WWI: Fighting conditions
What conditions did the soldiers face on the battlefield? Do some research/examine images from WWI. Share what you find about the experiences of soldiers in the trenches. (trench foot may interest you) What conditions do soldiers face on contemporary battlefields?
The conditions soldiers faced on the battlefields of WWI were very different depending on which battle they were fighting in. WWI was fought everywhere in Europe, from very cold fronts such as Russia, to the rugged valleys of the Alps. The reason WWI covered such a large area is that both sides of the war had multiple alliances with different countries and empires. This in turn escalated what could have been a small dispute in Austro-Hungary into a massive war between countries. Also, the use of new technology such as cars and the telephone allowed information and armies to travel faster and longer distances.
ReplyDeleteThe Russian army and any German solders fighting against it normally fought in a colder climate than those who fought on the Western Front. On the cold Russian battlefront, frostbite was common and illness spread quickly. However, because the Germans were spending more troops and supplies on the Western Front to continue their attempt to invade France, the Eastern Front saw less trench warfare and more attack-defend type warfare. This style of fighting led to many losses on both sides, so much so that in 1917 the Russian government was overthrown and signed a treaty that allowed them to stay out of the war.
The trench warfare along the Eastern Front was very different from that along the Western Front. Those who fought in the trenches during WWI were faced to possibly the most deplorable conditions of any others during the war. At the beginning of the war, trenches were filled with disease carrying rats and numerous frogs. Head lice were so common, many soldiers decided to shave their heads in order to keep from getting head fever, a disease caused by lice that could last up to twelve weeks. A fungal infection of the foot called “trench foot” was also common. The smell of the trenches was terrible, due to a lack of sanitation, rotting carcasses, and crude sewage systems. Many days, the trenches were sloppy, muddy, passageways, flooded with rainwater and filled with death and disease. As bad as life in the trenches was, leaving the trenches was even worse; snipers, machine guns, and artillery easily took out unprotected targets in No-mans land. Many soldiers experienced immense boredom during daylight hours, as almost all missions and fortifications had to be done at night.
Although trench life was awful by anyone’s standards throughout the war, by the end of WWI, conditions had vastly improved, and continue to improve today. On contemporary battlefields, soldiers are aided by many new inventions, such as unmanned drones and radar that allow us to find enemies without engaging them in trench warfare. The sanitation of today’s battlefields is also much better than it was in WWI.
http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/trenchlife.htm
http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/theatresofwar.htm
When first entering the battlefield, soldiers faced the worst conditions we had seen up until that date. Soldiers had to face many problems in battle conditions. The first thing affecting the soldiers' living and fighting conditions was new kind of warfare that emerged in WWI. The main change in warfare that affected living conditions was the use of all different kind of gas and chemical bombs. Bombs filled with phosphorus and mustard gas, were dropped on both sides of the war. Many gasses were invisible and odorless, but could kill you in a matter of minutes. It was very hard for soldiers to relax and stay sane with the constant risk of imminent death. War was now fought in a style of “trench warfare”, which consisted of each side digging a trench about 250 yards away from each other, and just trying to pick off individuals as they accidentally popped their heads above the trenches. This created a huge amount of fear in just crawling around the trench. Between the two trenches was an area called “no man's land”. It was called that because anybody that would go out there would be rewarded with sure death. Both sides would have snipers and machine guns constantly aimed on the area, so any attempt to travel through it resulted in death.
ReplyDeleteLife while not on duty was not much better than life while on duty. A large fear of the soldiers were rat infestations. There were rats that could grow to be the size of a cat, and would feed on human corpses. Soldiers would do what they could to stop the infestation, but they had little to no success, because a single pair of rats cold produce up to 900 offspring a year. Trench fever also ran ramped in the trenches. This disease caused harsh pain and and a high fever, its cause was not discovered that lice transferred the disease until 1918. The smell of the trenches were nearly unbearable. There were rotting bodies in shallow graves, holes where human waste was gotten rid of, lingering poison gas, and stagnant mud and water. Trench foot was also a severe problem that was caused by feet being in mud too long. Trench foot would sometimes result in amputation of the foot. Shell shock was also a large problem in the trenches and even after the war. Shell shock was cause by artillery upsetting brain function, sometimes resulting in tiredness, irritability, and eventually mental breakdowns.
Today we have better conditions because we understand the causes of certain problems such as trench foot, trench fever, shell shock, and many more. We also have better technology and innovations to avoid infestations such as lice and rats. We no longer use the strategy of trench warfare, which eliminates a lot of deaths that were results of such conditions. We have a lot more unmanned vehicles so that we can see what our threats are, and we have overall safer conditions and more cautious strategy.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOn the front lines many of the men were stationed in the trenches. The conditions in these awful wholes were horrible. Over 200,000 men died in the trenches of WW1, most of who died in battle, but many died from disease and infections brought on by the unsanitary conditions. One of these diseases was trench foot. With the rain and rotting corpses disease happened often. Trench Foot would literally rot the soldier’s feet; it was very painful and could lead to other diseases.
