What Were soldiers feeling in ww1?
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?
Despite prevailing notions of masculine bravery, soldiers’ letters, diaries, and memoirs described the fear experience – associated with “baptism by fire”, different kinds of weaponry (including gas and air bombs), panicking or retreating units, and other feelings such as hatred, revenge, and shame.
What was the youngest age to fight in ww2?
On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States’ history.
What did trenches smell like?
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.
How did soldiers get rid of rats in ww1?
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.
Can you refuse to fight in a world war?
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an “individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service” on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion.
Could you refuse to fight in ww1?
A sort of farewell. Nearly 10,000 conscientious objectors who were conscripted into the Army refused to fight but were allowed to serve as non-combatants. The Non-Combatant Corps (NCC) was formed in March 1916.