Citizen Soldiers
The Liverpool Territorials in the First World War

A compelling assessment of the experience of the British soldier in the First World War.

Helen B. McCartney (Author)

9780521187770, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 3 March 2011

294 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.44 kg

Review of the hardback: ' … this is a subject which deserves a wider readership and Citizen Soldiers is an excellent start; may it inspire urban and local historians to re-examine the relationship between the city and its citizens …' Urban History

The popular image of the British soldier in the First World War is of a passive victim, caught up in events beyond his control, and isolated from civilian society. This book offers a different vision of the soldier's experience of war. Using letters and official sources relating to Liverpool units, Helen McCartney shows how ordinary men were able to retain their civilian outlook and use it to influence their experience in the trenches. These citizen soldiers came to rely on local, civilian loyalties and strong links with home to bolster their morale, whilst their civilian backgrounds helped them challenge those in command if they felt they were being treated unfairly. The book examines the soldier not only in his military context but in terms of his social and cultural life. It will appeal to anyone wishing to understand how the British soldier thought and behaved during the First World War.

1. Introduction
2. Pre-war Liverpool and the Territorial Force
Part I. Territorial Characteristics and the Morale of the Soldier: 3. 'Cuff and Collar Battalions:' social change and its impact on the unit
4. 'Common ties at home and strong county pride': the persistence and importance of county uniformity
5. The links with home: communication between the home front and the fighting front
Part II. Command, Discipline and the Citizen Soldier: 6. Command and consent in the trenches
7. Discipline, punishment and the territorial ethos
Part III. Attitudes and Experience: The War and its Aftermath: 8. The experience of active service on the Western Front
9. The aftermath of war.

Subject Areas: First World War [HBWN], Military history [HBW], Social & cultural history [HBTB], British & Irish history [HBJD1]