The Struggle a Century Ago

The Struggle for Hearts and Minds

When the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was shot and killed in Sarajevo in the summer of 1914, igniting a powderkeg that sent shockwaves around the world, industrialized nations across Europe were suddenly galvanized and armies mobilized within days. Led by competitive and idealistic monarchs, leaders among these empires were equally determined to maintain their control of natural and human resources to fuel factories and expand markets globally.

In addition to cars and trucks replacing horses and buggies, there were many other quiet changes occurring at the outset of the twentieth century impacting an ever-growing disposable income afforded the legions of new factories workers and administrators. Soon enough, watches strapped to wrists, popular among officers of the British Army - convenient and critical for timely coordination of efforts on the battlefield - replaced pocket watches.

With horses no longer polluting city streets, and human refuse being swept away into sewage systems, urban planners began to incorporate open spaces for the benefit of citizens, from sidewalks to parklands, while others recognizing people had both time and money on and in their hands began planning to acquire their wealth; publishers of newspapers, magazines and books flourished, and, with the advent of moving pictures, soon enough people were flocking to cinemas.

People were happy to spend their money. Assembly lines and mass production led to mass marketing. When Ford introduced their Model T in 1908, individual tastes and preferences were irrelevant, as each buyer had the option of simply purchasing a vehicle painted black. The way nations did business was changed forever with the introduction of national advertising, department stores and mail-order, as well as advertising agencies, public relations and brands.

In order to reach consumers and influences purchase decisions, leaders of ad agencies relied not only on newspapers but also posters and billboards, and direct distribution of handbills. In America, for example, a range of new products were competitively promoted to consumers from Levi Strauss's denim pants and King Gillette's disposable razor to cameras, chewing gum, bicycles, telephones, electric lighting, numerous household appliances and barbed wire.

Capitalism was enjoying its infancy, though balanced by democratic notions of freedom and liberty for all, including safety and security. Convenience and comfort were certainly available to those who could afford these now-common luxuries. After all, the majority of these burgeoning populations required warm homes, safe streets, schools and jobs for their children. An educated and mobile workforce enabled growth on many levels and, admittedly, times were good.

Until, on June 28, 1914, a young Serb leapt from his cafe seat and seized the opportunity to kill Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, which he did with lethal efficiency using only two bullets. Five years later, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, a global conflict was officially ended, having effectively caused over 36 million human casualties - 16 million dead and 20 million wounded. During the war, 6 million people alone had died from either disease or starvation.

Military deaths on the battlefield were no longer due to the typical loss of blood from a bullet or several, a stab wound or several, or caused by the shocking effects of a nearby explosion or losing a limb to a passing cannon ball, infection or drowning at sea. In the Great War, soldiers might be blown to mist, crushed by a tank, suffocated by poison gas, burned alive by a flamethrower, suffer a heart attack while falling from a plane, or cut in half by rapid firing machine guns.

One hundred and one years ago, with declarations of war formalizing battle lines and intentions of empires cementing the fate of their people, Britain had a relatively small army compared to the continental armies swiftly mobilized and deployed across Europe. The mobilization of an army was tantamount to a declaration of war, and Britain in 1914 was the only Great Power to not have conscription, unlike France, Russia, Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary.