‘Cheshire Regiment at the Somme, 1916’, courtesy of Wikipedia

‘Did the British people welcome the declaration of war in August 1914?’

A History Today article challenges the “myths” surrounding soldiers on the Western Front and the idea of a “popular” response to the outbreak of the conflict in Britain.

Stephen Roberts highlights that “contemporary sources reveal a complex range of reactions to the declaration of war, few of which can be regarded as mindless jingoism”.

To read the full article, visit the History Today website here.

Date of article publication: Published in the History Review 2005

Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News