Echoing the words of Ernest Hemmingway who was cited in this article, " Abstract words such as glory, honor, courage, or hallow were obscene." When most people think of the Great War, words such as those come to mind, but what exactly was trench warfare? Misery, many men felt as if the trenches were nothing but a big common grave.
The only inspiration one had was the sky lingering above their heads, and the rations of rum that were dispersed occasionally. .
Trench warfare was nasty. The German trenches seemed more luxurious, while the British Trenches were ironically filled with water most of the time. With the constant noises of firing, artillery shells and shrapnel flying, poisonous gas lurking, rats chewing, the muddy walls, the wet trenches, and the smell and horror of rotting carcasses, most soldiers even if they survived the war were traumatized. This article does a good job of vocalizing many war veterans experiences. .
No Man's Land is the term used by soldiers to describe the ground between the two opposing trenches. Some day the deadliest area on earth at the time, others just a complete nightmare. Snipers peeping through holes scanned the area for changes in the still settings. American inventions such as barbed-wire and machine guns played huge roles in the trench warfare. Being in the front-line was extremely dangerous. Almost every day some enemy shells would fall on the trenches. Many of the same sides" men would be killed by their own shells. Traverses played a big role in limiting the damage of the shell fire. As mentioned before enemy fire wasn't the only thing to worry about. Many soldiers fighting in the First World War suffered from trench foot. This was an infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary conditions. In the trenches men stood for hours on end in waterlogged trenches without being able to remove wet socks or boots. The feet would gradually go numb and the skin would turn red or blue.
