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Decline of the West

In: Novels

Submitted By klunkemartin
Words 334
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1. En redegørelse for de forskellige protester mod krigen, som opstod i løbet af 1915 og 1916 – og som fortsatte til krigens afslutning i 1918.

1917 bliver skudt i gang med mytteri i den franske hær. Halvdelen af den franske hær blev berørt af mytteriet, og det var det mest omfattende mytteri på vestfronten under den Store Krig. Under mytteriet var der også protester i Paris’ gader, hvor kvinderne gik i gaderne og demonstrerede mod krigsførelsen.
Også i Italien var der problemer pga. krigstrætheden, hvor voldelige sammenstød mellem udkommanderede hærenheder og den civile befolkning opstod. Det spontane oprør blev slået ned, men senere samme år led hæren et tab ved et tysk-østrigsk gennembrud på fronten. Her kollapsede hæren og massedesetertioner forekom, samt nedlæggelse af våben. Det lykkedes dog at få den samlet igen - selvom det var langt inde i landet.
Selv i Storbritanien og Tyskland blev krigen for meget for civilbefolkningen, som resulterede i strejker opstod, dog ikke i samme opløsning forhold som i Italien og Frankrig. 2. En analyse af de forskellige regeringslederes reaktion på protesterne ved krigsfronten såvel som hjemmefronten.

Woodrow Wilson, USA’s præsident, reagerer med et fredudspil som han affatter i 14 punkter. Det generelle budskab var fred uden anneksioner (landudvidelser).
Lloyd George, Englands premierminister, reagerer på krigstrætheden i England ved at nedsætte en særlig ”Krigsformåls-komite”. Denne komite havde til formål med at forklare befolkningen hvorfor krigen blev udkæmpet.
Georges Clemenceau, Frankrigs premierminister, reagerer på krigstrætheden i Frankrig og på mytterierne i den franske hær ved at stramme disciplinen i hæren. Reagerer med stor skepsis på Wilsons 14 punkter og har intet ønske om at gå ind på kravene om forhandlingsfred. Clemenceau tiltog næsten diktatoriske beføjelser.
I Tyskland var det de øverstbefalende generaler, Paul von Hindenburg & Erich Ludendorff, som reelt set regerede Tyskland. De reagerer også på krigstrætheden med at tiltage næsten diktatoriske beføjelser. Dog kunne den tyske regering i 1918 se fordelene ved Wilsons ideer og ønskede at freden skulle søges på baggrund af de ideer.

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