Germany - intro Flashcards
What was different about Germany compared to Britain?
Unlike Britain, conscription was institutionalised in Germany since 1871 for men between 18 to 45 years olf.
What did Germany have ?
had the most highly trained, effective and best equipped army in Europe, with a standing army of 800 000 men, with four million in reserves. By August 1915, it was increased to 5.3 million and in 1916, to 5.8 million.
Evidence of the effectiveness and best army in europe:
G.W. Steevens from the Daily Mail (1897) stated, “the Germany Army is the most perfectly adapted, perfectly running machine..[it] is the finest thing of its kind in the world; it is the finest thing in Germany of any kind.”
What was P therefore used for?
Therefore, Germany did not need P to persuade men to enlist but was used to defend itself from the British, dehumanize the enemy and raise funds.
What happened at the outbreak of war?
enthusiasm swept across the nation, similarly to Britain.
What were the men in search for which encouraged them to enlist?
men were in search of adventure, honour and pride and didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity that they believed would be over by Christmas.
Although Germany had conscription, what did they also have?
there were large volunteering movements. Around half a million men came forward during the war, with 143 992 men enlisting in the Prussian units in the first 10 days alone.