ReplyDeleteBesides the diseases there were also rats and lice. Rats infested the muddy trenches and ate all of the dead corpses. There were millions of them, and they were very hard to miss considering they could grow as big as a cat! Another problematic pest was the lice. Lice were a constant problem for the men in dirty clothes. They would attach to the cloth and lay eggs. Even if washed the bugs wouldn’t go away. Lice caused Trench Fever, a particularly painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by high fever. The recovery away from the trenches took at least twelve weeks!
Poison gas was another problem. Poison gas was apparently one of the most feared weapons used by both sides. The chemical ware fare consisted of tear gas and the severe mustard gas. Some of the more lethal agents were phosgene and chlorine. Chlorine gas destroyed the respiratory organs of its victims and this led to a slow death by asphyxiation.
Trench warfare was terrible for these reasons as well as any others. Many sacrificed there lives and dignity down in those trenches. We stand here today free because of the pain they endured. The struggles and challenges they faced. I’m glad we can learn about what they went through, so we could have a better understanding of life in world war one.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSoldiers fighting in the first world war faced unbearable conditions. When we studied World War One in class, we discussed obvious fighting conditions that included disease, weapons, and trench warfare. We never touched on climate and weather conditions. Europe has very diverse geography. The terrain and climate varies depending on location. Most of the fighting in WWI took place in Western Europe, around France. France’s climate is similar to that of the United States. It is hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and very muddy. Soldiers had to fight year-round in extreme conditions. They also had to adjust to hills, valleys, deserts, and thick forests. In addition, bombs often destroyed terrain. Trenches and war vehicles created slippery mud fields. These conditions were dangerous and often contributed to disease.
ReplyDeleteSoldiers in WWI faced additional harsh conditions on the battlefield. To give their military a competitive edge, countries began introducing new methods of fighting. They developed innovative, more effective weapons. Trenches were used as a defense method for soldiers. They were considered a safe shelter for troops. These trenches acted as shields that protected men from bullets. Due to the increase of technology and weapons used in warfare, trenches became necessary precautions for the safety of all soldiers. Both sides of the war dug trenches along the Western Front. The Western Front spanned from Belgium’s border to the Swiss Frontier.
Systems were established in trenches for better organization. Soldiers in the front line of the trench faced the enemy directly. Enemy lines were, on average, two hundred to eight hundred meters away from enemy lines. “No Man’s Land” was the space in between trenches and enemy territory. The second line consisted of “the support trenches.” If something happened to the front line, the second line would take their place. The third line’s soldiers ran food, water, mail, and ammunition up the line. The trenches themselves weren’t very cozy. They were just deep enough so that the enemy couldn’t see the men inside them. Often, trenches were shallow. Soldiers had to crawl or crouch in order to avoid being shot at. Trenches were dug in zigzags. The zigzag shape helped prevent attackers from shooting straight down at the trench. Barbed wire doors were an additional means of protection that were placed throughout the trenches. The doors were lethal when closed.
(CONTINUED BELOW)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(CONTINUED)
ReplyDeleteLife inside the trenches was horrid. Two hundred thousand men died in trenches as a result of both battle and disease. Trenches were extremely unsanitary. The smell of rotting soldiers lingered into them. When mixed with the soldiers’ body odor, the scent was comparable to that of Yankee Candle. Just kidding. It reeked. The smell of poison gas, cigarette smoke, and stagnant mud didn’t add to the trenches’ appeal. Repulsive odor was just one of trench warfare’s disadvantages. Rats were very common in trenches. They feasted on rotting bodies. According to www.firstworldwar.com, the rodents could grow to the size of cats. Rats reproduced faster than the soldiers could shoot them. Rodents were everywhere. Lice was another problem in the trenches. They infested dirty clothes. In fact, they caused Trench Fever, a very painful disease accompanied by a high fever. The last (and most well-known) disease that trenches caused was trench foot. Trench foot was a serious fungal infection that could result in amputation. Trench foot became less prevalent as trench conditions gradually improved. Soldiers faced bad conditions in the trenches.
The last unappealing aspect of trench warfare was everyday life. Movement inside trenches was restricted during the daytime. If soldiers moved, they would be killed by lookouts and snipers on the opposing side. Transporting supplies and performing maintenance inside the trenches were dangerous tasks. Chores had to be done very discretely. For safety, many tasks were done at night. Men not engaged in battle got bored easily. They spent their time reading and writing letters to their families. Sleeping was a popular activity for soldiers. Unfortunately, they often fell asleep on duty. Usually, men were expected to provide sentry duty for two hours. Soldiers caught sleeping on the job were penalized. In this case, the penalty was death by firing squad. Ouch. I would sure hate to be a World War I soldier.
