A Soldiers Declaration

Siegfried Sassoon, “Finished with the War: A Soldiers Declaration”

I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.

I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation.

I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolong these sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.

I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insecurities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.

On behalf of those who are suffering now I make this protest against the deception which is being practiced on them; also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacence with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realize.

Emotive language – ‘I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops’.

Personal pronouns – even though he speaking as a collective he uses ‘I’ all the way through the letter.

Opinions – the whole letter is his opinion ‘I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest’  however he makes it seem like a fact ‘I have seen’.

Repetition – the word suffering is repeated 3 times to show that the suffering of the soldiers was continuous.

Alliteration – ‘callous complacence’ has a harsh sound.

Religious imagery – even though Sassoon was an atheist he describes the war as ‘unjust’ which is religious.