An old combat adage states that, “War is long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.” Or as Hours of Boredom, Moments of Terror describes it, “It is intrinsic to all human warfare that periods of lassitude and inactivity frame the incidence of actual combat.” A better example of this adage can be seen during World War I. It was a war of which long, drawn-out trench warfare was a defending aspect. Soldiers from both sides of the war most likely spent most of their time in trenches than actually fighting. The soldiers most have been very bored in their trenches, waiting for the sudden fear of being hit with artillery barrages and toxic gasses or a sudden whistle blow from an enemy counter attack. Fortunately this all changed as radio technology evolved. A new style of warfare emerged from the ashes of the First World War and with it, the problem of bored soldiers.
The evolution of the radio all started with the end of the First World War, when ‘shellshock’ and the importance of the recreation for front line troops was starting to become officially recognized. As any military can tell you, one of the most important and basic rule for any successful military, is the morale of its soldiers. A front line soldier’s morale was seen as the most important part of war; if morale
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and Allied troops at the front lines of the Italian campaign. As a newspaper around December 18, 1943 describes, “Radio history is being made in Naples, where the first complete mobile broadcasting station is at present being fitted out. It is to operate with easy listening distance of the front line troops of the Fifth Army and its
The soldiers at war can handle hearing the bombs and shells going off never ending at the front in a small tight trench, but they cannot bear the cries of the horses and become paranoid.
In the books All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and The Wars by Timothy Findley, there is clear evidence of the nature of war. With all the efforts of preparation, discipline, and anticipation, false hopes were created for the young individuals, who leave the battlefields with numerous emotional and physical scars. The propaganda and disciplinary training to convince naïve young men to go to battle to fight for their country, the death of their comrades, and the physical breakdown are all part of twentieth century warfare.
Radio really found itself on D-Day.” – Broadcasting Magazine. For radio media, D-Day was an opportunity to show the American people its stripes. For the people, the next day’s paper headline of the invasion wasn’t good enough, they needed to hear the latest news, the fastest and radio was the media for the job, and they were certainly prepared. Perhaps the first sign to the American people that the attack had begun was unnoticed in the form of a slight alteration to the well-known NBC chime. Instead of the usual G-E-C note chime, a slightly altered chime was playing in the notes G-E-C-C. This was a signal to network personnel to call their offices immediately, all they had prepared for was about to begin. This chime was heard early in the morning of June 6th, 1944 when Germany’s Trans-Ocean News Service reported that the invasion had begun, citing paratroop landings and bombardment along the northern coastal areas of France as their indication. Radio newsman however were careful in their reporting of this updating over the airwaves, making sure that their audiences were aware that the report came from a German source and it had not yet been verified by the war department. The networks had not forgotten about the false report that was widespread just a few days ago and were always weary of Nazi propaganda aimed at confusing the allies. This was an instance of a break in the usual attitude of the
Because All Quiet on the Western Front is about among soldiers fighting on the front lines of battle, one of its main focuses is the disastrous effect that war has on the soldiers who fight in it. These men and women are subject to constant physical danger, as they are well aware that they could literally be blown to pieces at any given moment. This intense, physical threat also serves as an unceasing attack on their nerves, forcing soldiers to handle difficult situations with initial, instinctive fear during every waking moment. Additionally, the soldiers are forced to live in deplorable conditions—in filthy ditches full of rats, decaying corpses and lice. They frequently go without food and sleep, decent c...
