What killed soldiers in the trenches?

In battle, soldiers had to charge out of the trenches and across no-man's land into a hail of bullets and shrapnel and poison gas. They were easy targets and casualties were enormously high. By the end of 1914, after just five months of fighting, the number of dead and wounded exceeded four million men.

What was the main cause of death in the trenches?

But the majority of loss of life can be attributed to famine and disease – horrific conditions meant fevers, parasites and infections were rife on the frontline and ripped through the troops in the trenches. Among the diseases and viruses that were most prevalent were influenza, typhoid, trench foot and trench fever.

Which was the greatest killer in the trenches?

Artillery was the biggest killer on the First World War battlefields, and it was artillery, not machine guns, that soldiers built trenches to avoid.

What killed the most soldiers in ww1?

The casualties suffered by the participants in World War I dwarfed those of previous wars: some 8,500,000 soldiers died as a result of wounds and/or disease. The greatest number of casualties and wounds were inflicted by artillery, followed by small arms, and then by poison gas.

What did the soldiers in the trenches most fear?

Trenches were dirty, smelly and rampant with disease. For soldiers, life in the trenches meant living in fear. In fear of diseases like cholera and trench foot. And, of course, the constant fear of enemy attack.

Rotting dead Russian soldiers found in trenches as Putin continues slaughter in east Ukraine

Why was trench warfare so brutal?

Trenches provided protection from bullets and shells, but they did carry their own risks. Trench foot, trench fever, dysentery, and cholera could inflict casualties as readily as any enemy. Rats, flies, and lice were also commonplace.

What was the worst part of trench life?

Disease and 'shell shock' were rampant in the trenches.

As they were often effectively trapped in the trenches for long periods of time, under nearly constant bombardment, many soldiers suffered from “shell shock,” the debilitating mental illness known today as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

What were soldiers most afraid of in WW1?

One of the enduring hallmarks of WWI was the large-scale use of chemical weapons, commonly called, simply, 'gas'. Although chemical warfare caused less than 1% of the total deaths in this war, the 'psy-war' or fear factor was formidable.

What was the most brutal Battle in WW1?

The Battle of Verdun was one of the longest, bloodiest, and most ferocious battles of World War I. Some 300,000 people were killed, with many more wounded.

What was the deadliest day of WW1?

The first day of the Battle of the Somme, in northern France, was the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army and one of the most infamous days of World War One. On 1 July 1916, the British forces suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 fatalities.

Did trenches stink?

The stink of war

Then there was the smell. Stinking mud mingled with rotting corpses, lingering gas, open latrines, wet clothes and unwashed bodies to produce an overpowering stench. The main latrines were located behind the lines, but front-line soldiers had to dig small waste pits in their own trenches.

Who cleaned up the trenches after ww1?

Clearing the Battlefields

After 1918 the immense task of “clearing up” was carried out by the military and the civilians who were returning to their shattered communities. The landscape in the fighting lines had been smashed to pieces. Roads, woods, farms and villages were often no longer recognisable.

Did men drown in the trenches?

Every account that looks at the life of the troops in the trenches mentions the danger of drowning in flooded trenches. There was a major flash flood disaster in the last stages of the Gallipoli campaign during which some sources state there were hundreds who drowned or froze to death.

What happened to the bodies in the trenches?

Many men killed in the trenches were buried almost where they fell. If a trench subsided, or new trenches or dugouts were needed, large numbers of decomposing bodies would be found just below the surface. These corpses, as well as the food scraps that littered the trenches, attracted rats.

What did soldiers eat in the trenches?

Biscuits and salt meat were the staples, with the monthly vegetable ration often restricted to two potatoes and an onion per man. Many soldiers developed scurvy, which led to inflamed gums, making the hard biscuits difficult to eat.

What was the life expectancy in the trenches?

A soldier's average life expectancy while in the trenches was six weeks. Some of the people who were mostly at risk of early death were the junior officers and the stretcher bearers.

What was the most traumatizing war?

World War One and Vietnam are the wars most closely associated with post-traumatic stress - but it was also a huge problem for the combatants in World War Two, and one that may still be affecting their children and grandchildren today.

What is the bloodiest day in history?

Battle of Antietam breaks out

Beginning early on the morning of September 17, 1862, Confederate and Union troops in the Civil War clash near Maryland's Antietam Creek in the bloodiest single day in American military history.

What was the most brutal war in human history?

1. World War II: Fought from 1939 to 1945, the Second World War is the deadliest conflict in history, with over 70 million fatalities.

What was the scariest war to be in?

The deadliest and most destructive war in human history claimed between 40 and 50 million lives, displaced tens of millions of people, and cost more than $1 trillion to prosecute.

Who was the bravest soldier in ww1?

But Henry Johnson would be singled out for his heroism and actions under fire. Former President Theodore Roosevelt called Johnson one of the “five bravest Americans” to serve in WWI.

What did soldiers do for fun in ww1?

In their spare time, soldiers wrote letters and diaries, drew sketches, read books and magazines, pursued hobbies, played cards or gambled. There were also opportunities for more-organised social activities.

How did the soldiers try to get rid of the trench rats?

Cats and terriers were kept by soldiers in the frontline trenches to help free them of disease-carrying rats. The terriers were actually very effective in killing rats. There is difference between a cat and a terrier when it comes to rodent control.

How long did soldiers stay in trenches?

Rotation in and out of the Trenches

Soldiers rotated into and out of the front lines to provide a break from the stress of combat. They spent four to six days in the front trenches before moving back and spending an equal number of days in the secondary and, finally, the reserve trenches.

How did soldiers go to the toilet in ww1?

Use the latrines

Toilets – known as latrines – were positioned as far away as possible from fighting and living spaces. The best latrines came in the form of buckets which were emptied and disinfected regularly by designated orderlies. Some latrines were very basic pit or 'cut and cover' systems.