Shell shock was a term only associated with World War one due to the major impact it had throughout the war. It was specifically used in Britain to express a psychological breakdown for a soldier from stress and trauma and fear from battles and fighting. It was hard to cure them as people and doctors considered them to be cowards therefore refused to offer help. Some men only received help depending on their high class or rank in the community, while others were even put on trial and even executed for being ‘cowards’. Shell shock caused a lot of problems and casualties for the country and for the war.
The War in Iraq Isn’t it interesting how the media portraits the war in Iraq? It’s always the negative points and never the good ones. There is so much disbelief and lying about our military and government that it is disgusting! Everyone believes that this war is pointless and stupid, however it needed to be done to make an example! The United States is the strongest government in the world and the media puts it down so very hard.
The Vietnam War was completely different. The majority of the American people did not want to be involved in Vietnam and made it very clear to the entire nation. Without the support from the home front it is almost impossible to succeed. The American people were so passionate about maintaining peace for America that they actually caused chaos on American soil. The anti-war movements and protests reflected on the soldiers in Vietnam and led to the defeat of the US armed forces.
Throughout history, mankind has waged war against each other various reasons. These reasons are often times proven to be trivial and superfluous thus making wars preventable. The American civil war was a war that was inevitable because of key events leading up to the war divided the country to the point where it made war unpreventable. The first issue that made the civil war unavoidable was the Declaration of Independence (cite). The writer of the Declaration was Thomas Jefferson who wrote it based off the ideals of the enlightenment period.
Although the Army had been in these parts of Iraq before the Marines were, the grunts, ground soldiers, of the Marines knew that the Army didn’t do their job and that they would now have to clear the area of all Mujahideen themselves. The Mujahideen are a global terrorist organization that occupies many parts of the Middle East, and the main group of people America was fighting against along with the Al Qaeda. As these soldiers have as much fun as they can and develop a brotherhood with each other, they also experience many tragedies and losses as many of their fellow Marines lose their lives and limbs while defending
However, very little literature addresses the predicament of solders who had to endure the dangers of the battle field with most of them scantily understanding the reason for the bloodshed. The war was particularly fuelled by a battle of supremacy in ideologies and the ambition of certain political leaders to impose their ideologies on certain nations. The situation that had emanated to a full blown world war had begun much earlier characterized by mutual suspicion, regional alliances, conspiracy and espionage. Heller attempts to bring out the sufferings that the soldiers who were forced to shoot each other just because politicians had passed legislations requiring them to do so. In Chapter One of the novel Yossarian outlines how he was forced to love the hospital because it gave him momentary peace away from the harsh conditions of the battle field.
Propaganda was used in World War One as in any other war and the truth suffered. Propaganda ensured the government put out information that only the government wanted people to know about. The government wanted everyone to think the way they wanted them to think and controlled all forms of media.. Propaganda during the World Wars was used to increase support for the war and commitment to Allied victory. Using a wide variety of media, that included music, silent films, and radio, propagandists implied hatred for the enemy and support for America's allies.
Being arrested for thought crime was greatly feared as people who were punished never returned, and their “existence was wiped” completely. Another way that Big Brother controlled the people was by signs he installed on the tall buildings. The sign manipulated people into thinking that “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.” Winston was determined to defy Big Brother’s control and he found a way around his watchful eyes. Winston began to write a diary in a secluded corner away from the telescreen writing Furthermore, Truman was also controlled and manipulated by his creator, Christof. Truman wasn’t just the only one being controlled by Christof, he also controlled everyone else around Truman.
Because the American government openly supported the Christian Diem, the South Vietnamese were almost as against American involvement as the North Vietnamese by the time of the Tet Offensive. The Americans’ failure to keep the North Vietnamese at bay only added further tension between the United States and the people they were trying to help. Back in the U.S., protest was growing to the point that full engagement in Vietnam was becoming difficult. Opposition to the draft was an extremely crucial form of protest. Literally, “tens of thousands fled to Canada or Europe to avoid the draft” (Wills 29).
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” Winston Churchill. Churchill attempts to explain the rigors of war, and how the majority of citizens owe everything they have to the few that fight to protect them. Likewise, Tim O’Brien tries to explain to his readers just what war is like, including all the gruesome details, vulgarity, and obscenity. In “How to Tell a True War Story,” O’Brien tells the reader there are certain rules that must be followed in order to tell a true war story. Without using O’Brien’s methodology, one cannot tell a true war story.