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MaryKate Rae

Mrs. Dietrich

Honors English 10

12 April 2019

Religion’s Impact on World War I

Considering the similarities between World War I’s motives and effects of other religious

crusades, why is it not considered a Holy War or crusade? World War I was a conflict between

the years of 1914 and 1918 in which Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman

Empire fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan, eventually the US

(World War I). Religion was a leading force in the efforts and motives of World War I. World

War I should be labeled a Holy War or crusade because of the heavy belief in just-war as a

motive, the fighting soldiers’ beliefs and apparition accounts on battlefronts, and the home fronts

religious efforts to support and uplift the war.

The motives of the various nations involved in World War I were mainly centered around

the belief in just-war. Many bishops and clerics spoke freely about their beliefs and thoughts on

their states’ position in the war and its obligations to the war efforts. With the religious higher

ups speaking out about the need to fight for God’s kingdom, this brought the fighting spirits out

of the soldiers (Jenkins). The soldiers on the Eastern and Western fronts had a need for

redemption, not only for their fallen soldiers, but also for the fallen kingdom of God (Houlihan-

The Churches). While the soldiers and civilians were being influenced by the outspoken clerics

and bishops, they were also heavily influenced by the religious propaganda and recruitment

strategies used to raise enthusiasm for the battles (Houlihan- Religious Mobilization). The
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strong beliefs the nations carried into battle with them stemmed from the origins of the just-war

theory and their ideas of what was right. The motives of the war began with religion making it

popular to use faith as a strategy to recruit and gain enthusiasm on the home fronts and

battlefronts. The propaganda influenced the mindsets of the soldiers that were willing to enlist

because they now believed they were fighting for a just cause (Houlihan- Religious

Mobilization). Ultimately, the factor that influenced the propaganda and therefore impacting the

soldiers was the words and actions of the bishops and clerics and their outspoken beliefs in just-

war.

It is a common theme throughout the war that bishops and clergy would carry a lot of

weight with their words and actions. These religious would release statements about their

thoughts on the war along with trying to justify the war motives. For example, a bishop was

known to see Allies as “…predestined instruments to save the Christian civilization of Europe

from being overcome by a brutal and ruthless military paganism” (Jenkins 72). This is only one

of many accounts in which bishops and clerics would release strong statements to justify the

fight. The clerics and bishops truly believed that they were in the right and their enemies were in

the wrong and were trying to justify these beliefs with religion. The clerics during the time also

went as far to accuse the opposing sides of being in the wrong and the force that is attempting to

destroy civilization (Houlihan- Religious Mobilization). These accusations were taken heavily

by the people and increased the support for the war efforts. At the beginning of the war, some

preachers took these accusations as far as condemning German culture as anti-Christian and even

demonic, making war a Christian obligation (Jenkins). Along with the heavy weight of the

bishops and clerics’ words and proclamations, the soldiers’ personal need for redemption

brought a lot of soldiers and support to the war. As the bishops and clerics continued to speak of
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religion, the soldiers became more connected with their faith, and to the souls of their fallen

battle-mates. As their faith grew, so did their need for redemption for the fallen soldiers they

once fought beside.

The bishops along with clerics also raised the fighting spirits within the soldiers. With

clerics saying “… no peace without victory…” it “fostered grievances that survivors on the

losing side had a duty to fulfill, keeping the battle going to avenge the sacrifices already

incurred” (Houlihan- The Churches). Soldiers during World War began to fight not only to

avenge the deaths of their fellow soldiers, but to redeem God’s heavenly communion on earth.

As for example, the “American solders and war workers hoped that their sacrifices and struggles

would redeem a fallen world, unite a fractured country, and bring a just and lasting peace” (Ebel

47). The strong beliefs of the soldiers were heavily influenced by religious beliefs. These

beliefs also began to run into the propaganda used to gain enthusiasm for the war and recruit

more soldiers with the same feelings toward the war and its motives.

It was common that the nations’ propaganda and recruitment strategies would include

religion. States would use religious beliefs to gain support and enthusiasm for war and victory.

