BATTLEFIELD ORDERS

Hey...this is Paul...my first entry...yeah There is so much to tell about the war; truths that you will more than likely only see here. Most of the things I speak of in this journal will not be admitted to the common citizen, in fear of causing problems. But I've got the truth about this war; the facts, and the feeling to back them up. I'll cover the basics. Please ask questions if you want to know anything else. I'll start with the weaponry. There are new weapons being introduced to us soldiers constantly. Sometimes we're trained to use them; and other times we learn about them the hard way - they kill a few of us, or rain down on our heads. If we don't apply them to our strategies, we will be eaten alive. I've seen men fried with flamethrowers; a dangerous device that shoots fire. Mortars aren't much nicer, as they fire projectiles at steep angles, leaving no time for cover and ultimately no survivors. Machine guns are also becoming more common because of their usefulness; they fire many rounds at once very quickly. Our modes of transportation even include weaponry. There are tanks, which can shoot long distances and handle most any terrain; airplanes, which are very useful for surprise air attacks and speedy retreats; and even submarines, which maneuver underwater, creating a very useful way to infiltrate enemy lines and maybe even launch a missile or two. All this is quickly changing the face of war. It doesn't much help the number of casualties decrease, but it does provide soldiers with new tactics to overcome obstacles that may be easier or more destructive to enemies than those of previous ages. I can't help but wonder, though; why create technologically advanced warfare when it would be more beneficial to stop warfare altogether? Moving on, I must discuss the oh-so-common term here on the front: no man's land. The term means just what it says; there are no men on that land. It's basically the strip of land between your trench and the enemies' trench. No one wants to be there, and most of those that do end up there do not return. I tried to find an accurate picture, but i'm afraid there is no way to actually depict the gunfire, grenades, and feeling of death that truly is no man's land.

Gas is one of the worst weapons of war. It's the silent killer. By the time you realize it's there, you've already breathed it in, and more than likely, it's the end for you. Small amounts may not be fatal, however. Poison gas in the form of grenades has become a successful way of defending territory and wiping out mass amounts of enemy troops in a single throw. The gas most commonly used is chlorine, a deadly substance. When inhaled, it begins attacking and destroying human organs, and causes choking fits.

Life in the trenches for a German soldier is something that cannot truly be put into words, but I will do the best I can. When you go to war, you expect to come back home and continue your life as if war was just one more thing you had to do. But that's never the case. Not too long after being out on the front, you start to lose your passion for life. After seeing countless deaths and gruesome scenes, the mind must lose some consciousness to maintain it's sanity. The basics of trench life are pretty dreary; little food, plenty of rats, spreading disease, loss of friends on a daily basis, and uncertainty of how much longer you have to live are among them. It's amazing how much we take advantage of before we go to war; because pretty soon you realize how little it really takes to live.

As previously mentioned, food was most of the time scarce; and when we had it, it wasn't exactly appetizing. We soldiers have come up with quite a few ways, however, to transform tasteless rubber and mush into edible cuisine. For example, we break all our food up, add water, and boil it in a sandbag. Also, when condensed milk was available, some soldiers would crumble up the rock-hard biscuits and soak them in water overnight, and then cover them with the milk in order to force them down. I'll tell you one thing...the only thing nice about being a soldier is that you can't possibly be fat, no matter what you do.

A notable figure during the war was definitely a man who was called "The Red Baron". He was credited with 80 kills before he was shot down in his vermilion triplane on April 21, 1918 in front of the Sainte Colette brickworks. He was known for his amazing flying skills.

One thing about the war that backfired was the Schlieffen Plan. This plan was created by Alfred Graf von Schlieffen. It was the German General Staff's overall strategic plan for victory on the Western Front against France. Unfortunately, it was executed to near victory in the first month of World War I until a French counterattack ended the German offensive and resulted in years of trench warfare. Yeah...talk about depressing, right?

Of course, there have been catalysts during this war. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on the 28th of June 1914, started a series of diplomatic events that led to the outbreak of war in Europe. Ferdinand was considering such things as the idea of a federalism made up of 16 states, which was not popular among the ruling elite.

Even women have been affected by this war. It's horrible. We try to keep as much as we can from the women; they do not deserve this war, but then again, niether do we. Most, if not all, of the nurses that tend to the wounded and dying soldiers are women. One particularly noted and dedicated one was Helen Burrey. She went to work at age 14 at a department store in Pittsburg and worked there until she entered nursing school. When the war began, she volunteered to serve as an army nurse. She was one of the first to be sent to France. How sad. She worked the hospital trains, saving countless lives, when she didn't have to.

