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- Compulsory military service had been the social norm prior to WW1:
a. 1914: men at the age of 20 and over could expect to serve 2-3 years of training and active service.
b. After this, they could return to civilian life, however could be re-conscripted in the event of war up till the age of 45.
c. Although hypothetically it would work, maintaining a large army would heavily damage costs of living, and so half of each year group actually served in the war.

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1914: Germany was considered the most efficient army.

a. SHORT TERM MILITARY SERVICE: Men would only serve for 2-3 years, and therefore wouldn't be bound for long, and could go back to civilian life after the service. This means that men (if they survived) could go back to their personal relationships and loved ones.
HOWEVER...Germany suffered great casualties, so this wasn't often. As the war progressed, Germany's training and preparation of soldiers become worse, and therefore most soldiers would often become POW or die in battle.
b. PRIORITIES: Germany placed bigger emphasis on high quality training and maintaining a large number of senior officers, instead of general manpower.
---> This was in the intial years of war, but as the war progressed, Germany soldiers fell easier as they lacked in training.

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- Prior to 1914, it is clear that Germany were considered to have an advanced system when organising their manpower. As perceived by the Daily Mail (British source), Germany had a "cold, hard, practical, business-like purpose of winning victories", whilst "English armies is a simple one".

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SSTs ABOUT THE GERMANY ARMY CORPS IN 1914-1916-1918

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- 1914: Germany had 25 corps (700,000 men), which roughly equate to 3.8 million men were under arms. With implementations of cavalry regiment and support forces, it was clear that the Germany army was big yet expansive and somewhat advanced.
- This however, didn't serve to be effective --> at the end of the war in November 1918, the German Army suffered about 5 million casualties, including 1.75 million dead. This loss for Germany meant that their priorities of "high quality training and organisation" did not win the war, and accosted them great loss.

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---> NOT EFFECTIVE:
- Made up of Landsturm troops who had received military training, the fortification battalions normally looked after the forts and lines of defence.
- In view of the growing need for men at the front, these battalions are gradually emptied of their men during the war, with few differences remaining with the worker battalions by 1916.
- These units, made up of men with little training in things military, were initially intended to perform heavy works in the fortified zones and at the back of the front. Such works on roadways and developments in Germany are very quickly assigned to prisoners of war.

a. Essentially, high class training in war combat was not widespread amongst German soldiers throughout the war, and a consistent effort of training was not made, therefore leading to many deaths and casualties.
b. Because conscription was mandatory in Germany, this allowed a widescope of manpower, which not all necessarily knew how to handle the battlefront.

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Today conscription may seem a desperate move, useful only in moments of national crisis, but in 1914 it was the norm in much of Europe. Even Britain, which had traditionally stood apart from the conscript model, quickly realised that the volume of manpower demanded by the First World War required more men than even the most successful campaign for volunteers could produce

Conscription in Germany

In Germany compulsory military service had been the norm since long before the war (and continued long after, ending only in 2011). The 1914 system was as follows: at the age of 20 a man could expect to serve 2 or 3 years of training and active service.

After this they would return to civilian life, but could be re-conscripted in the event of war up to the age of 45, with younger, more recently trained men being called up first.

In theory this applied to all men, but the cost of maintaining an army of that size was unrealistic so only half of each year group actually served.

By maintaining this large pool of trained men the German army could expand rapidly and in 1914 it grew in 12 days from 808,280 to 3,502,700 men.

Conscription in France

The French system was similar to the German one with men undertaking compulsory training and service aged 20-23, followed by a period as reservists until the age of 30. Up to age 45 men could be tied to the army as territorials, but unlike the conscripts and reservists these men did not receive regular updates to their training and were not intended for front line service.

This system enabled the French to mobilize 2.9 million men by the end of August 1914

Conscription in Russia

The Russian system of conscription present in 1914 was introduced in 1874 by Dimitry Milyutin and was consciously modelled on the German one, although earlier systems had existed, including compulsory life-long conscription for some men in the 18th century.

By 1914 military service was mandatory for all males over 20 and lasted for 6 years, with a further 9 years in reserve.

Britain institutes the Draft

In 1914 Britain had the smallest army of any major power because it comprised only voluntary full-time soldiers rather than conscripts. This system had become untenable by 1916, so in response the Military Service Bill was passed, allowing the conscription of unmarried men aged 18-41. This was subsequently extended to include married men and men up to the age of 50.

