In Living Color: World War I Through New Lenses
May 20, 2024
Smiling Soldiers from the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, Wounded but Happy
World War I was a pivotal point in history marked by new innovations in weaponry, communication, transportation, and more. Being the first war to occur after the Industrial Revolution, a lot of the common warfare tactics known today were being deployed for the first time, including chemical warfare, trench warfare, and the use of airplanes and submarines.
Today we're looking at history in a new way - in color. These images allow us to see World War I in a new light, one that makes this horrific moment in time all the more engrossing. From the front lines to factories back in the States, we're taking you through history in a whole new way.
This snapshot from March of 1915 depicts a set of British infantrymen fresh from the Battle of Neuve Chapelle. They are seen posing with captured German helmets. Technically, this battle didn't produce a winning side. However, it was the first instance of the British successfully executing a campaign to bolster the French side against the Germans.
During WWI, wounded soldiers were often triaged on the battlefield and then taken to a field hospital for treatment. Those suffering from severe injuries like broken or missing limbs were usually sent home to recuperate. Despite their visible injuries, the soldiers in this photograph appear to be in good spirits, so one might assume they are feeling victorious and looking forward to a relaxing recovery back at home.
Woman Working in Machine Shop to Support War Effort
The First World War came at a strange time in American history. The women's suffrage movement was in full swing, and domestic production was at an all-time high after coming out of the Industrial Revolution. When the first wave of troops was shipped overseas in the summer of 1917, many Americans assumed the war would be "over by Christmas," which obviously wasn't the case.
As more countries joined the war on both sides, the demand for combat-ready soldiers, food, and weapons grew even more. By necessity, an entire generation of women stepped up to fill vacant roles traditionally held by men. While husbands and brothers were in combat, American women joined the war effort. They served as switchboard operators, welders, truck drivers, and shipbuilders. To encourage more women to do their part, newspapers often released images of women like the one shown in this photograph, makeup-free while wearing protective goggles and gloves with their hair pulled back. The tactic worked, and from 1914 to 1918 the percentage of women in the workforce increased by an estimated 9%.
A Tearful Goodbye: U.S. Soldier Leaving to Fight
This photo from the U.S. National Archives shows a soldier saying goodbye to his wife and children before heading off to war. This is a universal scene experienced by every generation, whether they are the soldier saying goodbye or the family left behind. In this case, the soldier is holding his son and his weapons at the same time while his daughter holds an American flag.
This may surprise modern sensibilities, but during WWI, soldiers were instructed to keep their weapons on their person at all times, even at home with their own children. The prominent display of the American flag is also indicative of the times. During WWI, nationalism was an important strategy for recruiting men, and many Americans chose to go to war out of a sense of duty for their country.
Machine Gunners Ready to Defend Against Enemy Aircraft
The weapon shown in this image is the Hotchkiss Model 1914, a favorite of the French army. This relatively new model was fed with an articulated metal belt and could fire up to 500 rounds per minute. It was outfitted with wings for dissipating heat. According to records, the Hotchkiss Model 1914 weighed over 80 pounds and required up to four separate men to aim, hold steady, and fire, which is why machine gunners often worked in teams.
This heavy machine gun was part of the growing line of anti-aircraft defense artillery. This photo from near the Western Front shows one team member helping feed the gun while another scans the horizon for enemy aircraft. A fourth member stands ready to aid in whatever capacity necessary.
German Soldier With Machine Gun, a Weapon of Modern Warfare
Credit: @melodie_colors_the_past
Machine guns were invented many decades before The Great War. However, early versions were very heavy and required multiple men to be utilized effectively. By the time WWI came around, manufacturing techniques improved enough to produce lighter and more portable weapons.
The Germans were the first to discover the efficacy of a machine gun from a defensive position, as demonstrated by the soldier in this photograph. Rather than firing one bullet at a time and pausing to reload, machine guns could fire a near-constant spray of bullets. Eventually, all sides utilized machine guns and dug trenches to defend themselves from enemy gunfire. This coupling of advanced weaponry and sophisticated defense systems eventually led to the 1918 stalemate on the Western Front. Neither side could gain a meaningful advantage for some time.
Yankee Heroes: French Couple Greeting American Soldiers
Being so close to the front lines, many French people experienced undue hardships during WWI. This image appeared in Albuquerque's The Evening Herald on February 4, 1919. An elderly French couple is depicted showing their gratitude to a pair of American soldiers.
This couple's home was partially destroyed when Axis forces invaded their village. According to the newspaper, these soldiers helped rebuild it. Acts like this spread goodwill to European allies, which was part of the American mission. Photographs like these offered Americans rare glimpses into how their contributions from home were being used to help families on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Verdun After Bombing: a Memorial to Lives Lost
Historically, the French region of Verdun served as a defensive fortress against northern invaders since as far back as the 4th century. For this reason, it was a particularly important village to the French. This was part of what motivated German forces to invade it as part of their war strategy. The Germans attacked on February 21, 1916, marking the beginning of a battle that would last for the next 10 months.
By December, the entire village was destroyed, and both sides shared a combined casualty of 700,000 soldiers and civilians. Today, the battle is regarded as one of the major battles of WWI, and the site has been turned into a memorial to honor lives lost on both sides.
Soldiers in a Concrete Trench, Live and in Color
This image of German soldiers was taken by Hans Hildenbrand, an early pioneer of color photography. Among the 19 official war photographers on the German side, Hildenbrand was the sole producer of color photos. This gave his WWI images a uniquely accurate portrayal of his perspective behind the camera.
The technology available at the time required long exposures, which meant his subjects had to hold still for a full minute to create a clean image. However, he aimed to paint an accurate picture of warfare. This shot, in particular, shows a row of soldiers waiting around in a trench with nothing to do, which was often the case between rounds of artillery fire.
French Soldiers Walking Through Paris, France in Full Uniform
To Parisians, the war was practically right at their backdoor, which affected daily life tremendously. Like the U.S., France experienced an initial surge of nationalism that spurred most of its young men to enlist in the army. This left domestic production up to the women.
However, the glory of war faded quickly as food shortages, sickness, and direct attacks from Germans became the norm. By 1915, the frontlines of battle had moved farther north, leaving Paris relatively safe but still under threat of aerial attacks. At that time, Paris lost more than a third of its people. Only soldiers, like the ones shown in this photo from November 22 of the same year, were visible in public.
Wreck of a British Tank with German Markings
Tanks are another technological innovation that came out of WWI. At the start of the war, the uneven terrain caused by trench-digging and bombing made it difficult to navigate traditional, four-wheeled vehicles. In response, Great Britain developed an early prototype of an all-terrain, weaponized vehicle in 1915. The first fleet of tanks was deployed into battle by September 1916.
These early tanks were outfitted with tracks instead of wheels. They could only travel at human marching speed and required teams of eight men, with three or four required just to handle the controls. Seeing this, the Germans also began developing their own tanks, but their production lagged compared to the British and French. Rather than building their own, Germans were more likely to capture enemy tanks for their own use, as evidenced by this photo of a British tank.
Judging by the black crosses, which were the symbol of the German army at the time, the Germans coopted this particular tank. It likely experienced some sort of equipment failure and explosion, resulting in its abandonment. Or maybe someone just blew it up? Whatever the case this tank was definitely taken out of commission.