Sates would use medieval Christian imagery and language to show that the war was a noble and

honorable defense of tradition. Along with this the nations would use images of Christ, the

cross, and saints on enlistment posters and propaganda to encourage civilians to buy war bonds

and become nurses and ultimately support the war (Houlihan- Religious Mobilization). By using

these strong images to recruit soldiers and gain enthusiasm it shows that religion had great

impact on the people. If using religious figures was the main way to recruit and advertise this

must mean that the people were heavily influenced by it. If ordinary civilians were willing to go

to war because of a poster advertising religion, it must have been largely present in everyday life
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leading up to the days of war. With religion being present before World War I it was “… natural

to portray contemporary soldiers as knights in armor, and as Crusaders, often under angelic

protection” (Jenkins 72). As the images on posters portrayed angelic protection the stories being

written and released told the tales of angels of deceased soldiers and holy figures fighting on the

battlefields with the current soldiers (Jenkins 71). At the time of the war even the people

believed they were fighting a Holy War and depicted this in their propaganda. By recruiting

with religious imagery and beliefs the nations were setting the scene for the solders’ motives of

faith on the battlefronts.

The effect that religion had on the soldiers during World War I was great. Faith was

extremely important to have on the battlefronts and in the trenches. There are many accounts of

apparitions and radical attempts to heal through prayer. The soldiers relied heavily on religion

and faith to not only justify their actions, which was discussed previously, but also to keep them

fighting with a stable mind.

Soldiers throughout World War I relied on their faith to protect them and help them

through the fight. It is said that soldiers would often carry Bibles in their pockets placed directly

over their hearts along with scapulars with special Bible verses on them (Houlihan- Religious

Mobilization). This shows the importance faith had in the everyday lives of the soldiers. The

amount of faith in the fighting was also present in the famous Christmas Truce. This was a

complete truce between the nations in the trenches to celebrate the birth of Christ, Christmas.

This truce, known by many, shows that not only was religion important to only a few nations

fighting in the war, but to all.

With their Bibles and scapulars close to them the soldiers would turn to religion in times

of need. There are accounts by military doctors and army psychologists that soldiers would
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attempt to heal themselves by chanting prayer, uttering religious exclamations, and performing

religious rituals that included praying the rosary (Houlihan- Religious Mobilization). For

someone to go to such extreme measure to exercise their faith, they must have had very strong

beliefs in God’s ability to perform miracles and perform deeds that could save them. Faith did

not help the fighting soldiers through not only physical health, but also psychological health.

Studies show that endurance of psychological collapse was normal for soldiers fighting at the

Western Front (Houlihan- Catholicism). One would expect that a person’s faith would

deteriorate in such conditions instead of being the factor keeping them fighting. Another factor

keeping the soldiers fighting this terrible war was seeing their former battle-mates fighting

alongside them as spirits.

Apparitions were a popular topic of conversation between the people during World War

I. Soldiers and people on home fronts claimed to see apparitions on battlefields and hovering

over homes. The most famous account was the Angel of Mons when an apparition appeared

above the battlefield to protect the British soldiers from advancing German columns in August of

1914 (Houlihan- Religious Mobilization). Not only were apparitions seen on the battlefield bu

also by “Religious believers on the home front[s] [who] would claim that a visit from a

supernatural figure meant that a loved one was either protected from harm or was dead…”

(Houlihan- Religious Mobilization). Even if the people did not know if their loved ones were

dead or alive these apparitions were a reassurance that they were in the presence of God. The

fact that religious believers had the faith to believe that these apparitions were real and true

shows again that Christianity had to be present in everyday life of these nations before the war

began. The effects that faith had on the soldiers during the war is apparent in the way they acted
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and continued to believe and practice their faith on the battlefields or in the trenches. The effects

of faith present in the trenches carried on to the people on the home fronts as well.

