# data[].attributes.body
This play, written in 1929, transports the reader to the brutal world of the trenches of the Western Front in the First World War. Sheriff eloquently brings forward a strange blend of the British class system and mainly focuses on three days of the Great War. The colorful, deep characters are strikingly depicted. Through these personalities, the reader is able to see the play’s portrayal of humanity with the help of the unreal edges of the brutality of war colliding with memories, self and a sense of home. One quickly falls for this blend of life and their imagination brings them close to the story. You almost feel like a spectator at the scene as Sheriff's words transport you to the bunker and those harrowing few days of the lives of these men.

# data[].attributes.headline
Thoughts on The Social and Historical Context

# data[].attributes.subject
Thoughts on The Social and Historical Context

# data[].attributes.body
The effects of World War 1 are still being felt a century after its conclusion. It was the deadliest war which involved more countries and was more expensive than any other war before it. Over 9 million military personnel died during this war.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the effects of WW1 were still evident decades later, notably through the form of plays such as Journey's End. The play portrays the lives of ordinary soldiers involved in and affected by the conflict.

# data[].attributes.body
Link -https://journeysendproject.wixsite.com/home

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction

Background

Journey's end, a true story, was published in 1929 which is about 10 years after the end of World War 1. The seventh drama written by Sheriff, Journey's End was initially rejected by many theaters due to an assumption that the public didn't want to watch plays about war, particularly plays with no leading lady.
R.C. Sheriff, born and raised in England, is a famous playwright as well as screenwriter. Journey's end was one of his most famous plays
Set in a World War I dugout from March 18 to March 21, 1918, R.C. Sherriff's 1928 play Journey's End follows Captain Stanhope as he deals with alcoholism and symptoms of PTSD while commanding a group of British army officers in the lead up to Operation Michael, a German attack on British trenches. The play ends with Stanhope's two closest officers dying in the line of duty.
The seventh drama written by Sheriff, Journey's End was initially rejected by many theaters due to an assumption that the public didn't want to watch plays about war, particularly plays with no leading lady. After its eventual premiere at London's Apollo Theatre, the play saw enormous success in Europe and America, and has been adapted for film and television. Revivals of the play have received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of A Play, and a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

Brief summary

Journey's End by R.C. Sherriff, a war veteran himself, talks about a group of young British soldiers led by a mentally-unstable officer Stanhope in the trenches of World War 1.

Social and Historical Context of the Play

Impact of the War on soldiers

The First World War is known to have led to shell shock in several soldiers. This was severe psychological damage inflicted on them due to explosions and trauma from the war. Others suffered a crippling sense of fear in the war

In the play, we see Stanhope clearly suffering from psychological trauma - and turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism, as many soldiers actually did. Other soldiers, such as Osborne, realise this is because of all the experiences he's been through

Trench Warfare and Life

A Warfare tactic that became especially prevalent in WW1

Living conditions were poor - soldiers had to live in unsanitary conditions, and infectious diseases spread rapidly. Diseases specific to the trenches developed - trench foot was a painful condition that developed due to constant moisture, and a gum infection, trench mouth, developed due to stress of nonstop bombardment. While these are not directly depicted in the play, the play does pay attention to the illnesses that soldiers faced in the trenches, notably neuralgia, which Hibbert fakes suffering from

German Army Spring Offensive 1918

The play takes in the time surrounding the German Army's first major offensive movement in two years - the Spring Offensive of 1918, near the River Somme

The goal of this offensive was to strike a crippling blow to the Allies during a time in which Germany had the upper hand. This, if successful, would have forced a peace negotiation before new US troops could arrive.

In Act II Scene 1 of the play, the soldiers learn about this offensive (which would begin on Thursday, March 21st, 1918) two days in advance. This offensive is what results in the death of Raleigh, and before that the death of Osborne in a raid by the soldiers before the offensive even began. They would have been part of the 30,000 casualties the offensive caused.

