2 Answers - Sort by: Date | Rating
In World War I, the "trenches" were literally trenches dug into dirt or mud to shelter soldiers while they were firing at the enemy. Both sides used trenches in the fighting.
Trench warfare was primarily a defensive tactic, placing soldiers low in the trench for protection, installing barbed wire in front of them in more modern times, and then allowing the soldiers to shoot at the enemy. Trench warfare has been used militarily since Roman times, although it came into widespread use in World War I.
The trenches were, of course, dirty. They could often become crowded, so any kind of wound sustained in the trenches was likely to become infected, whether it was sustained in battle or from opening a can. Shell fragments often carried dirt or other debris into the wounds they created. Infection and gangrene claimed a much higher percentage of fighting men's lives than did actual deaths directly from fighting. Antibiotics had not been invented in World War I, so palliative care was about the only treatment that could be given.
Besides the direct effects of wounds, the indirect effects of many men in close, dirty quarters meant that common diseases like colds and the flu could spread quickly. When it rained, the trenches became low-level marshes, filled with inches of dirty water that made soldiers susceptible to fungal infections now known as trench foot and trench mouth. Parasites like lice, fleas, and weevils were everywhere, and they could spread other diseases. Dysentery, typhus, and cholera could spread quickly during warm, wet weather, forcing many of the troops into the hospital even if no bullets had ever passed their way.
Some trenches were dug quite deep, and then fortified with lumber to make things a little drier and more homelike. But in general, these were developed to cover short distances and be a temporary defensive position for troops before moving on to a new battlefield, so there was little in the way of creature comforts.
Trench warfare was primarily a defensive tactic, placing soldiers low in the trench for protection, installing barbed wire in front of them in more modern times, and then allowing the soldiers to shoot at the enemy. Trench warfare has been used militarily since Roman times, although it came into widespread use in World War I.
The trenches were, of course, dirty. They could often become crowded, so any kind of wound sustained in the trenches was likely to become infected, whether it was sustained in battle or from opening a can. Shell fragments often carried dirt or other debris into the wounds they created. Infection and gangrene claimed a much higher percentage of fighting men's lives than did actual deaths directly from fighting. Antibiotics had not been invented in World War I, so palliative care was about the only treatment that could be given.
Besides the direct effects of wounds, the indirect effects of many men in close, dirty quarters meant that common diseases like colds and the flu could spread quickly. When it rained, the trenches became low-level marshes, filled with inches of dirty water that made soldiers susceptible to fungal infections now known as trench foot and trench mouth. Parasites like lice, fleas, and weevils were everywhere, and they could spread other diseases. Dysentery, typhus, and cholera could spread quickly during warm, wet weather, forcing many of the troops into the hospital even if no bullets had ever passed their way.
Some trenches were dug quite deep, and then fortified with lumber to make things a little drier and more homelike. But in general, these were developed to cover short distances and be a temporary defensive position for troops before moving on to a new battlefield, so there was little in the way of creature comforts.
0
0
Guest
answered 7 months ago
The conditions in the trenches were crap trench foot was very common ans trench fever to they were littrallly walls dug out of mud
from shona
from shona
0
0
Guest
answered 5 months ago
- What Was The Daily Life Like In Germany During The World War?
- How Many Soldiers Fought For The Axis Powers In WW1?
- Who Ought In Ww1?
- What Illness Did People Have In Ww1?
- Who Died During Ww1?
- How Did Militarism Contribute To The Start Of World War I?
- When Did Germany Join Ww1?
- How Did Britain Recruit Soldiers In Ww1?
- How Did Ww1 Affect People?
- What Was The Most Amount Of People That People In A Ww1 Trench?
- How Victimize America In Ww1?
- How Did Militarism Start In Ww1?
- How Many People Died In Ww1 In South Africa?
- How Did The Soldiers Get From England To The Front?
- Why Were Tanks Good At Village Fighting In Ww1?
- How Many People From Worcestershire Died In World War 1?
- What Problems Did Soldiers Face In WW1?
- What Do Russians Do For Fun?
- What Did The Soldiers Do To Pass The Time In WW1?
- What Caused Ww1?
- In World War 1 Germany Forged An Alliance With Turkey In Order Toavail Itself Of Turkey's?.
- How Did The Soldiers Get To The Trenches?
- What Are The Names Of 10 People That Died In World War 1?
- What Effects Would Weather Have In The Trenches In Ww1?
- How Does Alliance Relate Countries In Europe Prior To WWI?
- What Were Conditions Like In Trenches In WW1?
- What Were The Weather Conditions Like In The Trenches In Ww1?
- What Were The Trenches Like In WW1?
- What Was The Hygiene In The Ww1 Trenches Like?
- How Deep Were The Trenches In Ww1?
- What Were The Problems In The Trenches In Ww1?
- What Was It Like Living In Trenches In Ww1?
- Where Did Soldiers Got Toilet In The Trenches Of Ww1?

New Comment - Comments are editable for 5 min.