Figure 1.--Already by 1915 large numbers of fathers had been killed in the war. Here a German boy is trying to raise money to aid fatherless boys by playing his violin. The boy himself may be fatherless. He is in front of a building that seems to be part of the Red Cross or other welfare effort. World War I was the first conflict in which the Red Cross played a major role. The sign with the Red Cross reads, "HILFE FÜR UNSERE / KINDER / DER GEFALLENEN TAPF. / HELDEN / ??? / / Offizielle Sammelstelle / ...". That translates as, "Help our children / of the brave heroes killed in action / .. official place of collection ".

Children vwere affected in many ways by World War I. There was enormous enthusiasm for the War at the onset. Many chilren tried to enlist. Recruiters in most counties had an age limit of about 18 years, but often turnd a blind eye, especually if the boy looked older than his real age. And we know from the photographic record that some boys were accepted even if they clearly looked below the recruitment age. We are not entirely sure how these under-age boys were used in the various armies are just how common they were. Using boys was less common than in 19th century armies, but we still see quite a number of boys involved. The impact on children varied somewhat in East and West. On the Western Front, the fighting was laregly confined in a relative narrow strip thrpough Belgium and northern France scarred by formidable trenches. Thus the primary impact on children was the loss of fathers in the fighting. The children were noit exactly orphaned, but as the fathers for the most part were the bread winners, families and the children in them were devestated and commonly spun into poverty. Belgium was an exception. Here because of German occupation policies, the civilian population, especially the childern faced starvation. Only American relief supplies prevented mass starvation. In the East the fighting was different without one permanent clearly defined front. As a result, there was not only oprphaned to deal with, but many displaced children. And as the War was primarily fought on the territory of the Tsarist Empire with few resources, the institutional capability was very limited. No children probably suffered more than Serbian children when the entire country was occupied by the Central Powers which held Serbian reponsible for causing he War. And unlike Belgium, there American reflief supplies did not reach the country. Families and children were often on their own. Countries before and after the War adopted a range of policies to aid the child victims of the War. This varied from country to country depending on the policies of the different countries and their capacity to deal with the problem. Children in Russia were particularly affected because of the Revolution and Civil War destroyed any capability to aid children especially when famine resulted in mass starvation. Again American food relief saved millions, but was delayed 2 years by the Bolheviks.

Enlistments

There was enormous enthusiasm for the War at the onset. Many chilren tried to enlist. Unlike earlier wars, boys for the most part did not participate, although oldr teenagers did. Recruiters in most counties had an age limit of about 18 years, but often turnd a blind eye, especually if the boy looked older than his real age. And we know from the photographic record that some boys were accepted even if they clearly looked below the recruitment age. We are not entirely sure how these under-age boys were used in the various armies are just how common they were. Using boys was less common than in 19th century armies, but we still see quite a number of boys involved. Many boys, for example, participated in the American Civil War. And unlike World War II, Germany did not turn to boys when the War went against them.

Youth Groups

European countries began to organize youth groups in the late-19th century. The first was the Boy's Brigade in Britain with a religious foundation. The first German youth group was the Wandervogel which was coed had a aesthetic ethos. Just before the War, Baden Powell organized the Boy Scouts (1906). It had a strong patriotic ethos. Baden Powell was thinking about military preparadness, but this quickly shifted to personal charater formtion and public service. The Scouts very rapidly spread to other European countries and America. It was slower to grow in Germany than other countries, primarily because it was seen as having a British imprint. The Girl Guides (Scouts) soon followed, much to the trepedation of some conservative parents. There was also a Red Cross auxillery in some countries. These organizations all mobilized to assist the War effort and performed a wide range of useful activities home the home front. The various groups bult a substantial positive image in part because of their War work. The only exception was Wandervogel in Germany.

Impact

The impact on children varied somewhat in East and West. On the Western Front, the fighting was laregly confined in a relative narrow strip thrpough Belgium and northern France scarred by formidable trenches. Thus the primary impact on children was the loss of fathers in the fighting. The children were noit exactly orphaned, but as the fathers for the most part were the bread winners, families and the children in them were devestated and commonly spun into poverty. Belgium was an exception. Here because of German occupation policies, the civilian population, especially the childern faced starvation. Only American relief supplies prevented mass starvation. In the East the fighting was different without one permanent clearly defined front. As a result, there was not only oprphaned to deal with, but many displaced children. And as the War was primarily fought on the territory of the Tsarist Empire with few resources, the institutional capability was very limited. No children probably suffered more than Serbian children when the entire country was occupied by the Central Powers which held Serbian reponsible for causing he War. And unlike Belgium, there American reflief supplies did not reach the country.

Family Support Efforts

Families and children were often on their own. Countries before and after the War adopted a range of policies to aid the child victims of the War. This varied from country to country depending on the policies of the different countries and their capacity to deal with the problem. A good bit of an entire generation of men were destroyed which of course had a huge impact on families and children. The French called the orphans children of the nation and made a real national commitment to aiding them after the War. We know les about what was done in other countries.

American Relief Efforts

American relief efforts saved millions and from the beginnin there was apecial concern with children. Many European countries depended on food imports. Mny of these imports were cut off bu the War. Conscription and the shifting of econonomuc resources adversely affected food production. Some countries adjusted. Others filed to do so. American food relief saved the Belgiann, reugees in France, and Italians. It proved difficult to get food to other countries because of the War. And no effort was made to aid the Germans and other Central Powers until after the War. Children in Russia were particularly affected because of the Revolution and Civil War destroyed any capability to aid children especially when famine resulted in mass starvation. Again American food relief saved millions, but was delayed 2 years by the Bolheviks.

Created: 12:21 AM 4/16/2014
Last updated: 9:10 PM 10/13/2017