ILN During WWI: Maintaining Morale

Maintaining Morale

Morale played a critical role in maintaining the physical, mental, and emotional health of a soldier during the trench-style warfare of the First World War. The risk of sudden bombardment, long periods of rain, anxious waiting, boredom, and officer/rank relations combined to affect morale. Soldiers developed methods of coping such as dark humour, fatalism and superstition, but if some measure of reprieve from the stress of war was not given, either in the form of rest camps or distracting entertainments, soldiers were at risk of disenchantment, dissention, or suicide.

Diminished morale was also linked to trench foot, which the British army monitored with concern. Cases of trench foot were a marker of low morale and should an increase in cases in a single regiment develop, the commanding officer was required to file a report.

Efforts to maintain a healthy morale among armies took two forms, rest and entertainment. It was understood that soldiers could not withstand the pressure of the front lines for long, and armies quickly instituted a system of rotation. Front line troops would gradually fall back; as they shifted to rear positions, they would have greater access to leisure and rest. The further back they fell, the more organized the rest and leisure became. Rest camps were located at the most nether point from the front line, and while not extremely luxurious, soldiers rested on straw beds and filled their time with letter writing, reading, card games, and organized sports. Occasionally regiments not fighting on the front lines would be treated to events planned for their entertainment, such as concerts or theatre performances, often aimed at boosting their sense of nationalism.

Naturally, wounded soldiers received the greatest amount of entertainment, and women played a key role here, entertaining troops through musical or theatrical recitals. Keeping the morale of wounded soldiers discouraged depression and disillusionment while they recovered.