Decoding the Front: Communication 1914-1918

At the turn of the twentieth century, communications technology was still fairly primitive. The pressure of World War I, with its long fronts and need for quick, reliable communications, helped change that, with planners and generals pushing innovation and technology along even as they deployed more unusual, less technological solutions as well.

Decoding the Front details the many different methods of and approaches to communication in World War I. Karen Derycke presents accounts of the use of photography and film, radio, telephone, and telegraph at the front, but she also looks at older technologies, like letters and postcards. Animals, too, were pressed into service, she reminds us, exploring the use of homing pigeons, horses, and dogs, all performing different jobs in a war that was becoming increasingly mechanized all around them. The result is a clear picture of the communications methods available to those fighting World War I and the many ways they affected the course and outcome of the war.