Court Martial of Billy Mitchell. Research Proposal

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It takes place during the war in 1916, (before America became involved), and it shows the attack by French soldiers of a German position known as the "Ant Hill." The position is on the Western Front, near Verdun in France, and it is a gripping look at the trench warfare tactics of the war. The French soldiers are clearly unready for an attack, but the crazy General makes them attack in spite of their worthiness, because of his own selfish needs and wants. Ultimately, it is no surprise that the attack fails, the men simply were not ready, and some of them will not even leave the trenches because they know it is hopeless. The General is enraged because of this, and he convinces his commander that he must discipline the men because of their "mutiny." He chooses three men to court-martial as an example to the other soldiers.

The General is front and center in the courtroom, which ultimately threatens the judge, who finds the men guilty, even though they are defended with great skill by Colonel Dax, a commander in the regiment who understand just how crazy the General really is. Dax tries to get the judge to change his mind, but the men are shot for their crimes anyway. At the end, a jaded Dax turns down a promotion, but it seems that another man will accuse the General of ordering his men to fire on the men who refused to leave the trenches, so it seems as if justice may still be done to the General. Like the other video, this film is a look at military leadership and how it can become corrupt and ineffectual. The General is power hungry and perhaps even crazy, and he should not be leading men.

The film also shows the violence and insanity of war, and what trench warfare was like to a degree, showing the hardships the men had to face, the conditions, and the brutality of war and the battlefield. Some of the most memorable moments are not in the courtroom, but on the battlefield as the men attempt to take the "Ant Hill," knowing it is an impossible, suicidal task.

It is a very dark look at war and warfare, and, like the other film, it questions the leadership and their ability to lead, which is a troubling aspect of both these films and their take on history.

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It shows the military as inherently flawed, and there is little to make me think that has changed in modern history.

The film also shows that ordinary men can become extraordinary in the heat of battle and in the defense of their own. Dax is somewhat of a hero, just like Mitchell was, in his attempt to clear the men and save their lives, and he is heroic on the battlefield, as well. While the film shows the horror of war, it also celebrates the ordinary people that step up to do battle, and that really relates to modern history, as well. The same kind of people are fighting today in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they do not receive enough credit, either. The truth is, they could be fighting under similar conditions, with poor leadership, and again, that shows that we have not learned from history. We still send men to die in battle in foreign countries, we still promote leaders who are not really leaders at all, and we still fight wars and kill people for any number of reasons and objectives.

What is most memorable about this film are the battle scenes, which are realistic and frightening at the same time. The men faced up to the enemy, even when they knew they could not reach their objective, and it all seems so senseless. The men who tried to take the Ant Hill did not have to die. The attack was flawed, and most of the men went anyway, which shows they were brave and resilient even under shoddy leadership. Most of all, this film made me wonder how many men in how many wars have died for the same reason, and it made me think about war and the….....

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https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/court-martial-billy-mitchell-25378
   

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