History Buffs: 1917

Hello and welcome History Buffs! My name is Nick Hodges and today we’re going to

revisit the War to End All Wars with, 1917. In 1917, the British and Germans have been

fighting a war of attrition in Northern France. Both are left reeling from the

disastrous Battle of the Somme, but neither side refuses to give ground.

That is until the British wake up one morning to find that their enemy has disappeared.

After some initial reconnaissance, it appears the Germans are retreating.

Taking advantage of the situation, the 2nd Devons Division are sent after them.

But after analyzing some aerial data, the British high command soon realize that the Germans haven’t

run away but are consolidating their defenses. The British are about to walk into a trap.

This is the premise of 1917. Two boys, Lance Corporals Blake and Schofield,

are sent on a mission to stop the British attack on the new German front before it’s

too late. At stake are 1,600 British lives. To get there, the two boys must cross the

dangerous land between the fronts known as No Man’s Land and venture out behind enemy lines

But how much of 1917 is fact, and how much is fiction? Do its visuals accurately portray

No Man’s Land and life in the trenches? Though 1917 is a work of historical fiction,

it is based on very real events.In this review, we’ll take a look at the inspiration behind the

film to see how accurate it is compared to history and to find out if it faithfully

recreated the horrors of WWI. This is 1917.The

film opens up with our main characters, Schofield and Blake,

resting in a field.Their sergeant wakes Blake up and asks him to see General Erinmore, who then

tells the boys that the Germans have retreated from their front lines, and the 2nd Devons

division is chasing after them. Unfortunately, their intel has revealed that this is a trick.

So… we are here . The 2nd Devons are advancing here. How long will it take

you to get there? I don’t understand, sir. Sir, that land is held by the Germans.

Germans have gone. Don’t get your hopes up. It appears to be a strategic withdrawal.

They seem to have created a new line, nine miles back by the looks of it.

This new line was the Hindenburg Line, called the Siegfried Line by the Germans. And Schofield

and Blake are tasked with reaching it and finding the man in charge of the attack:

Colonel Mackenzie. They need to deliver a letter, to stop the attack and save the lives of 1,600

men who are about to be annihilated. And to make it even more personal,

Blake’s brother is part of the 2nd Devons, and the reason why he was chosen for this

mission. His brother’s life and that of the 2nd Devons, are now in their hands.

But before we follow the boys on their dangerous mission,

it’s important to look at the root of this story, to the aftermath of two colossal battles fought

the previous year in 1916 - Verdun and the Somme. At the beginning of 1916, the Germans and the

Allies were locked in stalemate over Northeastern France. Millions had died to seize ground but

neither side had much to show for their sacrifice. Put in charge to reseize the initiative,

was the German General Chief of Staff Erich Von Falkenhayn. Knowing that the Allies were

planning their summer offensives, he was gonna throw them off balance by striking first.