loaded rifle in his hand. Anyone who was a bit slow to go would receive a shot in the foot
just to remind him that he was there. Its crazy that they would hurt their own soldiers. I also
cant imagine what it would feel like if you know that you would died or that you might get there
and look around and your best friend or someone close to you had died.
3. Name 2-3 factors that contributed to the US joining the Allies in WWI.
One of the main factors was when Germany sunk the Lusitania killing 128 americans. After this
Americans were outraged that they would kill all these civilians. Another many factor was that
Germany started sinking American merchant ships trying to get food because Germany was on
a shortage of it. President Wilson believed the war was starting to threaten America. He starting
saying the war was a fight for democracy and it was a chance for Europe to use American
ideas. It was a good thing they entered the war because it gave hope and soldiers to the allies.
4. WWI affected American society in many ways. How did it affect immigrants new to the US,
especially Germans? How did it affect African Americans?
German immigrants were to be considered spies and treated badly. America also changed
German words such as hamburger to liberty steak. An anti-German mood grow throughout the
country they stop teaching German classes at schools and even refused to mail articles against
the war. This war also greatly affect African Americans, before the war 4 out of 5 African
Americans were farmers but as the war continued they started moving to the big cities to get
jobs in steel, mining or auto industries. This was called the Great Migration. Many African
Americans joined the war and went to France where they were not discriminated against.

5. Name 2 positive changes that resulted from WWI.

It destroyed cruel governments like Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany. It also gave more
rights to women in America, and they were given the right to vote in Britain and America.
6. Select one other blue section (besides page 25!) and react to the memory.
I picked the one about the nurse. She join the army not knowing what she was getting into. The
first thing she saw was a man's leg being cut off and she tried to block it out of her mind but she
can still remember what it sounds. Than she went to a evacuation hospital on the front lines.
They would take them up in the ambulances and they would clean them up, dress their wounds
and let them sleep. They could do much else because of supplies but they came in dirty with
fleas so it was good for them to get clean. They tried to not get to attached. If I were a nurse this
job would be really hard for me because you would know you couldnt do much for them and
than you would have to send them back.