In this artwork, how is the Historical and socio-political context discussed?
Kirchner's 'Self-Portrait as a Soldier' was painted in 1915, a year after the commencement of the First World War (WW1). The impetus for Germany's involvement in WW1 was its alliance with Austria-Hungary who declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The German invasion of Belgium in 1914 saw Britain declare war on Germany. The alliance system of WW1 pitted the Centrals Powers, encompassing Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria against the Allied Powers which compromised Russia, France, Great Britain and the United States. Throughout the war non-material and material living standards and civil liberties in Germany were extremely poor. Mary Cox's 'The First World War and the Blockade of Germany, 1914–1919' cites "that economic warfare in Germany was premeditated and designed to swiftly destroy German's entire economic and financial system." As well as "the destruction of Germany's communication and financial systems". Cox also states that "the blockade was to blame for the listlessness of German youth and their increased involvement in criminal activities". Matthias Blum contends that the "economic and physical deprivation" of WW1 left "deep scars of various kinds" upon Germany. Ultimately, Britain's naval blockade against Germany established to restrict the supply of food, oil and weaponry from 1914 to 1915 caused "deliberate starvation of citizens", disease and death amounting to comprehensive reduction of socio-cultural and political stability.Trench warfare characterised WW1 and resulted in extended periods of gunfire across trenches. Artillery fire caused what is now recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The mental and physical health of soldiers was further jeopardised by the squalor of trenches where corpses, rats, poisonous water, freezing cold temperatures, disease and malnutrition were common. Kirchner was discharged from active military service due to physical and mental incapacity. Subsequently, he suffered from "war neurosis and depression" which fuelled drug and alcohol addictions leading to severely diminished health in the years following 1915.
Serbia Allied Powers Trench warfare Britain Germany Blockade of Germany United States non-material and material living standards First World War Austria-Hungary Belgium post-traumatic stress disorder Blockade Archduke Franz Ferdinand drug and alcohol addictions naval blockade Centrals Powers Kirchner