Today, soldiers face very different conditions on contemporary battlefields. Over the years, we’ve developed new weapons that have revolutionized warfare. We’ve introduced chemical and nuclear weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles, precision bombs, and guns. In addition, we have improved soldiers’ living conditions. We’ve learned from our mistakes. We no longer use trenches: they caused too many deaths. Our troops are now equipped with bulletproof amour and extensive protective gear. Disease isn’t as nearly prominent as it was during WWI. Advanced technology has allowed us to strategize safely. I believe that war conditions have improved drastically since WWI.
Conditions on the battlefield during WWI were arguably the worst of any war, and the new innovations and faulty military strategies did not help to make the conditions any better. Soldiers fighting on the Western Front would spend days, weeks or even months in a mud filled trench. Spending an extended amount of time in such conditions obviously puts the soldiers at risk for illness. Illness and disease was spread mainly by rats living amongst the trenches. However, living in a disease ridden, rat infested trench for months on end was not the extent of the awful conditions in the war. Obviously, these trenches were dug for a reason; defending against and killing the enemy. Often on the Western Front, an enemy trench was dug no more than a few hundred yards away from an ally trench. This caused for consistent gunfire day by day. Having two lines establishing each other’s position so close together created an area in between that was called No Man’s Land. No Man’s Land was a wasteland filled with dead bodies and destruction. As we read in the book, a popular and often used military tactic was to charge through No Man’s Land and attempt to overrun the enemy. However, this tactic proved to be very unsuccessful. The defending soldiers were always able to defend against any oncoming attackers by way of artillery, gunfire or deadly gas. This type of warfare continued throughout the war, and is one of the reasons why the casualty numbers of the war were so high.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned before, harmful gasses were often used in WWI. Mustard gas was very commonly used chemical that, when it comes in contact with exposed skin, creates large blisters and disorients the victims. Mustard gas and other chemicals used were a large part of why the conditions of the war were so bad. If you were not being fired upon, you were probably taking in a breath full of harmful chemicals. One nurse, Vera Brittain, wrote: "I wish those people who talk about going on with this war whatever it costs could see the soldiers suffering from mustard gas poisoning. Great mustard-coloured blisters, blind eyes, all sticky and stuck together, always fighting for breath, with voices a mere whisper, saying that their throats are closing and they know they will choke." This description tells of the horrors that would await the nearly 100,000 soldiers of WWI that were killed by chemical warfare.
Soldiers fighting today face much better conditions when on the battlefield. Warfare is not as “head to head” now days. Instead of lining each army up and seeing who can kill each other faster, militaries use precise planning and performance in their strategies. Also, nearly every soldier in the United States military has to have knowledge on what to do when an ally is harmed. They go through the proper procedures to put the wounded person in the best possible situation for survival until a medical care soldier arrives. This was not the case back in WWI. The soldiers fighting were not trained on how to aid a fallen ally. Instead, they kept fighting and waited for a medic to show up. That is another reason why there were so many more casualties back then compared to today’s warfare.
During world war one there were some appalling conditions for the soldiers that were fighting in the war. The soldiers often times slept on rock surfaces or in puddles. Trench warfare was introduced during this time. Trench warfare was so good at the time because now armies “not in the line of fire,” of the opposing sides. The trenches varied in depth. British trenches were usually 8- 16 feet deep, but the German trenches varied from 12 to 3 stories deep. This mainly happened because the German trenches were “permanent” and the British trenches were “temporary”. The Trenches were usually in an irregular patter such as a bending line or a zigzag but they were never straight. This was done so that if an explosive landed in the trench the blast could not go as far. In the trenches there were many casualties and sickness was very common. Many parasitic and other related infections were extremely common among soldiers who fought in the trenches. Due to the poor conditions of the trenches, many fungal infections were prevalent. Some of these were trench foot and trench mouth. Another major killer for the trench soldiers was exposure to the elements. Soldiers had nothing to protect them from the cold so they were easy targets. Many times gas was used which made deaths slow and extremely painful. Machine guns were also a large part of the fight in World War 1. They made it so it was extremely hard to pass over ground without many casualties. A solider would only be on the front lines about 15% of the year, the rest of the time could have been reserve line, support line, rest, hospital, training, travelling, or many other things. A term on the front line could be from one day to a week the longest term was an Austrian battalion that spent 53 days on the front line
ReplyDeleteToday, the fighting conditions are much better but they still are not the best. Illness is still prevalent and the conditions that the solders have to endure are not adequate. However, they are better from back then. The hours that one must put into for the war are more optional than mandatory However, today you sign up for a certain amount of hours and you must complete that. This is mainly because today the army is optional and there is no draft. In conclusion the conditions were not the worst back then but they are much better today.
Your posts confirm the horrors of "modern" warfare for sure! Interesting reading!
ReplyDelete