The horrid conditions of the trenches and the seeming futility of combat that followed their construction served as a macabre inspiration for many “trench poets” throughout the war. The Great War saw the advent of a new type of warfare known as Trench Warfare, that would result in the stagnation of the conflict and drag it out as both the Allies and Central powers fought from heavily fortified positions that neither side could seem to overcome, leading to unprecedented slaughter with little, and often nothing, being gained. By default they went to war with the rest of the Central Powers. On that day the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith declared war on Germany. In addition, due to the 1839 Treaty of London, Britain had a treaty with Belgium that required the defense of the neutral country after Germany’s invasion on August 4th, 1914. Britain, as a member of the Triple Entente, was one such case as they were obligated to follow into war as Germany declared war on their French allies. Due to the vast network of alliances and treaties between European nations, nearly the entire continent and beyond was eventually involved in the war, leading many to question whether or not they truly belonged in a conflict that seemingly had nothing to do with them.

The war was fought by two separate sides, the Central Powers (consisting of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire) and the Allied Powers (The United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire forming the Triple Entente). The Great War started on June 28, 1914, after a chain of events following the assassination of Francis Ferdinand, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary, and his wife. It was a war that unleashed death, loss, and suffering on an unprecedented scale.” – The Norton Anthology of English Literature Online Topics: Intro to 20th Century Intro film on WWI, authentic footage & images (10) “Masses of dead bodies strewn upon the ground, plumes of poison gas drifting through the air, hundreds of miles of trenches infested with rats-these are but some of the indelible images that have come to be associated with World War I (1914-18). Writers and poets of the Great War attempted to distinguish how this war was different than anything the world had seen before, both the manner in which it was fought and the changing attitude toward the purpose of the conflict, and it was a task shared by all of society, both those on the battlefield and back at home. As a result many women began to speak out, discussing their view on the war and the impact it was placing on their families. Women were forced to adopt a role that was traditionally considered masculine, taking on industrial work in factories in order to provide for their children, as well as assuming a leading role in the maintenance of the family. Back in Britain, the social order was being rocked by the war taking place across the channel, with women becoming key economic supporters in the absence of men and men suffering the physical and psychological stress of war. Women and men alike turned to writing as a means of emotional outlet. Literature became a common way for the British soldiers to approach the reality of the war, whether to express dissent against it, or to simply understand it. The new style of war allowed soldiers an unprecedented amount of time to ponder the battles which they fought not only in the literal sense, but battles of the mind and spirit which were of no shortage in the hellish conditions that they endured. Many social, political, and economic shifts occurred during the war, and any of the writers of the time felt the need to speak out against the flaws they saw in their society, sometimes even while fighting for their lives in the trenches. Literature during the Great War often reflects upon and bitingly criticizes the horrors of war, as well as the changes society was undergoing and provides a drastic transition between pre and post war work. One of the most heavily impacted cultural arenas to be touched by the war was literature. Great Britain, as one of the primary belligerents of the conflict, was no exception and experienced a wave of social and artistic change as a direct result of the war. The Great War, which took place between 1914-1918, shook the very foundations of the Western world, causing a societal upheaval that left immediate and lasting impressions on every aspect of society and culture.

One reason for this is that poets are not arrested as quickly as prose writers” – Ernest Hemingway, in “Men at War” The only true writing that came through during the war was in poetry. The Impact of the First World War: Britain & Literature “ There was no really good true war book during the entire four years of the war.

Verdun ww1 definition