Have you ever thought about what it was like to live during World War 1, or what it was like to fight at war? At first glance of any war piece, you might think the author would try to portray the soldiers as mentally tough and have a smashing conscience. Many would think that fighting in a war shows how devoted you are to your country, however, that is not true. According to All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the reality of a soldier's life is despondency, carnage and eradication at every bombardment. Living every day is not knowing if they will eat, see their families, or even if they will awaken the next day. Demeaning themselves from heroes to barely men without their military garment or identity. Remarque conveyed how
On the brink of the war, Germany needed hit the ground running or risk being defeated by the opponent. After Hitler became Head Chancellor of Nazi Germany, Joseph Goebbels was promoted to Reich Minister of Propaganda. Goebbels was greatly respected by his Germans and government officials after his service in the German military. It was observed as, “He (Goebbels) came as a fighter who had proved himself against the French, separatists and Communists in three years in the Rhine and Ruhr areas. He came without support; he had to build his own support.” Goebbels was viewed as a brilliant war hero who had all the answers to make Germany the most powerful country in the world. His popularity and image made him a suitable candidate to run the Ministry of Propaganda. In addition, Goebbels’ actions perfectly reflected the attitudes preached by Nazi Germany. The Third Reich was gaining momentum and it was all due to the active spread of Nazi propaganda. Nazi Germany was willing to go to any length to not only unite the German people to support the war, but also to use propaganda against the enemy directly. Newspapers, posters, rallies, and education of youth were a few ways Goebbels and the German Ministry of Propaganda spread their thoughts; however, nothing was as effective and important to the propagandist movement as radio. Radio was a revolutionary propaganda tool, to say the least, because it turned out to be the fastest, easiest, and most manipulative form of communication to shape the attitudes of the German people. The Third Reich did not intend to simply spread their propagandist thoughts to manipulate the German people. The bigger goal was to use radio as a psychological and strategic weapon of war, exponentially increasing the...
I lie huddled in a large shell-hole, my legs in the water up to the belly. When the attack starts, I will let myself fall into the water, with my face as deep in the mud as I can keep it without suffocating. I must pretend to be dead.” These soldiers went to extremes to save themselves from the raging war. Not only soldiers but officers of the army had come under the great influence of fear.
Reading, Gwem. "Radar Operator in WW2." Letter. 8 Nov. 2003. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. BBC WW2 People's War. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
"Radar during World War II." - GHN: IEEE Global History Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .
Wars affect everyone in some way, especially soldiers who fight in them, like those in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried. O 'Brien concentrates a lot on the psychological trauma that solders, like himself, confronted before, during, and after the Vietnam War. He also focuses on how they coped with the brutality of war. Some were traumatized to the point where they converted back to primitive instinct. Others were traumatized past the breaking point to where they contemplated suicide and did not fit in. Finally, some soldiers coped through art and ritual.
When one thinks of war they think of one side attacking the other, but in this war we spend much of our time in damp, muddy trenches, which smell of sewage and rotting corpses. The sun is high so we all lay low in the trenches to avoid sniper fire. So I sit and rest enjoying the break, using the time to clean my bolt-action rifle. My fellow brothers-in-arms are busy taking care of everyday tasks such as personal hygiene or writing letters home.
Radios in the book show power in many different forms, whether it be propaganda, the ability to know of the outside world or just owning a radio, sets one higher than those without.
Radio RTLM (Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines) employed multiple personalities who could each garner an individual following thus broadening their appeal to a wider audience. They even informed the Hutu killers of where to find specific people and of popular hiding places. One broadcast in the film decreed “[w]e are looking for Faustin Sano and Gerard Gakwaya. They’re said to be near Munini. Don’t let them get away.” (Peck, 2005) It is clear then that radio played a vital role in the organisation of the genocide. Also, they played the music of Simon Bakindi, a popular anti-Tutsi musician. In one scene in the film, a song is broadcast with the words “Let’s rejoice, dear friends, let’s rejoice. All is over now and God is just.” (Peck, 2005) This was a particularly important tactic used by Hutus in the genocide because music is very evocative, memorable and easy to recreate. This means that even when people weren’t listening to the radio they could recreate one of the tunes, which justified people’s
War is dangerous; however it does more than injure you physically. “The Sniper” shows how war’s effects on the mind can be just as if not more harmful than its physical effects. The psychological effects of war can change a man and last a lifetime.
Many inventions have impacted the world throughout history but in my opinion one of the most impactful one’s was the invention of the radio . This invention provided society with many things which include entertainment, communication, and easier access to information. Radio is still a central part of the society today but just like any other invention radio has an interesting history of how it progressed through time.