Making Sense of the Great War - Crisis, Englishness, and Morale on the Western Front

"Alex Mayhew provides new perspectives on military morale by exploring the experiences of English infantrymen in Belgium and France from 1914 to 1918. Drawing on approaches from anthropology, psychology, and sociology, he examines the morale and endurance of these soldiers and helps to explain how soldiers made sense of the Great War"--

List of contents

List of Figures; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Preface; Introduction; Part I. The Environment; 1. Familiarising the Western Front: Attachment to Belgium and France; 2. Enduring the Western Front: Winter and Morale; Part II. Social Groups; 3. Defining Duty: Obligation and the Cultural Foundations of Morale; 4. Imagining Home: Englishness in the Trenches; Part III. Crises and Morale; 5. Hoping for Peace: Victory and the Future; 6. Experiencing Crisis: Battle and Sensemaking, c. July 1917-June 1918; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

About the author

Alex Mayhew is Assistant Professor in Modern European History at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Summary

Alex Mayhew provides new perspectives on military morale by exploring the experiences of English infantrymen in Belgium and France from 1914 to 1918. Drawing on approaches from anthropology, psychology, and sociology, he examines the morale and endurance of these soldiers and helps to explain how soldiers made sense of the Great War.

Product details

• Authors: Alex Mayhew, Alex (London School of Economics and Polit Mayhew, Alex (University of Birmingham) Mayhew
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 18.04.2024
• EAN: 9781009168755
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0916875-5
• No. of pages: 390
• Series: Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Sociology, HISTORY / Military / General, Anthropology, military history, Social & cultural history, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Social and cultural history, c 1914 to c 1918 (including WW1), c 1914 to c 1918 (World War One period)