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attheirlocalchurchorsynagogue,sayinggood-byetotheircom-
munity,cryingwiththeirwives,mothers,andsisters.uSoldierswere
sentońtothesoundofthebalalaika,conscriptsdancedoncrowded
platformsbeatingupcloudsofdust,andtheirrelativesbadethem
farewell,makingthesignofthecrossandweeping,”aRussianshop-
keeperrecalled.Tesunnyweathermustcertainlyhavecontributed
totheairofoptimism,goodhumour,andevenbetterexpectations.
Itwasallsoimpressive:neversincetheNapoleonicWarshadthe
streetsbeensofullofsoldiersandcivilians.
Festoonedwithdecorationslikeahoneymooncouple’scar,the
traincarriagesenhancedthesoldiers’senseofoptimism.Slogans
encouragingthemtobattleandmockingtheenemywereplastered
onthewalls.GermanpostersreaduEverybayonetthrustmeansone
Frenchmanless”anduToParisforbreakfast.”Tepleasantatmos-
pherewasdubbedutheAugustexperience”andenhancedbyuplif-
ingandmorale-boostingsongslikeuIt’salongwaytoTipperary,”
whicheventuallybecameoneofthemostpopularwartimetunes.
Overthenextdaysandweekscensoredpapersandpicture-houses
conveyedapropagandaimagetothepublicofhappy,smilingsol-
diersfullofromanticandpatrioticexcitement-anidealised,very
one-sidedpicture.Manyphotographsfromthisperiodpreservedin
privatecollectionsandmadepubliclatershowsad,anxious,oreven
terrifiedsoldiers.Toseleavingheavy-heartedandfullofforeboding
didnotgetintothepropagandapicturesofahappyarmygoingto
war.Anothergroupthepropagandafailedtodisplaywerethosewho
justadayortwobeforehadtakenpartinanti-wardemonstrations.
Tepositiveattitudetothewarwaspatentintheworkofthewrit-
erswhohadsigneduporbeenconscripted.Teywrotethatwar
meanttheafrmationofvitality,energy,thepowerofthespirit,vir-
tue,thatituhadmadetheworldbeautiful.”Warwasanactofcrea-
tion,utherisingshapeofanewera,”uamarvellouswonder,”uasa-
credmoment,”uawarofpurification,”thestartofuanewlife.”War
wasutheonlylife...,arippleofexcitement,andnothinginthewhole
worldcouldmatchit.”Teutimeoftriumphhadcomeforthemost
splendidvalues.”Itwastheuhourofyouth.”Peopleprayedearnestly
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