Since I am incharge of the history part (along with Heather), I thought I would blog on Ford Madox Ford's war life.
When the war broke out, Ford was recruited by Charles Masterman, the head of the War Propaganda Bureau, to write pamphlets attacking German literature, art, and music. He also wrote pamphlets attacking the British pacifists.
During 1915, when the zepplins where shelling London at night, Ford and Violet Hunt frequently entertained at their South Lodge to pass the tense and freightening zepplin nights.
In the course of these zepplin nights, the hosts and guests increasingly became concious about the cruelty of the war and troubled by the deaths of their friends in the front. Ford decides to enlist then, claiming "Damn it all, havent I been for forty years or so in the ruling class of this country; havent I enjoyed their priveledges, and shant I then, pay the price?"
In late July 1915, Ford obtained his commission and was to serve as a lieutenant in the Welch Regiment. Ford's war experience inspired some of his poerty (i.e., "Antwerp"), novels and propaganda pieces.
During the battle of Somme, Ford was gassed and went throught several periods of shellshock, neurasthenia and memory loss.
After Ford was demobilized, he returned to London and rented a small room and started seeing Stella Bowen, and by May, they moved in together. Hunt was furious and continued trying to demand his attention and his presence at South Lodge.
I was going to elaborate this and compare it to Tietjen's life, but I will let Mariya handle that as she is in charge of blogging about Tietjen!
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