War Literature

Many soldiers passed time in the trenches by documenting their harrowing experiences in great detail in journals, memoirs and poems

Returning soldiers would come back with these experiences and forever transform the shared perspective towards war, and some would convert their experiences into other forms of literature

This was also the case with Sheriff. He was an army officer during the war, and it is highly likely a lot of the events and tropes of the play are reflections of his own experiences.

Before World War I, war was viewed as noble and necessary for a civilisation. This was also reflected in the surrounding literature

However, after the war, anti-war literature like this play developed, as people became disillusioned with the idea of war due the brutal, bloody nature of World War I. 'Counter-Attack', written by a war veteran, provides depressing imagery of the war. 'Anthem for the Doomed Youth', written by another veteran, Wilfred Owen, talks of soldiers who "die as cattle" and the "monstrous anger of the guns."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction Journey's end, a true story, was published in 1929 which is about 10 years after the end of World War 1. The seventh drama written by Sheriff, Journey's End was initially rejected by many theaters due to an assumption that the public didn't want to watch plays about war, particularly plays with no leading lady.

# data[].attributes.body
Social life also changed: women had to run businesses while the men were at war and labor laws started to be enforced due to mass production and mechanization. People all wanted better living standards.

With troops traveling all over the world, influenza was spread easily and an epidemic started which killed more than 25 million people across the world.After WW1, the need for an international body of nations that promotes security and peace worldwide became evident. This caused the founding of the League of Nations.

WW1 boosted research in technology because better transport and means of communication gave countries an advantage over their enemies.Due to the cruel methods used during the war and the losses suffered, WW1 caused a lot of bitterness among nations, which also greatly contributed to WW1 decades later.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Loading...

The effects of World War 1 are still being felt a century after its conclusion. It was the deadliest war that involved more countries and was more expensive than any other war before it. The weapons used during WW1 were also more advanced than any previous war, using tanks, submarines, poison gas, airplanes, and long-range artillery. Over 9 million military personnel died during this war, and over 7 million men were left permanently disabled. It is not surprising that the effects of WW1 were still evident decades later.

Specific Effects of World War 1:

For more on the effects of World War 1, be sure to listen to the podcast episode below:
"Far-Reaching Effects of WW1" Listen to the full "History Unplugged" podcast here!

WW1 caused the downfall of four monarchies: Germany, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, and Russia.

The war made people more open to other ideologies, such as the Bolsheviks that came to power in Russia and fascism that triumphed in Italy and even later in Germany.

WW1 largely marked the end of colonialism, as the people became more nationalistic and one country after the other started colonial revolts in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The war changed the economical balance of the world, leaving European countries deep in debt and making the U.S. the leading industrial power and creditor in the world.

Inflation shot up in most countries and the German economy was highly affected by having to pay for reparations.

With troops traveling all over the world, influenza was spread easily and an epidemic started which killed more than 25 million people across the world.

With all the new weapons that were used, WW1 changed the face of modern warfare forever.

Due to the cruel methods used during the war and the losses suffered, WW1 caused a lot of bitterness among nations, which also greatly contributed to WW1 decades later.

Social life also changed: women had to run businesses while the men were at war and labor laws started to be enforced due to mass production and mechanization. People all wanted better living standards.

After WW1, the need for an international body of nations that promotes security and peace worldwide became evident. This caused the founding of the League of Nations.

WW1 boosted research in technology because better transport and means of communication gave countries an advantage over their enemies.

The harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles caused a lot of dissent in Europe, especially on the side of the Central Powers who had to pay a lot for financial reparations.

There are many other effects one can attribute to WW1, but the fact of the matter is that after this devastating war, the world would never be the same again. Many historians agree that WW1 created an atmosphere that allowed the rise of the Nazi Party and the start of WW2.
Click here to find out more!

