The First World War

One of the worst experiences any society can go through is war. War has been a part of human history and one General when asked to describe war, responded “War is hell”. The first world war (WWI), also known as the World War One or the Great War, was a global war. It commenced in Europe, beginning in the summer of the year 1914, on July 28th and lasting until the 11th of November, 1918. Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of a hundred and thirty five countries taking part in this war. Most historians believe World War One was the worst war ever fought. A majority of people in this world would believe so. However, like in most situations, there are some who disagree. This war was all about imperialism and a tangled web of alliances/promises that pulled many countries. It consisted of deadly weapons, brutal enemies, terrible battles and most of all, it consisted of a large number of deaths. The new soldiers on the battlefield were traumatized by the loud bangs of guns and screams of soldiers. It was a nightmare to be in the trenches, a nightmare everyone had hoped to never live. Many soldiers didn't expect the reality of cold, brutal war as the propaganda posters had misled them. The war was ended by the signing of many different treaties, the most important being the Treaty of Versailles. As the war changed society, it also made it suffer. The ground on which the battles took place had been torture enough for the men on the line. The battlefield conditions had taken the lives of many soldiers, it was the main cause of death. The soldiers were trapped in trenches, considering that if they got out they'd be shot and killed instantly. The trenches are unsanitary and filthy. The bathroom was called a Latrine. It was a box, in which they did their business. The box, when full, was dumped out of the trenches, however, the rain water brought the contents back. While trying to get accustomed to these new changes, soldiers had to avoid trouble at every corner. They had to watch out for barbed wire and landmines on no man's land. In addition, if the wind was blowing towards them, chlorine gas, also known as mustard gas, would kill soldiers, weakening their army. (Onstudynotes). While short term effects of the war were painful, there were many long term effects that soldiers had to deal with after the war, such as trench foot. Trench Foot was a serious condition for soldiers. It was caused by soldier's feet being submerged in cold, unsanitary water for a long period of time. As men were forbidden from stepping out of the trenches or removing their shoes and socks, about twenty thousand british soldiers suffered from this disease. In rare cases, soldier’s feet had to be amputated, since they started to affect the rest of their body’s, creating more issues than before. Usually, the feet would turn numb and the colour would be either blue or red. (Spartacus-educational). Trenches were filled with insects & diseases. An average soldier had about 20 lice crawling over his body. All the unburied bodies of soldiers were a gruesome sight and they attracted flies and other insects. [Horrible History (book)]. The battlefield conditions weren't the

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