The Transformation

            Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age, by Modris Eksteins, details the war between Germany and France. The author illustrates the struggles and difficulties the soldiers had faced. The tale also shows the change Germany’s battle tactics had changed idea of war; while also intermingling into the story Soldier’s Home and how Krebes changed because of the war.

            In Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age, the soldiers face the horror of living in trenches and watching comrades fall. The story reveals that living in the trenches were difficult for both armies because of the infestation of insect and rats. The insects multiplied quickly and the rats were extremely big. They also watched as their comrades died while trying to move from trench to trench. The soldiers also had to face the harsh winters and food shortages. The author also allows the reader to see into the diaries of the soldiers. The dairies reveals how the soldiers felt during the battles. Finally the author gives information about germany’s stategy and the debate about it. Now it’s time to discuss how the transformation of Krebes.

            One transformation that occurred is that he cannot talk about the stories of war. Krebes had to “lie” about his actions in the war because of the lack of hearing the truth. The soldiers who had returned before him had already announced their stories, such as “detailed accounts of German women found chained to machine guns…or were barred by their patriotism from interest in.” Because of his constant lying, Krebes “acquired nausea” and felt like “he [had] lost everything.” (P.112)

            Another transformation is the culture of his home town. The author addresses that the young girls’ style of clothing and hair has changed. Krebes states that “most of [the young girls] had their hair short….They all wear sweaters and shirts waists with round Dutch collars.” Another change is that Krebs felt that he did not need a girl in his life. He states the “army taught him that” yet he finds German and French girls attractive. Krebes enjoyed his time in Germany and wished to return.

            His final transformation is that he denounces his God and purpose. The war has changed Krebes and his family sees it. He does not leave the house, has not found a wife and his mother is worried about him. The war could’ve taken a toll on him because of the possibility of seeing his friends and comrades dying in front of him. Several soldiers has died in gruesome ways. Men have been killed because of being shot while leaving the tranches. As a result, he became numb to the idea of working in the real world. He had saved his country and wanted to be free of the responsibility. However, his mother and father want him to live a normal adult life. They want him to start a job, raise a family and believe in Jesus. However, he does not believe in a God or Jesus.

Tacts and Comunication

Black Hawk Down” by Mark Bowden, illustrates the struggles of these American soldiers in combat. The soldiers went into Mogadishu, Syria and could not handle the battle that was in front of them. The mission was simple. It was to find and capture the warlords that had used food as a weapon. The mission was estimated to last one hour, the mission last fifteen. The reason is because of the lack of communication and tactual strategy. The book was written a few years ago, but the story can still be seen in today’s time. An example of this is an article in The New York Times and “War communication Before Modern Technology.” These stories show that communication and strategy are important in the battle field in relation to Black Hawk Down.

            According to the article “American Soldier Killed Freeing Prisoners of ISIS in Iraq,” allowing each unit to perform the task that is specific to their skill, can allow for success in combat. Michael R. Gordon informs the readers of the events of that mission. He states that the mission was to “free prisoners from the militants, [as a way of] stepping up pressure against the militants in Ramadi, Baiji, and other locations in Iraq, and Syria.” The United States sent helicopters, Kurdish and American Special Operations forces, and Airstrikes. Because of this, the mission was successful. However, in Black Hawk Down, Rangers and Delta force are not allowing for this space. Delta Force works on tasks differently than the Rangers, because of this, the Rangers and Deltas bump heads. The Deltas work on the task individually. They do not take orders and question the orders that are given. However, Rangers are taught to take orders without asking questions about the mission. The problem that arises when the order is lost and the Rangers cannot function without orders. If the Rangers and Deltas had allowed themselves to work on their specialties, the mission would have been a success. For example, if the deltas had worked on the mission of capturing the warlords and the Rangers had worked the ground, the situation would have ended differently. However, there still would have been one other problem that needed to be solved. Communication.

            Bowden showed that the communication between each individual was not good. Messages from the air took too long to reach the ground and vice versa. There was too many channels and there wasn’t a direct line from ground to air. The system was related to “hot air balloon and telegraph” during the Civil War. During the time of the Civil War, the communication was more efficient. When the military began using flags as a way to communicate during the war was very useful. The flags was used to send codes and messages to the ground soldiers. One beneficial use of the flag method was that for important messages, the individual had to verify the message. The air force and officials in the book should have verified the messages after they were sent. The down side to the use of flag corps is that the individual was at risk of being shot down because they were in plain sight.  However, because of the lack of technology, soldiers could only rely on the minor communication they had.

            The army needs to improve their communication skills and tactical skills. Communication and tactics work hand in hand. If the unit does not communicate efficiently, there will be no order. If the unit does not have order, the battle is lost. The Rangers and Delta needed to communicate ideas, in order to work with the Deltas. The Deltas needed to strategize with the rangers as well as finishing the mission. Finally, there should have been a direct contact with the air troops and ground troop to ensure that a message was sent properly and quickly.