DescriptionFollowing the second battle of Ypres, furious fighting continued on all fronts. Casualties were high, conditions dreadful, and life expectancy short. The only break the men had was a brief home leave, or a few days away from the trenches. It was no comfort, either, that many people back at home had little idea of the suffering in the battlefields, although concern was growing as the mounting casualty lists were published. Meanwhile, British, Indian, French, and Australian forces were landed in Gallipoli, in an attempt to defeat the Ottoman Empire which had entered the war on the side of the enemy. This was a disastrous venture, as the Allies sustained appalling losses and were forced to withdraw after 8 months of bitter combat. Back in Europe, as the fighting got even heavier, more and more men were conscripted to replace the huge Allied losses in battles such as Loos and Verdun.
DescriptionDuring the dreadful Battle at Verdun, the French command urged the British to ease the pressure and launch their planned offensive on the Somme. The battle started on July 1st 1916, and in September the British used tanks for the first time. By November…
DescriptionThe horrific third battle of Ypres finally ended at Passchendale on November 10, 1917. Ten days later, at Cambrai, the British launched the first massed tank assault in history. But they faced determined German resistance and within three days only 92 tan…
DescriptionThe diplomatic origins, so-called, of the War are only the fever chart of the patient; they do not tell us what caused the fever. To probe for underlying causes and deeper forces one must operate within the framework of a whole society and try to discover…
DescriptionDuring the warm mid-summer of 1914 few people suspected that, by August, Europe would be plunged into the bloodiest conflict known to mankind. Patriotic fervour, often misplaced, swept through the participating countries, but the troops dispatched to the…
DescriptionSet before and during the Great War, Birdsong captures the drama of that era on both a national and a personal scale. It is the story of Stephen, a young Englishman, who arrives in Amiens in 1910. His life goes through a series of traumatic experiences, from the clandestine love affair that tears apart the family with whom he lives to the unprecedented experience of the war itself.
DescriptionHenry Fleming had no idea how horrible war really was. Attacks come from all sides, bullets fly, bombs crash. Men everywhere are wounded, bleeding, and dying. Now, Henry's fighting for his life and he's scared. He must make a decision, perhaps the most difficult decision he will ever make in his life: save himself, run from the enemy and desert his friends, or fight, be brave, and risk his life. If he stays to fight, he may die with his regiment. If he runs, he'll have to live with knowing he was a coward. Can Henry find the strength within himself to earn his red badge of courage?