The number of men conscripted is estimated to be 1,542,807 at most or 47% of the British Army in the war. In June 1916 alone 748,587 men appealed against their conscription based either on the necessity of their work or anti-war convictions.

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Today conscription may seem a desperate move, useful only in moments of national crisis, but in 1914 it was the norm in much of Europe.

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How has the idea of 'total war' impacted civilian life in your chosen country?

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How has the idea of 'total war' impacted civilian life in your chosen country?

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Total war effected civilian lives through the communication of media and the understanding of the war. In London there were appointed military journalists that were set up to process the stories that would be sent to the newspapers. Civilians reporters were rarely allowed near the front line effecting the authenticity of these news articles. For the daily lives of civilians alcohol consumption was restricted and the opening hours of pubs were cut down. The idea of civilian life was changed and effected through the idea of propaganda making civilians feel left out and be urged to help out during the war effort.

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Research how effectively Conscription in Britain was implemented  

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Research how effectively Conscription in Britain was implemented  

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In January 1916 the military service Act was passed that effectively imposed conscription for all single men from the ages of 18-41. This Act exempted the medically unfit, clergymen, teachers and other classes on industrial workers to ensure that life outside of the war was not effected to a high degree. 2.5 million people enlisted to the war after the introduction of conscription, around 1.3 million men were actually conscripted.

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During the first few months of war; Germany had around half a million men come forward-The local papers and other forms of common consumption of information were filled to the brim with propaganda and information in joining the war front, the aim was to recruit 100,000.

Those who joined were seen as brave and heroic men, men who neglected the call were branded cowards and traitors in the Kaiser's 'nationalistic campaign'.

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In 1914 Germany was recognised as having the most efficient army in the world. Its structure included universal mass conscription for short-term military service followed by a longer period in reserve. The German Army placed great emphasis on high quality training and maintaining a large number of experienced senior officers.

Planning and operational control was conducted by the General Staff. The Kaiser Wilhelm II was the official Commander-in-Chief, but the Army chief of staff, Helmuth von Moltke was the effective leader in the field. Moltke was followed in this post by Erich von Falkenhayn (1914-16) and Paul von Hindenburg (1916-18).

The German Army in 1914 comprised 25 corps (700,000 men). Within a week of mobilization some 3.8 million men were under arms. There were eight army commands and a further ten were created during the war. A cavalry regiment and other support forces were attached to each 2 divisions.

Within a week of war being declared, the reserves had been called up and some 3.8 million men were in the German Army. By August 1916, about 2.85 soldiers were serving on the Western Front with another 1.7 million on the Eastern Front.

When the First World War came to an end in November 1918, the German Army had suffered an estimated 5 million casualties, including 1.75 dead. After the war the Treaty of Versailles restricted the German Army to 100,000 men.

The German Army is the post perfectly adapted, perfectly running machine. Never can there have been a more signal triumph of organisation over complexity. The armies of other nations are not so completely organized. The German Army is the finest thing of its kind in the world; it is the finest thing in Germany of any kind. Briefly, the difference between the German and, for instance, the English armies is a simple one. The German Army is organised with a view to war, with the cold, hard, practical, business-like purpose of winning victories. And what should we ever do if 100,000 of this kind of army got loose in England?

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In 1914 Germany was recognised as having the most efficient army in the world. Its structure included universal mass conscription for short-term military service followed by a longer period in reserve. The German Army placed great emphasis on high quality training and maintaining a large number of experienced senior officers.

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This source is a British poster that describes the rules regarding conscription in world war 1. It discusses the men who are allowed to enlist as well as those who are exempted by a 'local tribunal'. This sources helps historians to understand the desperation and need for people to join the war.

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How has the idea of ‘total war’ impacted civilian life in your chosen country?

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How has the idea of ‘total war’ impacted civilian life in your chosen country?

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The government became more involved in civilians personal lives. They censored press and distributed propaganda. This also included the new passing of national laws and social rules that restricted minority communities.

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How has the idea of 'total war' impacted civillian life in your chosen country?

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How has the idea of 'total war' impacted civillian life in your chosen country?

