World War I Dilemma

Is it moral to give an order in wartime when you know the majority of your troops will be killed?  Officers in World War I faced this decision often, fighting from trenches against new mechanized weapons of war.

This dilemma is intended for a high school or middle school history class and works well with English classes reading All’s Quiet on the Western Front, or perhaps A Farewell to Arms.

Be sure to download our free Cognitive Moral Dilemma Teachers Guide, too, as it provides the methodology and lesson’s process, too.

• Subject Areas: Social Sciences, Sciences, Humanities, Literature, English
• Materials Required: Whiteboard or display
• Time Needed: Can run an entire class period or less.