A Rabbit Tale And Carrots Too
Right ! you lot, Attention! now some of you will not last more than 2 weeks on the frontline but pick up those old kit bags and keep a stiff upper lip. Even General McCully, after he got his head blown off?, when they recovered his head? his lip was as stiff as a board! so keep those lips stiff ! !
Now, I'm going to smarten you all up and sweeten you up to fight ! for king and country ! I'm here to turn you all into the perfect killing machines before sending you off to fight on the frontlines in the trenches - You'll mainly be hanging around in those hell pits for 3 years, waterlogged, rat infested and you will keep your uniforms on at all times ! for the king ! even if you're covered in lice and even if you see photo's of Our glorious King George V Dressed up in the enemies uniform like the Kaiser? and they maybe related? but dismiss all that ! you do your duty for Saxe Coburg Gotha !..i mean Windsor, Windsor! until the whistles blows? and then the big push over the top into victory and glory, also to move Field Marshal Haig's drinks Cabinet closer to the enemies defeat, that's a standard joke, you can all laugh at that one ... Now then, we're going to march in a regimental manner, up and down for a bit, then round and round for a bit more in an orderly fashion..by the right ! wait for it !.....quick ! march ! left, right, left, right, get those knees up!.....
Oh well, I don't normally make a fun of war, I find war in general insanely pointless, Accept for rare genuine justly causes like the American Revolution, some may disagree but history always dictates just causes and unjustly causes, that in the long run? after some bloody long global battle? it was all pretty much a waste of time but we should never forget those common folk, whether they were part of the military or civilians, that struggled, fought and died in those conflicts, on the frontlines or in cities, towns, villages, ''lest we forget''
I'm always overwhelmed how humans can resort to becoming psychopathic murders, all in the name of war.. opposing each other so badly, that we always end up on a battle field, or in the skies, on the oceans, ripping each others hearts and souls out and for what? for pride? a medal? honour?, can't deny the honour for those that serve and have served.
Obviously Leaders, monarchs, Dictators, Despots, Emperors, Presidents, the ruling elites, and political bodies, perpetuate and ferment wars of all types, for all kinds of agendas and they need the common masses to be dragged into these agendas - to go fight for victory. I admire the Ones who actually fight these bloody wars past and present on both sides but i despise those that indoctrinate us all into these, life and death games human beings play.
So, This Drawing, set during WW1, which is fantasy of course but loosely based in reality during the latter part of that devastating 1914-1918 conflict- just one of the many instances that depicts the insanity of war, and the extraordinary lengths humans go to, just to kill each other and fight for victory.
''Food glorious Food and the lack of it for Germany''
One of the many Factors that led to Germany's defeat during WW1 was the Vast shortages of Food not only on the German frontlines but vastly impacted the German population also. The British Naval Blockades, drastically restricted Germany's Ability to import Food and many other important supplies, leading to an economic downfall, Social unrest, Malnutrition, starvation and death.
With no real nutritional food to go round because of the British naval restrictions and during the harsh winter of 1916-1917? most other crops like potatoes resulted in a very poor harvest.
The German population and the German frontlines only food source was the hardy and robust Turnip - this period in time was called, ''the turnip winter''.
Yes, every German soldier and civilians ration was...the turnip, or the swede, a Swedish Turnip.
Going off Topic here a bit, My late old Dog Mr Jez?, i had to buy every week a whole Swedish Turnip for him, because he simply was addicted to The Swedish Turnip for some reason, seriously, he was obsessed with that vegetable but anyways.
Imagine that Turnip winter back in 1916-1917? and all you had to eat was a turnip? i often ponder for hours on end, how many ways you could eat a turnip? Boil it? roast it? make a soup? tea? fry it? or turnip surprise ! that's nothing else except for a raw turnip. So yes, being Serious for a moment, Germany was in need of a good meal or two.
''Ersatz Coffee made from Acorns? ''
During that Turnip Winter, the German frontlines, had a strange stink coming from the Trenches, one British Tommy wrote, '' There's a strange smell in the air and it's not from my trousers, it's like burnt rotten teeth, mud, tar, with a hint of dish cloth, idk know what Fritz is cooking over there but it's putting me and the chaps off our stewed beef in a tin rations and Coffee''
So other than Turnips galore for The German Soldier and civilians?, their Basic Rations weren't much better, a Product called Ersatz foods, which were very poor in nutrition and made with some poor ingrediencies too.
Ersatz Coffee for instance, was on many occasions made with Acorns, Coal Tar Extract,
Ersatz Bread, made with Sawdust, yes sawdust, and potato meal.
Ersatz Meat substitute, was made from yeast products, just a small Variety of the Dire rationings the German Soldier was Surviving on, whilst the British Tommy, Who's rationing wasn't a 5 course meal but it was by far more nutritional. what a way to win a war? starve the opposing side to death..
''Lure the Hun out with Rabbits and Carrots''
In 1917 a Special military Unit was set up. Code Name, '' Carrot lure''.
Sgt Billy D an American Hybrid Rabbit part of the Expeditionary forces on the western front in France and Belgium, caught up in the conflict was assigned to train a group of Soldiers, to be dressed as Rabbits, (except for Billy of Course he was an actual Hybrid Bunny) dangling a Carrot on the end of their MkIII Lee-Enfield rifles, to infiltrate the hungry enemy lines by Luring them out of the Trenches, relinquishing their weapons, bewildered by giant plump Rabbits and chasing the rabbits and dangling carrots to their certain doom, The Special bunny Unit would then lead the Enemy right into a cloud of mustard gas....humans we try any which way to win a war. crazy right?
''No way to go with mustard Gas don't you know''
Ok so obviously there wasn't giant Rabbit soldiers dangling Carrots running around luring hungry German Soldiers out of the trenches and mustard gassing them, anyone believing that? must be quite mad like me ! but Killing the enemy using Mustard gas? was as real and as deadly as it's sounds, not the type of mustard you put on a hot dog either, oh no, Mustard gas used during WW1 ? oh would cause all kinds of nastiness, trouble breathing, blistering skin, blindness, cancer in later life, if you survived of course, phycological Trauma, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain And if you survived that? but ended up with some Mental Stock trauma, even shell shocked? oh you would've been whisked away and shot for being a coward....the insanity of war.....
I'll thank https://www.deviantart.com/jabbyd a very good Artist i enjoy, for recommending i do a WW1 soldier in a gasmask, so thank you JD and of Course i asked Paul, https://www.deviantart.com/davispk an artist i admire also, to use his Character, Billy D Bunny as an inspiration in the Drawing and Description so again thank you both.
Fine line hatch work. it's all good, a long process always but worth it.
The Drawing is loosely based on a WW1 moral boosting poster. You know? now please, stop giving me the eye.
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