One
of the things which distinguishes World War I was the utter modernity
of the conflict. Only in a society or set of societies thoroughly
invested in the Industrial Revolution could such a quantity of
men and material have been offered up to such thorough destruction.
World War I was modern also in another sense: in the degree of
official documentation that accompanied every action both great
and small. For the Somme, there are official plans of battle,
official reports of outcomes. Part of the texts on offer then
will be key documents from the British High Command.
In addition to these official documents, a number of texts will
be included from participants in the battle. Like most modern
conflicts, a wealth of personal accounts came out both during
and after the war. Most of this material has been out of print
for at least 70 years. By making it available now as part of the
project, users can gain an intimacy with the events in a way that
currently doesn't exist.
One
of the things which distinguishes World War I was the utter modernity
of the conflict. Only in a society or set of societies thoroughly
invested in the Industrial Revolution could such a quantity of
men and material have been offered up to such thorough destruction.
