Brutal Battles: The Horrors of Warfare
The Battle of Ypres:
Criteria 1: Highest physical and mental impact of fighting
Due to the constant wet conditions, trench foot was a common skin condition during World War I. In this condition the feet would turn numb and blue/red. If this condition was not treated it would result in gangrene and then amputation. Trench foot was a major problem during the early stages of the war. Later in the war, soldiers were instructed to change their socks and boots every few hours as this was the only way to prevent trench foot. Another common condition among the soldiers was an inflammatory disorder of the joints and muscles known as rheumatism. Due to the poor level of hygiene and living conditions of the vermon infested trenches it was impossible for soldiers to be at their strongest physical and mental state. Despite being sick they still had to continue to fight due to the shortage of soldiers in the Army. Many soldiers who survived the war suffered from Post…show more content… The trenches had a waterlogging problem and the soldiers had to stay in knee deep water in the summer and snow in the winter. There was constant shelling and artillery fire. The hygiene level in the trenches was also very low. Most were filled with rats, frogs, lice and dead bodies. Soldiers had to reside in trenches along with rotting dead bodies because they could not be moved due to the lack of manpower and the shear fear of attack. There was rotting flesh not only in the trenches but in the No Man’s Land which resulted in a constant foul smell. All of these condition were favourable for the spread of diseases through water, flies and mice. The soldiers had to sleep, eat and live in these horrific conditions. During the war, the soldiers also did not have access to sufficient food or water supplies as vehicles or convoys that travelled in No Man’s land could be shot at by the