War as A Game

Abstract

The children's books written on the eve of the First World War reflect the prevailing opinion in society that war is a noble duel, which is fought according to the laws of honor. In books directed to a young reader, war is often shown as a game, which significantly diminishes the tragedy and antihumanism of a military catastrophe. However, the experience of the First World War has shown that a completely new type of military action has appeared, in which the individual principle is leveled, where all the rules are rejected and there is no place for the game.

Keywords: World War I, the game of war, children's literature of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, children's literature about the war