The people on the home fronts turned to religion as a way to cope with the conditions of

the war. Faith was so strong that “…across Europe, belief in a union of souls existed beyond that

horrors of the trenches and defied death itself, helping both soldiers and civilians endure the war”

(Houlihan- Catholicism). These strong beliefs continued even after the war was over. In Europe

especially, people adopted older and more traditional consoling practices because of their large

inclination to contact the dead (Houlihan- Religious Mobilization). Civilians were heavily

affected by faith and the impact it had on the war itself. The volume of the effects that faith

during the war had, justifies the argument that World War I should be considered a Holy War or

crusade. As faith affected the civilians during the war, the people influenced by religion also

affected the dynamic of the war.

Civilians and churches influenced the dynamic of home fronts during the war. In

Germany, with the men going to war women stepped into the place of male teachers. With new

methodology of reading current events and writing reflections religion teachers channeled the

children’s opinion towards loyalty to the state (Houlihan- The Churches). It is important to

notice that religion was being put into education and began influencing the children of the time.

This show again the importance of faith to the people on the home fronts. They also exercised

the method of relating current events of the war to religion showing that the nations fighting in

World War I believed they were fighting in a Holy War. The religious people on the home

fronts also influenced the war efforts because religious women began to get involved in hospital

networks and cloisters, monasteries, and churches became hospitals (Houlihan- The Churches).

Along with becoming hospitals, “Churches helped organize those moves within state
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auspices…” (Houlihan- The Churches). In places that were losing and economically struggling,

the Church would step in to “…fill gaps were the state was unable to provide” (Houlihan- The

Churches). It is noticeable that the Church had a large role in funding and helping in the war

efforts. The Church’s influence on war efforts shows the civilians’ trust in the Church and the

communion in which they lived. The influence that the Church had on the civilians, soldiers,

and the war itself justifies the need to identify World War I as a Holy War.

A Holy War is when a nation officially expresses repeatedly that they are fighting for

God’s cause and to defend his Church. This can be seen many times throughout World War I.

Bishops and clerics along with governors continuously expressed their intentions to fight the war

for God’s kingdom. This again expressed through the civilians and soldiers’ actions.

Ultimately, World War I should be classified as a Holy War or crusade because of the heavy

influence that just-war beliefs had on the motives of the war, the extent to which faith influenced

the soldiers on the battlefields, and finally the influence that not only the Church had on the

civilians, but the influences that it had on the overall war efforts.

Works Cited
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Ebel, Jonathan H. Faith in the Fight: Religion and the American Soldier in the Great War.

Princeton University Press, 2010, Princeton, NJ. Print

This source was useful in research because it shed light on how religion at the time led to

the beginning of the war. It also shows how the important of religion throughout the war and

how it led to the end.

Editors, History.com. “World War I.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009,

www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history.

This source aided in research because it provides background information on World War

I. It also gave a new perspective on the matter and the influences of the war.

Houlihan, Patrick J. Catholicism and the Great War: religion and everyday life in Germany and

Austria-Hungary, 1914-1922. Cambridge University Press, 2015, United Kingdom. Print.

This source was useful in research because it gives insight into the works of Church and

state at the time of war. It also showed how with faith people began o cope during wartime

-showing how religion both impacted and was impacted by World War I.

Houlihan, Patrick J. “Religious Mobilization and Popular Belief.” International Encyclopedia of

the First World War. Freie Universität Berlin, August 26, 2015. Berlin. www.

encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net. Web.

This source was useful in research because it gave information on faith and its effects on

the home fronts during World War I.

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Houlihan, Patrick J. “The Church.” International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Freie

Universität Berlin, October 22, 2015. Berlin. www. Encyclopedia. 1914-1918-online.net.

Web.

This source was useful in research because it shows how the Church not only advanced

the violence but also advocated for peace. It also brings in new perspectives like those of

peoples of the Judaism and Islamic faiths.

Jenkins, Phillips. The Great and Holy War: How World War I Became a Religious Crusade.

Harper Collins Publishers, 2014, New York, NY. Print.

This source was useful in research because it showed the religious motivations behind the

start of World War I. Along with this it also shows how World War I shaped religion known as

it is today.