Onward and Forward: Summoning Nationalism

           

26 A British officer leads the way "over the top" amid the bursting of German shells. (John Warwick Brooke/National Library of Scotland) #

I believe that this picture truly exhibit the bravery that soldiers demonstrates in war, however the picture also demonstrates the images that the British government wanted to circulate throughout the newspapers and war pamphlets. The line of helmets do not display the faces of the men entering the battlefield; the photo to be impersonal. The soldiers display unity because every member is moving forward. Additionally, even with the photo capturing a moment it is not hard to not imagine that the soldiers’ pacing is unified. For the viewers that want to feel the individual feeling of war the silique of the lone soldiers does establish a level of individuality. The picture itself can be used a propaganda for people to join the war, but to contribute to the war. The faceless soldiers, but the strength that they display does not jar the viewer against the war. To the contrary, the picture can represent nationalism. The picture exploits nationalism because the caption solidify that the men are moving towards the German. Your enemy for the average British citizen. It’s hard not the feel at home a need to support these men in a positive way.  Basically, the secondary motive of this picture is to recruit bodies. The main objective is to make people want to contribute back home. The picture summons this idea of marching into glory. Overall, the photos prompts the citizens of Britain to remain connected to heroic aspect of the men on the front line however, distance from the personal turmoil’s of each individual soldier.