Chapter 1: The recruitment drive to get volunteers.
How did recruitment/propaganda posters get men to join up?
Propaganda posters were created to encourage men into joining the army. Many had quotes or pictures of men going out to fight or of how evil the enemy is. The men would see these posters and would feel like a coward for not joining up. Some men would then go sign up, but others would just stay at home. Luckily the posters worked and by December 1914 over 1 million men had signed up!
But some posters over exaggerated. Like the ‘red cross or iron cross’ poster which showed a German nurse pouring water in front of a dying, thirsty British soldier. The Red Cross helped wounded soldiers on both sides whilst the iron cross was a German medal for bravery. Also two fat Germans laugh at the dying soldier in the background. Obviously this made the nation very angry.
Meanwhile newspapers show stories about victories, whilst defeats and deaths were rarely mentioned.
The promise it would be over by Christmas.
When war was declared on Germany in August 1914, the government stated ‘It will be over by christmas’ Men happily and freely signed up to what they thought would be a short war. By December thousands had joined up ‘to do their bit for king and country’. Army leaders, however weren’t so optimistic. Some thought the war would last at least a year or more.