THE LOST BATTALION: MOVIE WORKSHEET
On October 2nd, 1918, units of the 77th "Liberty" Division from New York advanced into the dense terrain
of the Argonne Forest in France. When word that a detachment from New York's own 77th Division had been
surrounded by Germans in the Argonne Forest leaked out, a wily editor saw an opportunity to sell more papers and
immediately dubbed the unit "The Lost Battalion." Over the next week, as the men held out in the face of
overwhelming odds, the story of the "Lost Battalion" became the most widely reported episode of the war. It hardly
mattered that the battalion wasn't a battalion at all and certainly wasn't lost. What did matter was that this group of
determined men made a gallant stand reminiscent of the Alamo and Little Big Horn, and this one had a happier
ending.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Major Whittlesey Captain Holderman
Captain McMurtry Lieutenant Schenk Lieutenant Leek General Alexander
PRE MOVIE QUESTIONS: Use your book to answer the following questions:
1. In what year did WWI begin?
2. Which countries made up the Central Powers & which made up the Allied Powers?
-Central =
-Allied =
3.
4.
What type of warfare was common during WWI?
In what country did most of the fighting during WWI take place?
MOVIE QUESTIONS: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS DURING THE MOVIE.
1.
2.
3.
DURING WHAT YEARS WAS WWI FOUGHT?
WHEN DID THE U.S. ENTER THE WAR?
WHY DID THE AMERICANS BELIEVE THEY WERE FIGHTING?
4.
5.
6.
WHERE & WHEN DOES THE MOVIE BEGIN?
WHAT TYPE OF WARFARE IS SHOWN IN THE OPENING SCENE?
WHY DOESN’T MAJOR WHITTLESEY WANT TO LEAD HIS MEN INTO THE ARGONNE FOREST
(2 REASONS)?
7.
8.
9.
WHAT ARE “MUD CRUNCHERS”?
WHAT ORDER ARE THE SOLDIERS GIVEN BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE TRENCHES?
HOW DO THE GERMANS DESCRIBE THE AMERICAN FIGHTING STYLE?
10. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FRENCH UNITS?
11. WHAT WERE THE PIGEONS USED FOR?
12. WHAT PROBLEMS DID THE AMERICANS FACE AFTER THE FRENCH RETREATED?
13. HOW DID MAJOR WHITTLESEY PLAN TO TRICK THE GERMANS?
14. WHO IS TRYING TO KILL THE AMERICANS AS THEY GO FOR WATER?
15. WHY DOES KROTOSHINSKY (POLISH-AMERICAN SOLDIER) SAY HE IS AN AMERICAN?
16. WHAT SPECIAL TROOPS DO THE GERMANS NEED TO USE?
17. WHY WAS THE ARTILLERY (CANONS) ORDERED TO STOP FIRING?
18. ACCORDING TO MAJOR WHITTLESEY, WHAT WOULD MAKE OUR LIVES SIMPLER?
19. WHAT DOES LIEUTENANT LEEK TELL THE GERMAN OFFICER THAT IT WON’T HAPPEN?
20. WHAT DID THE GERMANS ASK THE AMERICANS TO DO?
-HOW DID WHITTLESEY RESPOND?
21. HOW MANY AMERICANS WERE KILLED BY THEIR OWN ARTILLERY?
-HOW MANY AMERICANS WERE LEFT TO FIGHT?
22. WHO DID THE CAPTAIN SERVE WITH?
WHERE?
23. WHAT NEW WWI WEAPON DID THE GERMANS USE?
24. WHAT AWARD DID MAJOR WHITTLESEY EARN?
25. HOW MANY OF WHITTLESEY’S MEN WERE KILLED?
Of the over 600 men first trapped in the "pocket", only around 200 walked out. They received 3 Congressional
Medal of Honors (CMO), many Distinguished Service Crosses (DSC), and many other awards. Their leader,
Major Whittlesey, was declared one of the three most important members of the American Expeditionary Force
(AEF) by General Pershing, Commander of the AEF.
POST MOVIE QUESTIONS: BASED ON WHAT YOU SAW IN THE MOVIE AND WHAT YOU KNOW
ABOUT WWI, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
1.
WHY WAS THE MOVIE CALLED THE LOST BATTALION?
2.
HOW DID THIS ONE BATTLE CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR?
3.
WHAT WAS THE WORST PART OF THIS BATTLE? WHY?
4.
WHAT DO YOU THINK MOTIVATED THE SOLDIERS OF THE LOST BATTALION?
TAKING A STAND ESSAY: READ THE PROMPT BELOW AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS TO WRITE YOUR
ESSAY.
MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT IN WWI WERE VERY BRAVE AND THE
GENERALS WHO GAVE THE ORDERS WERE VERY STUPID.
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
WRITE AN INTRODUCTION (GIVE BACKGROUND INFO. ABOUT WWI, THEN GIVE OPINION)
PROVIDE & EXPLAIN TWO FACTS FROM THE MOVIE TO SUPPORT YOUR POSITION.
PROVIDE & EXPLAIN ONE FACT FROM OTHER CLASS MATERIALS OR PRIOR KNOWLEDGE TO
SUPPORT YOUR POSITION.
PROVIDE & EXPLAIN AN ALTERNATIVE POSITION & EXPLAIN WHY YOUR POSITION IS BETTER.
WRITE A CONCLUSION (RESTATE YOUR ORIGINAL POSITION & MAIN ARGUMENTS)