La Grande Guerre : civilisation et barbarie. Des sources directes pour les classes

The Great War is the first war in which millions of soldiers from five continents took part. In this article we focus on the economic and technological aspects of the war, as well as the mental and cultural dimensions in the lives of the soldiers in in a chronological order, a number of documents from the historiography on the Great War. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on the phenomenon of war, not only in terms of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, but to penetrate the complexity and the subtlety of human relations in an industrial war. In this way young people have the opportunity to enter the mental vulnerability of soldiers living in the worst conditions. The case of Siegfried Sassoon, suffering from shell shock, is a real eye-opener. The poems of this English officer allow the opportunity to engage with his mental suffering and make us understand the humanity of his outlook.