For more on the effects of World War 1, be sure to listen to the podcast episode below:
"World War 1 and Its Effects of World War 2" Listen to the full "History Unplugged" podcast here!
How Many People Died in World War 1?

World War One was one of the deadliest conflicts in the history of the human race, in which over 16 million people died. The total number of both civilian and military casualties is estimated at around 37 million people. The war killed almost 7 million civilians and 10 million military personnel.

Military and Civilian Deaths on Both Sides

The Allies, or Entente Powers, counted around 6 million deaths, the Central Powers 4 million.

Click here to learn about the impacts of World War One.

For more on the effects of World War 1, be sure to listen to the podcast episode below:
"Effects of World War 1: Loss of Life and Psychological Impact" Listen to the full "History Unplugged" podcast here!
Many people died, not from combat, but from diseases caused by the war, a figure estimated at around 2 million deaths. 6 million people went missing during the war and were presumed dead.

Two out of three soldiers died in battle, the rest died due to infections or disease. The Spanish flu also killed a lot of people in prisoner camps.

The total number of civilian deaths is very hard to determine, unlike military deaths, which were better documented. Because of the war, many people suffered from disease and malnutrition because of food shortages brought about by a disruption in trade. Millions of men were also mobilized for the war, taking their labor away from farms, which cut down food production. In the Ottoman Empire, there were also the genocides that killed thousands of people. The Spanish flu also killed a lot of people, but historians often left these figures out of accounts.

Finally, there are even more indirect deaths caused by the wars that are not accounted in such reports. The Armenian Genocide, which left 1.5 million dead in the final years of the Ottoman Empire, was precipitated by the Ottoman political leadership believing that the Armenian people would side with Russia in World War One, leading to the empire's ruin. To secure their borders, they put Armenian men in work camps, which became extermination centers, and forced marched the elderly, women, and children to Northern Syria, which became a death march.

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day, often referred to as Poppy Day commemorates the sacrifice made by servicemen in times of war.

In the United Kingdom, the day was first commemorated in 1919, when it was known as Armistice Day, with two minutes of silence at 11 am on 11th November. The day marked the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that brought World War One to an end in 1918. Its name was changed to Remembrance Day after World War Two. The day is also observed by other commonwealth countries.

In the United Kingdom, two minutes of silence is observed each year on the 11th of November. On the second Sunday in November, Remembrance Sunday, special services are held and poppy wreaths are laid at the Cenotaph in London and at war memorials in towns all over the country.

The poppy is used to symbolize remembrance and in the United Kingdom, the Royal British Legion sells poppies in the weeks prior to 11th November to raise money for servicemen and their families.

During World War One some of the most intense fightings took place in Flanders (west Belgium). Buildings, roads, fields, bushes, and trees were destroyed. However, despite the devastation, poppies flowered each spring. Poppy seeds that had been buried for years were brought to the surface by the churned-up mud and germinated.

John McCrae, a Canadian fighting in the trenches in Flanders wrote a poem called 'In Flanders Fields'. The poem was published and the poppy was adopted as a symbol for those who had lost their lives in battle.

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
This article is part of our larger selection of posts about World War One. To learn more, click here for our comprehensive guide to World War One.
Cite This Article

"Effects of World War 1: What Exactly Were They?" History on the Net
© 2000-2024, Salem Media.
January 27, 2024 <https://www.historyonthenet.com/effects-of-world-war-1>
More Citation Information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effects of World War 1: What Exactly Were They? - History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The effects of World War 1 include, but are not limited to, radical changes in battle strategy, weaponry, diplomacy, and international borders

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.history.com/news/how-world-war-i-changed-literature

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
World War I, the war that was originally expected to be "over by Christmas," dragged on for four years with grim brutality brought on by the dawn of trench warfare and advanced weapons, including chemical weapons. The horrors of that conflict altered the world for decades-and writers reflected that shifted outlook in their work.

As Virginia Woolf would later write, "Then suddenly, like a chasm in a smooth road, the war came."

