My grandfather in WW1 was conscripted into Prussian army and send to fight on western front,while gradnfather from my father side was conscripted into Russian army and fought on the eastern front(Ironic)
My mother told me ,when grandpa (he was wounded couple times in Flanders)came back home he was different man…War sucks.
When I saw the title of the OP, I knew I’d have to post something. Then I read some responses and knew there were two points to make.
First. I’ve been a student of WWII for about 15 years now, since I was in junior high. Both grandfathers and many of thier friends have given me first-hand stories of battle. I’ve always admired these men. (My grandfather was 15 when he lied to the recruiter to join). Yes, the recruiter knew he was young, but hey, it was war. One thing that always bothered me was my lack of interest in WWI. The weapons were more crude, the tactics weren’t as well honed, and the press coverage wasn’t as sophisticated. Hence, fewer daily heroes.
Second. Now I see people pissing on these brave souls by trying to play polotics with the service they gave. Brainwashed, snookered, conned. Whatever the fuck you want to say about the governments at the time, these were kids that beleived in the cause of defending thier land (especially the English and Americans). I wonder how many of you would lie to a recruiter to jump a ship to sail halfway across the world to fight a war on foreign land to help people you’ve never met? I know I wouldn’t. I’d rather sit here and type into a keyboard not worrying about the hardship of war a hundred years ago.
Anyone that wants to denigrate a WWI vet by saying they were too dumb to not buy into a “government lie”, well, thank them for having the time and cockiness to say it. Oh, and while you’re at it, dig up one of the corpses and skull-fuck it. That’s all you’re doing by slamming them on a message board anyway.
Nobody was being denigrated, or pissed on, and it’s you bringing polotics into it by saying these guys died for political ideals. I don’t think they were brainwashed but they were grossly misinformed about the reality of trench warfare or what an artillery barrage was like. I’m sure they all had thoughts of adventure and defeating the Hun and lots of other great ideals but it doesn’t really count because, according to some of the people I’ve met, all this stuff goes out the window when you’re in the middle of it. Knowing you might be killed and seeing your buddies being disemboweled are completely different things and I maintain that rational people will make different choices based on those experiences or knowledge.
We agree the defenders of freedom weren’t necessarily brainwashed but what do you think drove the other side’s men to the same heroics? Let me guess; they were brainwashed?:rolleyes:
Duffer ,you forgot about Russians,French, Germans,Poles,Serbs, Belgian and many other nations who fought for their land on their soil.I have huge respect for soldiers in that war for what they went thru.
But there is nothing scandalous in saying that young people were missled and thrown into meat grinder.That war achieved NOTHING !They did not fight against some “evil” dictator .Politicians and bankers wanted it.And their greed later created real evil.
Huh, I guess posts 4,5,8,9,10,11,12 and 17 had nothing to do with a government instead of the kids fighting the war? Well, my bad.
Of course I haven’t forgotten about them. I was trying to be brief. I’m sure you have respect for the soldiers back then. I get a little worked up when I’m reminded of WWI vets that are forgotten and not bothered to learn of by the i-Pod generation. Sue me.
There most certainly is a piss-off attitude to say the French were misled to fight the Germans. The English also. Germany was going for total domination of Europe. It seems you’re saying Western Europe should have said, “Hey, these friggin’ Hessians are coming, let’s capitulate so we can be dominated.”
Didn’t happen. They fought. Knowing they were fighting for their freedom and the security of thier families. They didn’t need a “sell” from the government. It was a very real, very immediate threat that they stood up to.
(Warning: cheap shot coming)
Of course England needed some help from the south.
South and East.
Really, really, really East.
You’re welcome Pierre.
Oh man, would it save my hide to say I went to public school? :smack:
Obviously that was supposed to be west. :smack: :smack: :smack:
politic*s–politics.
I don’t think he’ll get it.
Anyway, who’s Pierre and what’s with the South and the really, really East that turns out to be West? 
Well I as the OP wasn’t trying to piss on any of the poor bastards that ended up in those godforsaken trenches.
I do have problems with
- The leaders who treated these men like things and just sent them to their certain death for nothing.
-The idiocy of the Pals Regiments
-The complete ignorance and refusal to accept shell shock as a real thing. Cowards they were called and cowards is how they were treated :mad:
-The policy of keeping young men who had enlisted underage even after their family requested that they be returned due to their age. There was a documentary about this on CH4 in the UK the other week. Politicians dodged the issue when it was brought up and the army wanted all the bodies(pun intended) it could get so ignored most of the requests. They even shot a 15 year for cowardice after he freaked out during a artillery barrage.
:rolleyes: Not mention the rest of Britain.
As worthwhile a topic this is (as well as heated, surely), let’s not forget what forum we’re in, ladies and gentlemen. Surely, we can discuss without the use of four letter words.
Thanks for starting this thread, yojimbo. “The forgotten heroes of a forgotten war”, and these days it doesn’t apply to just Gallipoli anymore (borrowing from “And the band played Waltzing Mathilda”). One of the darkest periods in modern history, and worthwhile remembering. For all the sadness it still brings to read about it, these men did not die for nothing if mankind can learn from its past mistakes.
So far, learning proves to be pretty damn hard. 
:smack: You’d think with tthe pride I have in my Scottish roots that would have been glaringly obvious to me. Sometimes I’m just an idiot.
Carry on.
These posts were responses to your original statement (post #3) that these men died for our freedom. You’re indeed the one who brought propaganda in this thread. And one century-old propaganda at that.
I don’t think we need to encourage this way of thinking lets some other millions people will be send to their deaths tomorrow again on the basis of the same kind of bullshit. It should be made clear to everybody that governments don’t hesitate to waste millions of lives in the pursuit of goals which have nothing to do with values like “freedom”, despite all the propaganda they won’t hesitate to engage in.
By glamourizing these deaths, by pretending they were fighting for freedom while actually they weren’t, you’re encouraging the next generation to buy in the next serving of propaganda and sign up for the next unwarranted meat grinder.
You are 100% right!