The Injust Great War
... this battle, the mud was so intense that soldiers were trying to crawl through mud up to their waists, occasionally drowning. The soldiers that were putting their lives on the line and in the trenches everyday were living and sleeping in the mud-filled, rat infested trenches, while generals and other highly ranked officials slept in separate dugouts, or even cement bunkers. Is it really fair that the real heroes fighting everyday for weeks and months on end for their countries freedom were treated like war tools and not human beings? The next question is, was the loss worth the gain? In other words was the sacrifice of 5000 men per square mile of land worth the few miles gained and respect earned from other countries? By 1918, the cost of war was approximately $1 million a day. All of this money spent on killing thousands and thousands of people could be put to much better use building more schools, strengthening our economy or just bettering Canada in general. After the war had reached a stalemate, the soldiers were exhausted and it was nearly impossible to break the lines. They would try to get out of the trenches and immediately be shot. If they refused to leave the trenches they would be executed for being “cowards”. Which would you prefer; being shot defending your country, or being shot by your country? Why execute your own soldiers, making it even more difficult to fight back in this war of attrition? In the situation of World War 1, the cost without a doubt outweighed the benefit, making this a very unjust war. Lastly, is there actually such a thing as “just war”? Is killing people for your own countries gain a positive thing? War is essentially murder on a larger scale. Every time someone on the battlefield shoots down the enemy, or spears them with their bayonet, it is the exact same as a regular citizen walking out and k...