A Soldiers Declaration

This is a very moving extract as we learn about S. Sassoon's personal views on the war against Germany in 1917 and i admire his courage to run against the rest of the army to help his fellow soldiers.

We learn that Sassoon is unhappy with the way that the war is turning out and is angered by the authorities continued persistence for unnecessary violence: "The war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it." This can be seen as selfish but as we read on we learn that Sassoon is not concerned with his own welfare but of that of others. Sassoon also expresses how he believes the reasons for war have changed recently: "for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust." We as readers can understand how guilty Sassoon must be feeling because he is no longer fighting for "liberation" which could be seen as morally accepted but to fight for land and power in his eyes is wrong making us admire him for speaking out against such actions.

In this declaration Sassoon focuses greatly on the suffering the war is causing his comrades: "I have seen and endured the suffering of the troops." This shows how caring Sassoon was to risk speaking out against the authorities on behalf of his men and it makes us admire his character and his courage.Sassoon at the end of his declaration: "On behalf of all those suffering." he hopes to prevent all the unnecessary suffering caused by the authorities who cant imagine what the soldiers have to endure: "They have not sufficient imagination to realize." This last comment makes us as readers fell anger towards authorities who are to selfish to see what they are causing and to me this declaration is a very brave attempt to spare thousands of people many more months of suffering for such and unjust cause.