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In mid-1914, Australia had a population of slightly more than 4.9 million people, with men constituting 52% of the population. Every man of'military age' (19 to 38 years old) had to make the choice whether or not he would join the armed forces and engage in war. It was a serious decision that affected the large percentage of Australian families.

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"Ostend occupied by the Germans on 15 October [1914]" German postcard illustrating a parading detachment of marine infantry in the city of Ostend - Private collection, Nicolas Mignon. ©

At the outset of the First World War, every man in Germany between 17 and 45 years of age is required to perform his mandatory military service. During these 28 years, the Germans can be assigned to different categories. Firstly there is the active service of two or three years for each 20-year-old man, which is then followed by a "reserve" for five or six years. The men are then assigned to the Landwehr, where they remain until the age of 39, with less regular exercises. Finally, the last category, the Landsturm, includes all men between 17 and 45 years of age who do not enter into any of the above categories. Called up only in case of war, they are not subject to exercises. This group includes all men between 17 and 20 years of age who had not yet begun their military service, or who are declared as unfit for service, or who have left service at the age of 39.

Before the First World War, the Landsturm battalions were intended to remain inside the German borders in order to carry out certain tasks. They were not to be armed, and fell into two categories: fortification battalions and worker battalions. Made up of Landsturm troops who had received military training, the fortification battalions normally looked after the forts and lines of defence. In view of the growing need for men at the front, these battalions are gradually emptied of their men during the war, with few differences remaining with the worker battalions by 1916. These units, made up of men with little training in things military, were initially intended to perform heavy works in the fortified zones and at the back of the front. Such works on roadways and developments in Germany are very quickly assigned to prisoners of war.

In August and September 1914, the Belgians watch all of these classes of men go by one after the other.

Who's going where?

At the start of the First World War, the German command distributes the men according to a simple rule: the men in service and the reserve form the first line, the Landwehr looks after the second line (the "steps" territory in Belgium), and the Landsturm is responsible for the third, i.e. the occupation of the conquered territories. In 1917, there were 190 of Landsturm battalions, with at least 100 on the Eastern Front. Most of these battalions travel between many different locations, i.e. between Belgium, Alsace-Lorraine or the Ukraine, but are generally deployed to calm areas. Nevertheless, Landsturm units take part in the battle of Verdun.

In August and September 1914, the Belgians watch all of these classes of men go by one after the other. The Landsturm, the last line, takes up its quarters in the Belgian and French cities and fields that are not part of the "step" territory.

The Landsturm battalions derive their names from the city, or rather region, from which they come, according to the army districts. Of course, most of a battalion's members primarily come from the suburbs of these cities. For example, the Nuremberg battalion is made up primarily of farmers. When a city is big enough to make up several Landsturm battalions, a number is added to their names in order to differentiate them.

How many are they?

Each battalion consists of around a thousand men. This figure varies according to the battalion's function, or the year. Indeed, as the war progresses, it becomes more complicated to replace the men who have gone to the front, and the ones sent home due to illness or physical incapacity.

The selection is made as of the mobilisation. As such, when the Landsturm men are mobilised in Erlangen on 21 August 1914, 1,231 men are called to report. The next day, only 1,005 of them are designated to leave for Belgium two days later. On the morning of the departure, 28 August 1914, the officer drafting the war journal of the Würzburg battalion indicates some 20 officers, 84 non-commissioned officers, one health officer, one accountant, 9 drivers, 25 horses and 901 soldiers. Once the battalion arrives in Belgium, it consists of 1,145 men and 28 officers.

The Ansbach battalion can be the first example. Between 1914 and 1916, when it is transferred to Alsace-Lorraine, it looks after the rail security between Liège and Visé then to Amay and Fexhe-Le-Haut-Clocher. In August 1914, it mobilises 1002 men and some 15 officers. In December, after an initial "skimming", that occurs in all of the battalions, there are now only 899 men and 19 officers. It's important to clarify the reality behind these numbers: amongst these 899 men, only 448 are recorded as combat troops. The others are referred to as "Verpflegungsstärken", i.e. non-combatants, basically the number of stomachs to fill: the battalion's auxiliaries as well as administrative staff and cooks, plus prisoners of war. This second category can also include horses. The battalion's population declines steadily until its transfer to the East. On 1 August 1916, the battalion has to feed 932 men and 22 officers, but only 287 men and 4 officers are actually combat-ready.

The figures for the Bamberg battalion show a much lesser difference between the total population and the fighting forces. This battalion primarily looks after the Verviers region before also being sent to Alsace-Lorraine in November 1916. In August 1914, of the 842 men and 25 officers having to be fed, 864 men and 20 officers serve as combatants; in January 1916, this proportion even improved, with 1,024 men and 20 officers as total forces, for 996 men in the field.

For a more in-depth analysis of the incoming and outgoing flows for these battalions, one must look more closely at the Erlangen and Würzburg battalions.

The condition of these two battalions changes quite little in the initial years of the war. The men over the age of 39 years have been trained in the art of war, and the young men, who have not been trained, are mentally and physically in shape. The officers have no complaints. With an average of 1000 soldiers, the changes are nevertheless quite regular.

Between 1914 and 1916, the number of men per battalion changes from week to week, but the total remains quite stable: between 850 and 950 men for 20 to 25 officers.

Tuberculosis and typhus are the most common infections, and surviving them means a return ticket to Germany.

Who stays, who goes?

Within the battalions occupying Belgium, one or even two men leave the battalion for Germany each week. There are various reasons for these returns.

One of the main causes, and the only one not to be included in the "unfit for service" category, is the soldier's economic value, i.e. the soldier whose activity is crucial for the German economy. As such, to 31 July 1916, only in the Erlangen battalion, 109 men are replaced by reserves for economic and industrial reasons. The exact work of the soldiers is unknown to us, but we know that, in any hypothesis, most of them are not farmers. Indeed, farmers generally receive leave at the time of the harvests and when sowing, but must return to the battalion at the end of these periods. Unlike the former, they are not definitively replaced.

Illness is also a cause for definitive departure. Tuberculosis and typhus are the most common infections, and surviving them means a return ticket to Germany.

Before discussing the major waves of retirements in the ranks of the Landsturm, it is also worth noting that there were a few departures, so rare as to stand out, of men volunteering to go to the front. The Erlangen battalion only records one at the start of the winter of 1916, while the Würzburg battalion has two: a sergeant and another non-commissioned officer, who will leave for the trenches together in March 1916.

The most important renewal factor is naturally the already advanced ages of the men. In 1914 and 1915, replacements are carried out with the arrival of the ersatz (reserve soldiers), but it is increasingly difficult to replace the men who are too old. The first major operation occurs for most of the battalions in April 1916, except for the Würzburg battalion that receives new blood starting in August 1915.

In the German Reich, mobilisation ends at 45 years of age. The non-replacement of most of the men reaching this limit in 1915 constitutes further proof of the German project to win the war quickly. If Germany had thought that the war might go on for more than one year, the arrival of men at the age limit would have been considered in the battle plans.

April 1916 is the starting moment for the largest series of renewals in the different battalions. The general command orders the officers to determine the birthdates of their men, in order to allow the replacement of the oldest men, i.e. born before 1873.

For several months after the lists have been provided to the military authorities, changes take place gradually, year of birth by year of birth. Each year between July and December, 20 or so men over the age of 44 years are replaced. This major operation is the only one of the type carried out throughout the war. Each week until 11 November 1918, one or two men are sent to the ersatz due to illness, reaching the age limit or being "unfit for service". But this one and only wave of replacements results in a constant deterioration of the military quality of the men in the battalions, a fact about which the officers will complain somewhat more each month.

Indeed, the newcomers are never as useful as the outgoing older men. One must not imagine old men leaving Belgium in order to be replaced by strong young Germans. Indeed, the men born in 1872, i.e. 44 or 45 years old in 1916, are replaced by men from the class of 1879, i.e. already around 37 or 38 years old.

These men were no longer the cream of the imperial army, and their replacements are even worse

What became of the August 1914 battalions?

The officers never seem too pleased with the arrival of the ersatz. Indeed, while the battalion gets somewhat younger, the men mobilised for the occupation of Belgium are men who had been sent back from the front due to physical or mental illness.

