Great War Effects

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The First World War was a gruesome event where the great empires of the world embarked on a mission to display military ascendancy and glory. We often perceive The Great War as an ironic statement–it was not “The War to End All Wars,” however, a precursor for the Second World War. The soldiers would “not be home by Christmas”, rather millions would never return. Despite the horror evoked by war, the outcomes of the First World War is present in our world today. The Great War prompted the emergence of the a modern era in technology and medicine. Among the deaths of over ten million soldiers was the death of traditional European warfare. No longer would war be dictated by the rifle; rather new technological advances such as tanks, airplanes, …show more content…
Although the Great War was no doubt a brutal event in history, through the wounds inflicted and the trauma experienced evolved a new era in medicine; doctors developed new innovations to target the wounds inflicted upon soldiers during war. The Great War spurred new advances in medicine such as immunizations, blood transfusions, and the development and understanding of mental illness; technology that would save the lives of thousands of soldiers in the First World War and wars to come. The devastation generated by the advancement of warfare during the First World War inspired new medical treatments including immunizations, blood transfusions and surgical procedures. With machine guns shooting about 600 rounds a minute, more wounds were inflicted upon the soldiers during the War. Before the First World War doctors had not finalized a method to treat wounds effectively. With the innovation of immunizations doctors were able to prevent tetanus among wounded men with immunizations using a prophylactic injection of a tetanus antitoxin. Furthermore, new medical procedures such as the Thomas splint, secured a broken leg. According to an unknown author in an article by the BBC on the advancement of …show more content…
War impacted everyone, whether it was the soldiers and their families, or the doctors on the battlefield. The entire population of a participating nation in war received a dose of war. An American neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing suggests that there were only “two groups of people in warfare - those organized to inflict and those organized to repair wounds.” The people organized to inflict’ used weapons that modern technology significantly more lethal. Those organized to repair wounds inflicted by new virulent technology discovered new medical technologies that are often overlooked as positive outcomes to the Great War. Blood Transfusions, psychiatric wards and the understanding of the spread of disease are all outcomes of the First World War. While the War brought suffering through warfare, new medical innovations and advancements significantly reduced the casualties from warfare