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The Singular Devastation of World War I

Owen’s antiwar message in “Dulce Et Decorum Est” must be understood in relation to the singular devastation of World War I. By the time the armistice was declared, more than twenty million people had been killed, and another twenty million had been wounded. Never in world history had a single conflict produced so many casualties. One reason World War I was so devastating had to do with its geographical sprawl. The war was fought along four distinct fronts stretching across Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa. Such sprawl necessarily involved an unprecedented number of military personnel, which naturally led to more casualties. Another reason for the singular devastation of World War I relates to the technical innovations that brought new types of weapons onto the battlefield. Principal among these weapons were chlorine gas, which appears prominently in Owen’s poem, as well as machine guns and tanks. The destructive efficiency of such weapons contributed both directly and indirectly to the heightened number of casualties. Most obviously, these weapons made killing easier. But they also necessitated the development of trench warfare. Trenches provided some cover for troops, but they also restricted mobility and hence prolonged the war, ultimately leading to more casualties.

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