However, the officers have no choice other than to work with these men for a year, i.e. until October 1917 exactly, the date on which approximately 150 men per battalion, the ones in the best physical and mental condition, are sent to the front as reserves for the IVth army. At the same time, an equivalent number of men joins the decimated battalions, most coming directly from Germany, and with others from the front. At the end of the month, an officer drafts a report in this regard. He explains that the changes are not necessarily beneficial: " These [new] elements are often the weakest in physical terms, and their sense of military duty is often very doubtful". He also indicates that the atmosphere within the battalion continues to be good, if the newcomers are excluded. Further on, he describes the state of health of the new recruits: " Exchanges with the front generally bring men in a state of good health. Men coming from the reserve, however, have serious problems. Some have even had to be sent for observation to Liège, due to questions about their mental and nervous health. Two reservists even have gonorrhoea, that they caught before joining the battalion".

The Landsturm battalions are increasingly losing the men upon whom their strength was built. Men who are capable are sent to the front, and others obtain authorisation to return home to Germany in order to resume their professional activities. In this latter category, we naturally find a growing proportion of farmers, but also cobblers and metalworkers who, like the former, are fortunate enough to be indispensable for their homeland.

The exchanges for economic reasons accelerate every month. Between March and August 1918, 25 soldiers on average are sent to the reserves each month, with this number increasing to 50 in September 1918. Of course, this is all related to the events unfolding at the front and in Germany.

To make up for these departures, men mobilised by the "Hilfsdienstpflicht" (a sort of mandatory civil service in Germany during the war) begin to arrive from the reserves. This group consists of some 20 men in February 1918, with another 10 or so arriving by the end of the war.

However useful it may be for the German government to get rid of some rabble-rousing elements by sending them to the plants or into the occupied areas, these men certainly provide the battalions with no added value. Officers begin to complain about this starting in March. These recruits cause many difficulties within the companies: most of the time, the oldest men are useless due to physical reasons, which also applies to the youngest (some are 15 years old), while the latter also have psychological problems. Neither group has much to do, and both soon appear to be more of a burden than a help: " The exchange of a man for one of these "helpers" always means a loss for the battalion", which means that none of these replacements is qualitatively equivalent to the men leaving the battalion. Also, these new reservists only stay in the field for a very short time and are quickly replaced, which further diminishes their efficiency since they don't have the necessary time to specialise in a given task.

When dealing with the question of volunteer departures to the front, one might imagine that they represent a certain number of the men mobilised within the Landsturm, notably in the age categories of under 30 years and who, though they had been dismissed 10 years ago, might develop a patriotic feeling and volunteer for the trenches. However, that isn't the case: only one or maybe two soldiers attempted it, before all of the troops were required to do so by the major events of 1917-1918.

At the start of September 1918, it's clear that the battalions have undergone a radical change. The men comprising them at the start of the war, 39 years of age or more but who had undergone all of the steps in the military service for the Reich or who were suffering from minor physical ailments that kept them out of normal service, had almost all gone. Some had gone back home, having reached the age limit, others were considered as indispensable for the operation of the economy, primarily agricultural, in Bavaria and were also sent home, while the final lot was sent to the front despite ignorance of the art of war. These men were not or no longer the cream of the imperial army, and their replacements are even worse. Weakened both physically and psychologically, the men occupying Belgium do not satisfy their officers. The arrival of recruits mobilised by the "vaterländischen Hilfsdienst" sounds the death knell for the decline of the occupation troops.

Author

François Giet

Historian, specialising in the contemporary era

1. Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Abteilung IV : Kriegsarchiv, Munich, 1914-1918 Collection

2. Notes on the German Army in the War , Translated at the Army War College, Government printing office, Washington, 1917.

Overview

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Who are the German soldiers? - The Germans - RTBF World War 1

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At the outset of the First World War, every man in Germany between 17 and 45 years of age is required to perform his mandatory military service. During these 28 years, the Germans can be assigned to different categories.

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How effective was conscription implemented in Australia?

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How effective was conscription implemented in Australia?

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The Australian government made an unwavering commitment to supporting its closest ally which was the united kingdom. Due to this, at the outbreak of war multiple  men volunteered to enlist in the newly formed Australian imperial force (AIF) to serve overseas. Conscription was a contentious issue in the Australian community which forced eligible men into military service overseas with the AIF, due to new government policies for regarding conscription.

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This sources is displaying how conscription was a major national issues as most soldiers from Australia were volunteers. It was destroying families, disrupting communities and caused the mass grief of Australia

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It's been 100 years since Australia said No to making it compulsory for young men to fight overseas.

The Australian Government asked the nation in two separate plebiscites during the World War I.

