Declaration of WW1

[TheRomanRuler]

Hey,
i just remembered what my history teacher ones said:
"when they declared war, people celebrated"
Is that really true, and especially, how things went DURING declaration? Were people on streets shouting "YEES!!!" and with masses joined to army, or what?

[RNV]

Initially yes in most western countries.
Here in Italy interventionists and neutralists battled for one year until interventionists eventually won and Italy joined the war.
You must consider that those were times when all people was nationalistic, a lot more nationalistic than nowdays nationalists. If it was only a normal war probably nowdays we would get the same feeling every time a new war is declared.

[ComnenusTheOne]

People used to celebrate every war mate. Even in WW2, soldiers began their mobilisations with songs and smiles on their faces, and celebrations. It was the.... subsequent events that kinda wiped the smile off their faces.

[♘Top Hat Zebra]

Now that we know any war can lead to the literal destruction of the world, we're not so excited about it anymore.

[don_Durandal]

There was a degree of euphoria in most of the belligerent countries, as there was a level of support for the army and the war. People hung flags at their windows, and crowded in the streets when troops marched by to cheer them on and give them flowers.
I wasn't really partying or rejoicing though. Keep in mind that all the involved countries (except Great Britain, and to some degree Belgium) had universal conscription with long reserve times back then, so almost everyone would have a father, son or brother leaving for war.

Rather than masses enlisting, you have to imagine the chaos that happened when most males aged 23-40 left their civilian life overnight to rejoin the colours. Train stations were filled with reservists off to their unit's depot, meeting and grouping with their old comrades from active service (which was likely more a cause for celebration than the actual war).

[Miralem]

In Serbia, newspaper boys were running around and shouting " MOBILIZACIJA!! KRALJ PETAR OBJAVIO MOBILIZACIJU!!! " ( Mobilisation!!! King Petar announces mobilisation!! )

In my dear Fatherland, Montenegro, however.. It was just seen as another war that will be won... After the on-going Balkan Wars, the situation with the Austrians wasn't taken too serious, as nobody in the glorious nation thought that there would be a bigger escalation ( just like in Russia, Germany, France and Britain )... However when the real fighting had started, the Montenegrin army mobilised and attacked south Bosnia, inflicting well-done defeats to the Austrians.

[PunitorMaximus]

in towns YES! there was a huge euphoria. in the cities whole college classes volunteered..
the peasants were not so fond of it...imagine the government is taking your 3 strong sons and you gotta make it with young and old. without tractors!

[Whukid]

I think even today most soldiers and sailors are pretty excited to go to war. When you spend every working hour of your life training for such an event, it's exhilarating to finally hit the big leagues, and not just shooting lasers at the lazy bastards from C company. Obviously, they're all nervous, but still very ready and very willing to go.

[Slanted]

I think even today most soldiers and sailors are pretty excited to go to war. When you spend every working hour of your life training for such an event, it's exhilarating to finally hit the big leagues, and not just shooting lasers at the lazy bastards from C company. Obviously, they're all nervous, but still very ready and very willing to go.

You've hit the nail on the head. There is always a bit of apprehension but all the good soldiers I have come in contact with are generally eager, excited, and in most cases happy to go. After a few deployments this mindset is worn down a bit but higher ranking NCOs with three or four deployments under their belt are more apathetic about it than hating war or being afraid to go. Of course there are the few that would just rather spend all of their time deployed except for regular R&R breaks.

[don_Durandal]

That would be true for the career soldiers, and the 20-23 year old conscripts doing their military service. Reservists however, specifically those of the older classes like the Landwehr, were more concerned about their family and job than about the war. This was especially true in the countryside (where back then a majority of the population still lived). Mobilisation took place a few weeks short of the harvest season and farmer was the main profession amongst those called for duty.

[TheRomanRuler]

Hmm. I wish people would still have that kind of nationalism, it feels we are too afraid to go in wars. Not saying war is nice place to go, but it gets conflicts solved. Once there were plenty of small "weekend wars", know there are only "peace"keeping and world wars, way more cruel, and it only leads to another conflicts.

[ByeNow]

Hmm. I wish people would still have that kind of nationalism, it feels we are too afraid to go in wars. Not saying war is nice place to go, but it gets conflicts solved. Once there were plenty of small "weekend wars", know there are only "peace"keeping and world wars, way more cruel, and it only leads to another conflicts.

Only place where war can "Solve" Conflicts are between countries that don't have nukes (So no Nato, Russia China, India, North korea etc, aside from maybe the last three due to the "No first use" policy, I doubt they would keep the promise tho.

[PunitorMaximus]

thats the point: since ww1 we know a small conflict can lead into the destruction of half of the world! especially nowadays with nuclear weapons its smarter to be a bit more careful in declaring wars

[Admiral Van Tromp]

Even artists loved the idea: "Let them blow all this crap up so that we can rebuild better". Gravilo Princip gave many people a load of joy.

[Frontiergame]

We should have gone into North Korea before the had nukes a decade ago. Those guys are REALLY crazy.

[.Mitch.]

Thread closed for obvious reasons.

In future known trolls will just simply be banned from this subforum, I have niether the time nor patients to have them around.

[.Mitch.]

On further thought I'v deleted 10 posts and I'll reopen this as there was some interesting discussion for a while so lets go back to that, my previous warning still applies though.