Early Works Glorified the War

Among the first to document the "chasm" of the war were soldiers themselves. At first, idealism persisted as leaders glorified young soldiers marching off for the good of the country.

English poet Rupert Brooke, after enlisting in Britain's Royal Navy, wrote a series of patriotic sonnets, including "The Soldier," which read:
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.

Brooke, after being deployed in the Allied invasion of Gallipoli, would die of blood poisoning in 1915.

The same year, Canadian doctor Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, upon seeing how red poppies grew in the fields that had been ravaged by bombs and littered with bodies, wrote "In Flanders Fields." The poem, memorializing the death of his friend and fellow soldier, would later be used by Allied militaries to recruit soldiers and raise money in selling war bonds:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
Literary Tone Shifts After Grueling WWI Combat

While both Brooke's and McCrae's works lent patriotic tones to the sacrifices of war early in the conflict, as time wore on, the war's relentless horrors spawned darker reflections. Some, like English poet Wilfred Owen, saw it their duty to reflect the grim reality of the war in their work.

As Owen would write, "All a poet today can do is warn. That is why the true poet must be truthful." In "Anthem for the Doomed Youth," Owen describes soldiers who "die as cattle" and the "monstrous anger of the guns."

Owen's fellow army officer, Siegfried Sassoon, writes of corpses "face downward, in the sucking mud, wallowed like trodden sand-bags loosely filled" in his 1918 poem, "Counter-Attack."

From the opposite side of the firing lines, German writer Erich Maria Remarque also experienced the grim day-to-day life of a soldier. Later, in 1929, he published an unflinching account in his novel, All Quiet on the Western Front.

Among other prominent works reflecting the horrific realities of war was the four-part tome, Parade's End, by English novelist Ford Madox Ford, and from the Eastern Front, Dr. Zhivago by Soviet Russian writer Boris Pasternak, in which the main character describes grotesque injuries inflicted on the war's battlefields.

Ernest Hemingway Pens 'A Farewell to Arms'

In one of the most famous works set during the "Great War," American writer Ernest Hemingway offers a gripping love story between a soldier and a nurse set against the chaotic, stark backdrop of World War I.

A Farewell to Arms is among the writer's most autobiographical: Hemingway himself served as an ambulance driver during the war, was severely wounded on the Austro-Italian front and had been sent to a hospital in Milan, where he fell in love with a nurse.

Virginia Woolf Writes on War's Impact on Society

The literary response to World War I was not only to portray its horrors at the front but also the reverberations of the war throughout society.

Virginia Woolf, who had been a close friend of the fallen poet Rupert Brooke, wove profound references to the war's effects throughout her works.

In the setting of her acclaimed novel Mrs. Dalloway, the war has ended, but everyone remains deeply affected by it, including one of the novel's main characters, a veteran with severe shell shock (now known as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder).

Modernism Emerges in Works by Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, T.S. Eliot

The disillusionment that grew out of the war contributed to the emergence of modernism, a genre that broke with traditional ways of writing, discarded romantic views of nature and focused on the interior world of characters.

Woolf's novels reflected this emerging tone, as did the works of Joseph Conrad ( Heart of Darkness) and James Joyce ( Ulysses). T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land," considered to be one of the most significant poems of the 20th century, presents a haunting vision of postwar society, with the opening lines:

April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.

Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel Brave New World questions once-accepted social and moral notions in presenting a nightmarish vision of the future.

World War I devastated continents, leaving some 10 million soldiers and 7 million civilians dead. But writers responded with profound and groundbreaking work as they and the rest of the world grappled with the war's upheaval.

As Remarque wrote in All Quiet on the Western Front: "All these things that now, while we are still in the war, sink down in us like a stone, after the war shall waken again, and then shall begin the disentanglement of life and death."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How World War I Changed Literature | HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
World War I altered the world for decades, and writers and poets reflected that shift in literature, novels and poetry.