In a paper he is working on for publication, Charles Sturt University historian Bruce Pennay has researched why Australia said No and how the plebiscites - even though they were rejected twice - impacted the nation then and now.

Albury-based Dr Pennay said the results of the plebiscites held on October 28, 1916 and December 20, 1917 are fascinating because; like Donald Trump winning the US Presidential election and the United Kingdom exiting the European Union (Brexit), votes did not go as expected.

Dr Pennay has looked at the impact of holding the plebiscite in regional areas particularly southern New South Wales and north east Victoria.

He said political upsets were intriguing.

"Why did the Australian voters reject the government's proposal to introduce conscription? Especially when nearly all the newspapers of the day, the Protestant churches, town mayors and councils urged people to vote Yes?"

Dr Pennay said the then government wanted more soldiers to support the Allied Powers (including Britain) against the Central Powers (including Germany) during World War I but it did not have the numbers in Parliament to make it happen so they asked the Australian public to vote on it.

"People were well aware that the toll on the Western Front was enormous, It seemed to many that Australia had done enough."

Dr Pennay said although it will never really be known why people voted the way they did, it is possible to unravel some of the circumstances that may have led to how they voted.

Why Australia voted No

"You could say within the privacy of the polling place, people viewed their personal and family needs ahead of district, national or empire needs."

He believed most Australians looked primarily to their economic interests.

"Rural work, particularly wheat farming was labour intensive. Consequently, people realised conscription would have damaged local economies, especially as the seasons after 1915 were good and the prices of wool, wheat and meat were good. The farms needed farmers."

Dr Pennay said rural people who opposed conscription argued that the man in the paddock, the man on the wagon and the village blacksmith were all contributing to the war effort by producing the food Europe so urgently needed.

Places like Jindera, Culcairn, Henty, Tallangatta and Albury and Wodonga voted No to conscription but Wagga, about 130 kilometres north of Albury, voted Yes.

One of the leaflets used during the World War I to encourage people to vote Yes to military conscription.(
Source: State Library of Victoria
)

Dr Pennay said Wagga's smaller German and Catholic populations would have been an influence.

He said Germans were unlikely to vote Yes when Australia was at war with their homeland while Catholics were unlikely to vote Yes following the Irish Rebellion against British rule in 1916.

After the first plebiscite failed, Dr Pennay said the need to recruit more men, meant the government asked the question again and as a result propaganda became more "lurid, extravagant and insistent" which resulted in anti-German activities intensifying and the anti-Catholic feeling deepening.

"At the 1916 referendum, electoral officials could set aside the votes of those of enemy origin but at the 1917 referendum those born in a belligerent county, irrespective of citizenship, and their children, and those who had no proof of place of birth, were disqualified."

He said postmen were also given money when they supplied the name of a person who could be ineligible to vote.

Consequences of two failed plebiscites

After the Great War, Dr Pennay believed large regional areas like Albury, Wagga and Wangaratta emerged as fragmented communities which could partly be attributed to the introduction of the plebiscites.

"The Great War proved divisive and the referenda unleashed or renewed xenophobic and sectarian divides that continued beyond the war."

"Admittedly, nobody was reported as having died from being insulted, offended or vilified - or disenfranchised, but many were humiliated into being 'other'."

Many were treated with reserve, with suspicion, because of their place of origin or their religious denomination, their name, their accent, their parents," he said.

Yes campaign poster from 1916 conscription plebiscite debate.(
Supplied: Normal Lindsay
)

He said this was evident in personal stories during and after the war including forced resignations and scholarships taken away from people with a German name.

But Dr Pennay said despite it being a time when harassment was condoned by propagandists, embattled communities did show acts of kindness including gift giving and acknowledging people with German heritage on the street.

He said this can also be seen today in the Lockhart Shire in the NSW Riverina where the original German spelling has been added to street signs.

"A hundred years on there is an attempt at reconciliation. That suits our age, our time which prizes social cohesion," he said.

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Why Australia said No to military conscription 100 years ago

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It's been 100 years since Australia said No to making it compulsory for young men to fight overseas. The Australian Government asked the nation in two separate plebiscites during the World War I.

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What roles does perspective play in your chosen topic and country 

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What roles does perspective play in your chosen topic and country 

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Britain was against Germany and the central powers (Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire) meaning that many of their posters and other form of propaganda were from the perspective of only the aims and motives of Britain and their allies.

