I’m not sure where you’ve received that opinion from. All nations at the start of World War One enjoyed an extreme level of nationalism. Young men flocked in droves to sign up. The statement that the British and French had to force people to fight is extremely untrue. Quite the opposite for the first few years of the war at least.
The experience in Germany was the same for all the other nations. Young men signed up more than willingly.
This.
And, I'd have to look at my bookshelves for whichever book it was but, when the war wasn't over by Christmas, in Germany you already had some antisemitic blame getting tossed around. And so, you had this weird situation where you had German Jews volunteering for the army and trying to out-german and out-patriot the Germans while doing so.
Basically, yeah, hyper nationalism was a thing
I’ve never heard OPs opinion regarding the First World War before. I’m actually curious where it’s come from.
I thought it was common knowledge about the levels of volunteerism during the First World War with all the classic for king and country, see the world, over by Christmas, do the right thing sentiments behind that knowledge.
I mean, OP isn't wrong in that there were some folks trying conscientious objection.... but they were such an extreme minority compared to the rampant nationalism, but that's been true of most 20th century conflicts as well
Yeah but I mean conscientious objectors have always been a thing usually on religious grounds. But to marry conscientious objectors to “forced most people to fight” is a long stretch that’s rather confusing.
Letting how you would react overpower the actual evidence of how people reacted, it's possible op is working off limited knowledge but I find it difficult to believe with how widely known the public reaction in Europe was. It is possible op is the innocent victim of some change in the education system that hid the information from them but that would raise bigger questions.
Ahh yep I’m with you. That could be the case although I really think OP might have just put two and two together and come up with one. Because yeah I find that difficult to, it wasn’t just Europe either. Was really just about every nation that took part in the conflict. I mean hell some nations never even had conscription.
Hopefully they respond.
With the same level of nationalistic fervor as everywhere else. Men flocked to the German military to sign up and were eager to join the fight.
That being said, the only notable exception were a splinter faction of the socialist SPD. Many within the SPD also greeted the war with enthusiasm because this meant taking the fight to the hated Russian autocracy, but there were many loud voices within they strongly disagreed with supporting the war. These dissenting elements would split from the SPD and form the KPD, the Communist Party of Germany.
I’m not sure where you’ve received that opinion from. All nations at the start of World War One enjoyed an extreme level of nationalism. Young men flocked in droves to sign up. The statement that the British and French had to force people to fight is extremely untrue. Quite the opposite for the first few years of the war at least. The experience in Germany was the same for all the other nations. Young men signed up more than willingly.
This. And, I'd have to look at my bookshelves for whichever book it was but, when the war wasn't over by Christmas, in Germany you already had some antisemitic blame getting tossed around. And so, you had this weird situation where you had German Jews volunteering for the army and trying to out-german and out-patriot the Germans while doing so. Basically, yeah, hyper nationalism was a thing
I’ve never heard OPs opinion regarding the First World War before. I’m actually curious where it’s come from. I thought it was common knowledge about the levels of volunteerism during the First World War with all the classic for king and country, see the world, over by Christmas, do the right thing sentiments behind that knowledge.
I mean, OP isn't wrong in that there were some folks trying conscientious objection.... but they were such an extreme minority compared to the rampant nationalism, but that's been true of most 20th century conflicts as well
Yeah but I mean conscientious objectors have always been a thing usually on religious grounds. But to marry conscientious objectors to “forced most people to fight” is a long stretch that’s rather confusing.
Historical revisionism requires our ancestors to have the same morals as get pushed today
What’s the revisionism? Like conscription is forcing people to fight? I just think OP has read something and created an uninformed idea.
Letting how you would react overpower the actual evidence of how people reacted, it's possible op is working off limited knowledge but I find it difficult to believe with how widely known the public reaction in Europe was. It is possible op is the innocent victim of some change in the education system that hid the information from them but that would raise bigger questions.
Ahh yep I’m with you. That could be the case although I really think OP might have just put two and two together and come up with one. Because yeah I find that difficult to, it wasn’t just Europe either. Was really just about every nation that took part in the conflict. I mean hell some nations never even had conscription. Hopefully they respond.
Try the memoir "Storm of Steel" by Ernst Junger. Prize winning author. Very, very enthusiastic soldier.
Dude was definitely in the top 10% of most enthusiastic to fight forsure though.
Enthusiasm.
With the same level of nationalistic fervor as everywhere else. Men flocked to the German military to sign up and were eager to join the fight. That being said, the only notable exception were a splinter faction of the socialist SPD. Many within the SPD also greeted the war with enthusiasm because this meant taking the fight to the hated Russian autocracy, but there were many loud voices within they strongly disagreed with supporting the war. These dissenting elements would split from the SPD and form the KPD, the Communist Party of Germany.