British Troops Morale On The Western Front Case Study

Plan:
Intro
* British troops morale better than that of the French and the Germans in 1918 on the Western Front * Petain stated that morale had become the essential factors of the struggle * Whilst there is little dispute between historians over the motivational factors there are different areas historians focus on when determining factors that sustain morale. * Gary Sheffield suggests the bond between the officers and the troops as a factor * Rachel Duffett suggests that food was a source of demoralisation but at the same it provided entertainment that motivated the troops. * Geoff Bridger suggests that boredom was the curse of life on Western Front and therefore entertainment would be the source of sustaining morale.
Officer man relations & relations between the troops * * Camaraderie
* Paternal relationship between the officers and ‘their’ men * Officer training geared towards paternalistic behaviour
Food rations * * The food supplied by the army was poor and decreased morale therefore soldiers set about to find further food to increase morale * Entertainment from securing more food to appease their appetite * Food parcels sent from home lift morale * Rachael Duffett
Entertainment * * Rachael Duffett suggests that it was not just the appeal of extra food that attracted the men to such activities but also to cure their boredom * Poetry * Songs * Gambling * Games * Jokes and humour bottling up emotions and masking them with dark humour

Letters * Sense of normality and continued connection with loved ones at home * Kept the letters safe showed the significance * However, heavily censored possibly frustrate rather than motivate * Also if they were uneducated and illiterate impossible to write and they could end up using cliché slogans the army has used
Rest
* Cafes * Away from the front line * Brothels