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How does Conscription in Britain relate to the idea of 'total war' 

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How does Conscription in Britain relate to the idea of 'total war' 

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The idea of total was influenced through the idea of conscription as it was used to promote unity across Britain and was presented as a way to fight for their country. Many other countries at this time already had conscription and Britain was one of the last to introduce this law into action which left them at the beginning of the war with less people fighting and more people back in Britain. In order for Britain to get the strength in numbers for this 'total war' they used propaganda and other forms of manipulation to give people the mindset that they needed to meet a certain responsibility to their country.

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https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/yourcountry/overview/conscription/#:~:text=In%20January%201916%20the%20Military,certain%20classes%20of%20industrial%20worker.

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https://www.iwm.org.uk/learning/resources/first-world-war-recruitment-posters

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[Richard Slocombe, Senior Curator of Art, IWM] Propaganda was very much in its formative stages of development; it was the concept of government's appealing to a mass audience. It was a completely new phenomenon. Certainly, at the beginning of the war, there was a - it was a bit amateurish, a bit piecemeal. And it was particularly say, in the early recruitment campaigns and things like that it, it wasn't entirely successful - it did rely on the inherent patriotism of the British public.

What they did in the end was get people who knew what they were talking about, and these were people like newspaper proprietors like Lord Northcliffe and Lord Beaverbrook. Who their papers like the Daily Mail, such like The Daily Express, were used to communicating with a mass audience basically. So, whereas the British propaganda effort, it's begun the war whereby employing civil servants, politicians. They eventually, the penny dropped, and they began to employ the people, the professionals shall we say - people who knew what they were talking about.

Amongst countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand and other countries in Empire. There was a real sort of belief in the empire, in Britain as a nation, as a society, a kind of figurehead. And they were, you know, they were motivated out of a sense of loyalty. The war was also being presented as a conflict to fight for basic freedoms and the threat of militarism and despotism that was, that was Germany basically. So, there was a sense, that there was a certain belief, ideals, hard-won freedoms that were at stake. Not just in Europe but across the world, this has felt that there was a real threat to internationally -to freedom and democracy and things like that. So, they joined up because of that - so there was, you know, there was a sense of loyalty to the crown and to the Empire. But also, there was this feeling that there were certain, you know, freedoms that were at stake.

Conscription was introduced at the end of 1915, the beginning of 1916. Basically, because the war had continued for much longer than anyone had anticipated. A lot of people had thought that this was going to be quite a short war. What was predicted by some of the leaders in Britain; chiefly Lord Kitchener who was it was charge of raising that a mass army; was that we needed to have a big army, a big standing army like France and like Germany. In order to contribute and to prevail in this war basically.

Britain was always considered as itself as essentially a naval power and for that reason it always kept a small, highly professional regular Army which was used - mainly to settle colonial disputes and things like that. So, it wasn't anything like the size it needed to be, in order to engage a major power like Germany. So, they initially - there was a call for voluntary enlistment, which was enthusiastically taken up by the British male population. But as the war wore on and horrendous sort of losses, that were being endured by Britain and the other countries, that flow of volunteers began to tail off basically. And conscription was introduced basically to maintain Britain's mass army. Basically, so it could effectively wage war against Germany and the central powers.

This poster just announces the military service act in 1916 which introduced conscription. I mean there's no visual appeal about this poster; there's no exciting images, there's no appeals to masculinity, there's no appeal to avenge sinking liners. There's no appeals to avenge atrocities as committed by the Germans in Belgium. It's telling you about a new bit of legislation, a new law which says - everyone within a certain age bracket, will now be compelled to join the British war effort i.e., the Army. And it just basically sets out the facts of this legislation and when it comes into force: so, I've got Thursday March the 2nd 1916.

In Australia and places like Canada and things - they were very reluctant to introduce conscription. They didn't like the idea that they were compelled to fight. So, the countries that did introduce, that like Canada, that did introduce it very late on in the war - and some never did at all - but it seemed to go against, you know, a notion of freedom of choice. And so you know it was a very unpopular, and remained unpopular, right throughout the war. And particularly during elections and at the end of the war and things - the ending of conscription was considered a vote winner. Basically, that it was so unpopular it was considered as something that would win votes and would be popular amongst the population.

