History Questions

During World War I, life in the trenches was a living hell for soldiers on either side of the line ' hat began as a clash of mobile armies maneuvering across vast swaths of terrain ' soon degenerated into a static conflict in which territorial gains and losses were measured in yards. Conditions were especially harsh on the Western Front, where daily life for soldiers—^whether French, British, German or American —was a nightmare of mud, blood and grinding misery Death was a constant companion, injury a virtual certainty and madness often a refuge.

The conflict was also one in which photographers captured the true face of modern war. Their images depicted every aspect of the struggle, from the raising of armies through the final, convulsive clashes that ultimately An Australian infantryman brought peace. Perhaps the most retrieves the identification papers captivating photosraphs, however, of a fallen comrade following an r October 1917 action in Belgium.

are those taken on the front lines, Australian photographer Frank ¡^ SUch haunting and evocative Hurley, among the best combat photographers of World War I.

images as those on the following was perhaps best known for p^agg ^^ ^^.^ ^^^^ ^^ g^g ^-^^ ^^^ his Images of the 1914-1916 t' & ' Shackieton Antarctic expedition, as soldiers experienced it. Taken during the 1917 Third Battle of Ypres, Hurley's portrait of Australian Private John Hines shows the haggard soldier surrounded by souvenirs-including a helmet, a hand grenade and personal items-he took during the Allied advance through Polygon Wood. 'Zero hour the whistles were blown.

Ladders were put up to mount out of 'he trench....

We had been told "there's no need for this short rushes and getting down on your stomach, go straight over as if you were on parade. There's no fear of |enemy attack!

'hat's been ish guns!"' -CorporalJames Tansky.

're and Lancashire Regiment 'Our living conditions were lousy, dirty and insanitary.

...There were rats as big as cats....For four months I was in France I never had a bath' -Harry Patch.

Cornwall Light Infantry (at age 110.

Patch is one of Britain's two surviving World War I veterans) An advancing British artillery unît pas widespread military use of motor vehic.

ar.

Though Wo.

's moonscape battlefiel north of Ypres, mud was the enemy hand of an unknown casualty ties on the hattlefield at Verdun.

OUOTATIONS eiCERPTED FROM THÍ WCÊS Of WOHIO *IHK I. av MAU »HTHUR 'Even the rats used to become hysterical.

They came into our flimsy shelters to seek refuge from the terrific artillery fire' -Lieutenant Stefan Westmann.

German army 'After the gas attacl( the men came tumbling from the front line.

...They were tearing at their throats and their eyes were glaring out' -Private W.A.

Quintan.

Tor a young man who had a long and worthwhile future awaiting him, it was not easy to expect death almost daily.

I gradually lost the terrible fear of being wounded or killed' -Reinhold Spengler.

German volunteer The body of a German soldier symbolizes his nation's defeat at the First Battie of the Marne «in September 1914.

Though .

airictory for the Aliies, the battle marktd tNwinnlng of tbe static trencn tbat charactertzed tbe V \-