Discussion Questions
January 24, 2006
- How have this week's readings added to, or modified, your
understanding of the concept known as 'total war'?
- ** "The war was a
much more difficult experience for the civilian, for at least the soldier
had a well defined role and objective." Discuss this contention
with reference to the readings.
- **"Participation
in the war was undoubtedly the best thing that could have happened to the
women of each country at war." Discuss this contention with
reference to the readings. (this is a question which we will continue
to come back to in various forms throughout the course)
- **What is the image of
the soldier, and/or the society which produced that soldier, in The
Drive to Recruit? What themes, pressures, emotions, etc. were
brought to bear on the process?
- **How were children
"used" in the war effort?
- What evidence could be used to argue that, for the
homefront, life continued very much as before the war? (Remember that in the
study of history, continuity is as important as change. What doesn't
change and why, is as important as what does change.)
- **How can we as
historians use literary sources, such as Wells' Mr. Britling, to
study WWI? (throughout this course we will be utilizing a range of sources
and we need for each source type to appreciate their assets and limitations)
Note: The ** denotes
themes or questions which we will be addressing throughout this course.