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Use these sources to discover more about First World War Recruitment Posters. For ideas to help you use these sources, take a look at our Suggested Activities.

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Research how effectively your topic was implemented in your chosen country 

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Research how effectively your topic was implemented in your chosen country 

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→ In Germany censorship was very significant to the time of ww1, espically when it came to to the letters and the communication from the soldiers on the front line to those back in civilisation. Censorship was the act of looking through and approving things that were put into the letter, newspaper, the media and even diaries. Germany had very strict rules when it came to what soldier could and couldn’t say when it came to information about the front line.

→ german soldiers couldnt keep diaries on or about life on the frontline

→ all letters sent home were pre read and had to be approved by a censor. Soldiers couldn't express how the front line was bad in any way (conditions , fighting, food, combat) And if they did the censor would scribble it out or the letter would just never be sent

→ this was to keep people at home believing Germany was winning and keeping the idea of being at war on the front line was ‘fun’ or ‘good’

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How has the idea of ‘total war’ impacted civilian life in your chosen country? 

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How has the idea of ‘total war’ impacted civilian life in your chosen country? 

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→ the idea of total war has heavily affected Germany ww1. By the end of 1914 German civilisation revolved around providing and supporting the war. Almost every person in Germany who had the skills was used to make and provide, weapons, technology, food, clothes etc. And if you weren't at home as not many men were kept on the home front german government enforced conscription causing the breakup and enlistment of thousands of men.

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What role does perspective play in your chosen topic and country? 

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What role does perspective play in your chosen topic and country? 

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→ Perspective can play a decent role in Censorship in Germany. A different perspective may see Germany's ways with censorship as cruel and vicious, thinking himself to be ultimately great and almighty.

→ whereas others may see it as sad and desperate from the German government as they only cared  about winning and were willing to do anything in order to achieve this even if it did mean silencing soldiers and their experiences

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The posters primarily focused on expressing German Patriotism.

Posters typically displayed soldiers in heroic positions holding weapons, in most cases this displayed towards the German people that only the most heroic and brave answered the call.

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Successes
The Beginning of German recruitment saw great success- 1.34 Million soldiers volunteered by the beginning of 1915, and 3 million by the end of the year. A lot of volunteers were encouraged to join up with friends from work or from a club or town.

Failures
The large number of recruitment saw a large gap in farming industries in 'The German empire'; this led to volunteers having to stay in Germany to provide the army and the motherland with food.

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German influence on recruitment reinforced the idea of Total War, through the many different ways Germany spent resources in forced conscription, military propaganda, and rationing to support the Western and Eastern fronts. Through Germany's strong industrial might, it easily backed the nation; which allowed for recruitment to become a lot more accessible for working class men.

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A massive campaign was launched in Britain during the beginning of the war (1914); this campaign sought to recruit men of age 19-35 to participate in the war effort, they did this through engaging in launching propaganda and enlistment posters in the local news, news papers, in local meetings, etc.

In one instance; a British politician by the name of Lord Derby encouraged Men to join the war effort with their mates, this served as a recruitment strategy and launched groups in the war known as 'Pal Battalions' These battalions served as a way to keep each others spirits up due to their mate-ship.

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Success
At the beginning of the War, the British Army had a total of 710,000 mean; this included reserves. By the end of the war almost 1 in 4 of total British and Irish Males had joined the war effort which accounted for over 5 Million manpower another 2.67 million joined as volunteers and 2.77 million as conscripts.

This amount of soldiers came from the consensus that the British and French were fighting a righteous war, as well as other forms of propaganda such as being deemed as a coward and or traitor- saw large volumes of men enter the war front.

Failures
Conscription had not been popular as in the April of 1916, 200,000 and more had formed a strike against conscription in which letters of what the fronts were really like had begun to reach home.

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Most Propaganda that the British shelved out contained images depicting British man standing in formations, they also typically had popular British figures and or fictional mascots that would have a request for Men all over Britons.

Other forms of Propaganda used women and wives as tools to get men to join.

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Through the fast mobilisation of their Nation, Britain had gone all in; They had a very successful recruitment campaign and through the inclusion of propaganda and the introduction of a draft; they had millions of men participate in WW1, even those who did not consent to join the war still had to sacrifice food, supplies, time, and money to aid the war efforts.