Q&A: How did the horrific nature of fighting in the Great War serve to create bonds of camaraderie between soldiers?

Question by Craig D: How did the horrific nature of fighting in the Great War serve to create bonds of camaraderie between soldiers?

How did the horrific nature of fighting in the Great War serve to create bonds of camaraderie between soldiers (and even between enemies), while at the same time creating a sense of alienation from civilians?




Best answer:

Answer by shawannalee
It does for any war, not necessarily just The Great War.
The soldiers have been fighting together. They truly need to trust each other with their lives, and they are responsible for the lives of everyone around them. Once you have a bond like that, it is not easily breakable. They see things that no else else has (or should). They eat, sleep, and fight side by side. They need to act as one unit, knowing what they others are thinking with out having to say words.

The alienation comes from trying to connect with people who have not had the same life experiences. How do you understand someone who has a completely different background from you, one who has no idea of the pain that you have been in, or the pain that you remember causing to other people (because you will remember it).

Some civilians will also put you on a pedestal, as they see you as a hero, someone to worship.
Others will feel as though what you did was terrible for the world, and you only contributed to more violence and killing (think of the German soldiers after WWII). It is hard to relate to either of those groups.

Read Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. It will give you great insight.

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