Trench Warfare 1914–1918: The Live and Let Live System

294 Pages·1980·27.81 MB·English

by  Tony Ashworth (auth.)

Trench
Warfare
1914–1918
The Live and
Let Live System
TONY ASHWORTH
TRENCH WARFARE 1914-1918
The Live and Let Live System
TRENCH WARFARE
1914-1918
The Live and Let Live
System
Tony Ashworth
M
MACMILLAN
© Tony Ashworth 1980
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1980 978-0-333-25766-1
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission
of this publication may be made without written permission.
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or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance
with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended).
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to
this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and
civil claims for damages.
First edition 1980
Reprinted 1986
Published by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LT D
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG212XS
and London
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Ashworth, Tony
Trench warfare, 1914-1918
1. European War, 1914-1918 - Campaigns-
Western
I. Tide
940.4'144 D530
ISBN 978-1-349-04358-3 ISBN 978-1-349-04356-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-04356-9
To my daughters, Shura and Selby Louise
Contents
List of Plates IX
Acknowledgements XI
Maps: The Western Front, 1914-1918 XII
A Typical British Trench System Xlll
Introduction
2 The Elementary Forms of Live and Let Live: Christmas
Truces, Fraternisation and Inertia. The Problems of
Communication 24
3 The Two Phases of Trench War. The Bureaucratisation
of Trench Warfare (I): The Opportunity Structure of
Aggression: Specialisation, its Growth and Develop-
ment 48
4 The Bureaucratisation of Trench Warfare (2): Imper-
sonal and Centralised Control over Aggression 76
5 The Response of the Trench Fighter: The Ritualisation
of Aggression 99
6 The Development and Maintenance of Live and Let
Live (I): The Growth of Goodwill; Rewards for
Compliance and Punishments for Deviance between
Antagonists 129
7 The Development and Maintenance of Live and Let
Live (2): Rewards for Compliance and Punishments for
Deviance among Compatriots 153
8 Raiding: Its Causes and its Consequences for Live and
Let Live 176
vii
VIll Contents
9 Conclusion 20
4
Notes 227
Index 259
List of Plates
Sentry of the 1/4th Royal Berks watching through a periscope
in the trenches near Ploegsteert Wood, Spring 1915. For many
trench fighters Ploegsteert was, for long periods of time, a 'rest
cure sector' (Imperial War Museum)
2 German soldiers carol during the Christmas of 1914. On both
western and eastern fronts, mutual musical entertainments
between enemies were not infrequent through the war on very
quiet fronts (Ullstein Bilderdienst)
3 Two Germans set up a small kitchen in their dugout, and
almost certainly, the enemy opposite had made similar cooking
arrangements (Siiddeutscher Verlag)
4 Diagram from a wartime publication showing the layout of an
officers' dugout on a typical 'peacetime sector' (BBC Hulton
Picture Library)
5 German officers of the 27th Infantry Regiment in their dugout
(Imperial War Museum)
6 A French officer shaves in the front line. On some 'cushy'
sectors it was even known for soldiers to take baths (Henri
Desagneaux, Editions Denoe!)
7 A machine gun in British trenches (Mansell Collection)
8 French officers' mess in the trenches, August 1916. Flowers are
in a German shell case. Clearly 'mutual understandings' were
well developed on this sector (BBC Hulton Picture Library)
9 Portuguese in the trenches. Arrival of hot rations in a carrier
strapped to a man's back, near Neuve-Chapelle, June 1917.
The Portuguese were great believers in the 'principle oflaissez-
faire' (Imperial War Museum)
lOa & lob Trench life on 'cushy' sectors (Imperial War Museum)
I lOne synonym for 'live and let live' was 'let sleeping dogs lie'
(Ullstein Bilderdienst)
12 Another term for 'live and let live' was 'rest and let rest'
(Ullstein Bilderdienst)
13 Afternoon tea in the trenches (Ullstein Bilderdienst)
IX
x List of Plates
14 Sometimes animals appeared in the trenches. Here the
Germans hold a lion cub mascot; elsewhere milking cows were
kept in the front line (Ullstein Bilderdienst)
15 A German trench household only 40 yards from the French.
This household could have been destroyed by one enemy hand
grenade but for the tacit truce (Ullstein Bilderdienst)
16 British troops make puddings in the trenches (BBC Hulton
Picture Library)
I7 Soldiers eat dinner in the trenches, Arras, March 1917.
Possibly an 'egg and chips' sector (Imperial War Museum)
18 German trenches in the Vosges sector where 'live and let live'
prevailed for long periods throughout the war (Siiddeutscher
Verlag)
19 British troops in France (BBC Hulton Picture Library)
20 British soldiers frying bacon in a reserve trench. On an active
front, smoke from the stove would have attracted instant and
lethal enemy gunfire (Imperial War Museum)
2 I French soldiers eating in the trenches (BBC Hulton Picture
Library)
22 An immaculate German trench a few yards from the French
line (Siiddeutscher Verlag)
23 The 9th Battalion, The Cameronians (the Scottish Rifles)
make a daylight raid. More than anything, raids destroyed
'live and let live'. This was the other face of trench warfare, and
life could be nasty, brutish and short on active sectors
(Imperial War Museum)
Every effort has been made to contact all the copyright holders of
the material used in the compilation of this book, but if any have
inadvertently been missed, the publisher would be pleased to make
any necessary arrangements.
Acknowledgements
Much of the material upon which this book is based was written by
trench fighters, and these sources which include c\.iaries, memoirs
and autobiographical fiction are mostly listed at the end of the book.
I have spent many pleasant, sociable hours talking with and writing
to soldiers of the First World War. lowe them a debt, firstly for their
time and reminiscences and secondly, for their example of adversity
borne with fortitude and sometimes humour, and remembered
without rancour. In particular, I should like to thank Captain C.
Allen, M. C., Sergeant W. Mitchenor, and Private W. Watts.
Colleagues have helped and contributed in various ways and,
among these, I am especially grateful to Dr Michael Walker, whose
constant interest, quick insight and comment served, in informal
lunchtime workshops over the years, not only in shaping this book
but also as necessary encouragement. I will always be indebted to
my first teacher, Professor Norbert Elias, who has introduced so
many students to the fascinating world of social enquiry.
Additionally, I wish to thank the following: Professor Ilya Neustadt,
Anthony Giddens and Jack Winkler for encouragement at an early
stage; Professor Percy S. Cohen, Clive Ashworth, David Owens, Dr
Helmut Heisler and Dr Paul Atkinson, who have had either a direct
or indirect influence on the book. I also wish to thank Professor
Martin Albrow of University College, Cardiff, for arranging
invaluable study leave when the research was in a formative stage.
Further, the often enthusiastic contributions of students made in
tutorials during the duration of the research should not go
unmarked. I am grateful to the library staff of University College,
Cardiff, for their efforts in getting books through the inter-library
loan service. Finally, Miss Diana Davies has my thanks for valuable
editorial assistance, and Mrs Myrtle Robbins for typing the
manuscript so efficiently.
Llantwit Major, South Glamorgan TONY ASHWORTH
2 February 1979
Xl