Was life for a soldier in WW1 a happy one, or an unhappy one? I've thought of some reasons for each side but I can't really seem to find any more. Like, it was happy, because some soldiers enjoyed the thrill and they felt they were fighting for their country; but it was unhappy because of horrible conditions and the fear of death.

You're right to recognise that different people had very differnet approaches to the war, and that these would affect their motivation to fight and morale on a day to day basis.

If you can, get hold of 'Forgotten Voices' which is a book based on first hand accounts of soldiers experiences. In the book you will get a feeling for the way that different soldiers experiences of war.

Online:

War diaries (Canadian trrops)

An essay about Memoirs (perhaps a little complicated but worth seeing what you can get from it)

An interesting way of finding out how people were feeling during the war, is to look at war poetry. This reflects mood etc. in the trenches. http://www.firstworldwar.com/poetsandprose/index.htm

The short answer is, it depends... both on how life was experienced at the time and how it was remembered afterwards.

Remember, that soldiers were not constantly in the front line. Although so-called 'rest' spells were often very hard work, there were opportunities for soldiers to relax. I would recommend, again, having a look at 'Tommy' by Richard Holmes which covers all aspects of a British soldier's life on the Western Front.

There were lots of 'variables'. Did the soldier manage to avoid wounds, disease or mental breakdown? Were his officers and NCOs cruel or caring? Where did he fight and when? For example, one of my grandfathers was transferred from the Western Front to Italy in 1917 and this was generally regarded as a much more comfortable posting. Was his unit involved in successful offensives or cut to pieces in seemingly pointless attacks such as Gommecourt? There are many other important factors.

Some soldiers actively seem to have enjoyed the war. Look at this thread for some interesting ideas from Mr.Clare. Of course, you could argue that Grenfell was writing about the early months of the war, but there were still examples of such views in 1918, albeit fewer of them.

Another things to consider, when you are looking at memoirs for example, is how people's views change over time. There has been a lot of coverage recently of the last few veterans such as Harry Patch. However, it is worth considering what problems there are with people remembering events from over 80 years before.

In short, there is perhaps, no point in generalising: but I will. Most soldiers, and many never served in the front line, had things about their lives they were unhappy with. On the other hand, the very pressure of trench warfare sometimes made them appreciate what they did have much more. One of the things that helped them get by was the presence of their comrades, who often became as if they were close family. Looking back, many soldiers acknowledged that the war was terrible, but the survivors often missed the comradeship and sense of belonging.