Luckily, there are some parts of the war that I have not been unfortunate enough to get involved in. One of the major things right now is dogfights. This is basically air-to-air combat. People from one plane shoot or throw things at an enemy plane. Sometimes they even tangle rope in the other plane's propellers. Regardless of what happens up in the air, one plane or the other almost always ends up falling to a fiery death. It's an awful form of combat; but then again...fighting really is awful altogether.

Our trenches in France look something like this...

There's only one more thing I'd like to talk about today; Pal Battallions. These were comprised of soldiers raised in the same locality with the promise they would serve with their friends for the duration of the war. I believe that this is a good strategy during the war. It's a way to guaruntee a certain number of recruits/soldiers. And when fighting in war with friends, you also have someone there to help you get through. I always seem to use my friends to stay sane. There you have it...the beginning of the things you don't know about this war that's tearing the earth apart. It's not the first, and it won't be the last. But I just feel a need to let those of you outside the warfront know that you may think you're suffering a lot from the war...but don't forget about your soldiers. I'll write more later...

LITERARY ANALYSIS

CHAPTER 1

We haven't slept for two weeks and seventy men are dead. However, there is now actually enough food and cigarettes to go around, due to the fact that half my company has been lost. It is a bittersweet day. Many days now, depending on how long I live, will be this way. For all of our young, innocent world's were destroyed the first time we went out to combat. I feel almost selfish, eating the food cooked for the men who died on the battlefield; almost as if it's wrong. But then again, I feel that if I do not eat enough, I shall perish as well. Every man is needed in this war. I won't let the silent taunting of the dead kill me. There are too many other things out here that ruin our lives. Kemmerich is also dying. We all tell him he will be fine, but we know that is not the truth. CARTOON ANALYSIS: War causes damage so dramatic both physically and emotionally that soldiers are unable to return to their normal lives after war. This cartoon shows an average looking man whose shadow is that of a soldier. This implies that this man was once a soldier, and is constantly reminded of it, even after his combat. The cartoon also implies emotional damage to the man. He can no longer look at himself and see the man he was before he went to war. Soldiers face inevitable battle scars inside and out from the horrors of this hostile bombardment. WHAT I LEARNED: This first chapter shows just how quickly war can affect a person permanently. Just into combat, Paul has already watched a friend face the slow onset of death at such a young age. That's something most of us never see. War is an awful way to settle disputes and disagreements. Life is fragile. We don't realize this until it shatters before your eyes. Sure, you can tape it back together, but it won't ever be the same. In this chapter it is already evident that Paul thinks something great of his friends; that he is beginning to use them as a coping mechanism. They have become his family.

CHAPTER 2

I have now become detached from the average aspirations of most men my age. This is probably true for the twenty kids in my class that enlisted to fight in this war. These three weeks of training have really taken a toll on us. We have an awful drill instructor, called Himmelstoss. He loves to see us in pain under his rule. He makes us feel as if we are no longer humans, but slaves. I want to go home. Earlier today, I thought Kemmerich might be headed home. I visited him today, but it was for the last time. With one last painful gasp of air, he died. He is probably the first of many friends I will lose. I do not know how I shall live.

CARTOON ANALYSIS: The huge number of untimely deaths that result from war will never disappear. This cartoon shows a skeleton rising from the murky ocean to destroy people on a cruise ship. This shows that casualties are never forgotten and can have consequences. The size of the skeleton is a very important detail. It implies that the number of deaths in war is too big to be ignored. War deaths are significant enough to scar a country. WHAT I LEARNED: war is unfair; life is unfair; friendships never last in war; family is nonexistant.

CHAPTER 3

The new replacement troops have arrived. They seem so young and inexperienced. I feel bad for them, because they will go through what I have been through; that is, if they live. I would never wish this on anyone. I thank God for Kat. He has managed to locate food and bedding(straw) in this place. No one but him could do it. He has this knack for finding things when there really doesn't seem to be anything to be found. I'm just sitting around wondering how exactly formerly nice men, like Himmelstoss, turned into such bullies. I reckon it was the power. People always go mad with power.

CARTOON ANALYSIS: During war, countries provide very few options for their people in hopes of compelling them to fight on the warfront. In this cartoon, Uncle Sam, the American mascot is telling the country that they must work or fight. This means that all people are being forced to do some sort of labor. Uncle Sam holds a gun in one hand and a shovel in the other. Basically, the only choices he gives his people are to support the war and fight, or work, which is suffering for not supporting the war. Countries use unfair tactics when it comes to recruiting the armed forces during war.

