“Silent heroes of the great war”

Horses, Dogs, Pigeons and Other Animals on the First World War Front

Abstract

The First World War, with its multitudinous and diverse employment of animals for the purposes of war, surpassed all armed engagements to that time. The cavalry in that era was experiencing a decline. Despite being a military branch with a dazzling past, it had an uncertain future and was relegated to the edge of the battlefield. The horses, on the other hand, were harnessed into the military logistic apparatus to a much greater degree. During the First World War, the elegant horse, despite its motorized competition, pulled or packed thousands of tons of war material and personnel. The transport departments were additionally complemented with less high-strung, but more stubborn first-class pack animals: the mules, the adorable and sturdy donkeys, the strong oxen and other animals. If horses were the most numerous, dogs were employed most diversely. Thus they would save wounded soldiers, carry messages, go on patrol, and protect objects and soldiers in trenches. Pigeons surpassed dogs when it came to carrying messages, until darkness or fog descended upon the battlefield. Some animals only made the lives of the soldiers more miserable. The louse and the rat are synonyms for trench combat. Others again reawakened often forgotten love, warmth and compassion in the soldiers.