Soldier circa 1915

August 1914: the First World War was "unleashed". Enthusiasm predominated, national feelings broke out. Volunteers poured into the regiments' recruitment posts, in order to contribute to the "defence of the fatherland", although Germany in fact had declared war. Hundreds of thousands of men took to the battlefield shouting "Hurrah!". They dreamed of capturing Paris until the German advance faltered at the end of 1914. Mobile warfare turned into bitter battles over positions and trenches. Confidence in the military leadership was shattered, despite the fact that everything had begun so promisingly.

Cheered on and decorated with flowers, the "heroes" sang as they marched into enemy territory:
"We are victory! Like the sea tides we thunder on the shore:
We are victory and they shall be undone!
We pound our enemy like sand at the sea.
Their fate is sealed: perish, say we!"
(Kriegsgedicht von E. Knopp 1914, zitiert in: Gross, Claus Peter, 1871-1918; ... verliebt ... verlobt ... verheiratet unter Adlers Fittichen, Berlin 1986, S. 384)

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