WHAT I LEARNED: war is damaging; life is ruined by war; friendships can save your life during war; and your friends are your closest thing to family during war.

CHAPTER 4

My company boarded trucks in the middle of the night to go lay wire. There was a bombardment, and bullets and grenades flew everywhere. Explosions and cries from wounded people and horses filled the air. It was unbearable. Even worse, I caught a splinter in my arm and fell into an open grave. The only good thing about it was that I could take cover under the coffin. My friends joined me. Not too long after that we had to put on our gas masks. They are awful things to wear. Your breathing is extremely labored. At the end, five of us were dead, and more than that were wounded. So many of them were new recruits. It's so hard to watch the youngsters die so soon.

WRITING EXTENSION

Dearest Mother,

I worry about you every day. My biggest fear is that of not being there for you when you need me. But always remember this. Although I cannot be home, my heart is with you always. Please promise me one thing, Mother. Promise that you will not worry about me. It is not good for your health. I need you to be there when I return home. Do whatever you can to get better. I miss you terribly, but knowing I will be in your arms once more placates me. I promise that war is not as bad as you may hear from others. Your son would not lie to you. Please tell my sister what I have told you. Let her know that I love her. And tell Father that he has good reason to be proud of his son. Take care of yourself.

Love,

Paul

You’re going crazy,

Running on empty,

You can’t make up your mind,

You try to hide it,

But you had to say it,

Restless all this time,

So completely drained from every thing that’s in your life,

It’s so wrong but you had to scream every thought you kept inside,

One minute you laugh,

The next minute you’re slowly sinking into something black,

I get the feeling that lately nothing ever really lasts,

I keep trying to get up but I keep falling back,

And you love,

And you hate,

And you wait

The song above is called "One Minute" by Kelly Clarkson. I believe it captures many of Paul's feelings on the inside that can't really be seen from the exterior. It talks about a confused, overwhelmed feeling. In Paul's case, the trigger for this feeling is war. He's drained emotionally from the traumatizing events on the battlefield. Paul seems to make many attempts at rising above what is happening to him, but he keeps falling back.

Often the most painful and significant loss during war is soldiers. This painting depicts two soldiers who have died and were left to rot. There are so many casualties that there is no way to find and bury them all. This piece of art also shows its viewer something about death. Death is inevitable in war. Even after the war is over and the conflicts resolved, the soldiers lost will never live again.

INTERVIEW

Here is the letter from a soldier http://www.tlysau.org.uk/en/item1/3410 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: 1) Did you choose to be a soldier? 2) How long have you been a soldier? 3) Have you lost anyone close to you in the war? If so, how did it affect you? 4) What is your opinion on war? 5) What was your most horrifying moment as a soldier, and how did you get past it?

SELF REFLECTION

my work on this project, i'll admit, was not the best. there were many circumstances that made my work worse than it normally is. among them were lack of enthusiasm, lack of sleep, lack of time (due to the massive volume of other work i had to do), and lack of technological ability. one major thing was that i loved the book, but doing this project just ruined the book for me. i like to read a book without analyzing it. Analysis just seems to reveal things about the book that spoil the fun. so yeah, i'm pretty sure ms. micallef already knew this, but i didn't like this project. come to think of it though, i've never had an english project that i liked...and i've been in english for a LONG time. it's definitely not the worst project ever though. at least this one was bearable. despite all that i just said, i learned a lot from doing this blog. i don't think i'll ever use the knowledge, but some of it was interesting. i don't know what it reflects about my learning, however, except maybe that i learn faster and enjoy it more when i work alone and don't have to present to the class! i learned that i take advantage of a lot of things. that would be the positive thing that i learned. the negative would probably be that even though Paul was constantly in a war zone, he was still more emotionally and mentally stable than i have ever been! so i guess i'm a wimp. ahhh...my opinion on war is... WAR IS ABSOLUTELY STUPID AND BARBARIC. i know that fighting is a part of human nature, but this is rediculous! what's the purpose of war? when are we going to learn that blowing the heads off of foreign people is NOT making a point?! i have never supported war. and i never will. period. i often compare war to football...i mean, after all, they're both kind of pointless, right? in football, a bunch of guys run around breaking their bones and wasting energy just to get their hands on a weird shaped ball and smash it into the ground! war is similar, but worse: a bunch of guys run around and try to kill each other just to prove a point that is never proven and more than likely, to end up dead! there you have it. i'm done!!!!