What were the main problems for soldiers involved in trench warfare? When the war first started everyone thought that it would be over in a couple of months if not weeks

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What were the main problems for soldiers involved in trench warfare?

When the war first started everyone thought that it would be over in a couple of months if not weeks. But the cavalry and infantry were soon mown down by new weapons. It was General Erich von Falkenhayn who first ordered German troops to dig trenches to protect them from French and British troops in September 1914. The French and British could not break through these defences so also began to dig trenches. The British trenches were built on lower ground which meant that they were waterlogged most of the time. During the Great War British trenches stretched from the Swiss border to the English Channel, about 440 miles.

Soldiers involved in trench warfare faced many problems. Trench foot was a very common infection. It was caused by prolonged exposure to cold and wet conditions. Because British trenches were often waterlogged troops spent a lot of time stood in water. Trench foot caused the foot to go numb and turn red or blue and if untreated result in amputation. During the winter of 1914, 20,000 soldiers had to be treated for trench foot. This was a big problem as it meant that there were fewer soldiers to fight. To prevent trench foot soldiers had to dry their feet and change their socks several times a day and by the end of 1915 British soldiers were given orders to change their socks at least twice a day. Soldiers were also told to cover their feet with grease made from whale oil. It is estimated that a battalion would use ten gallons of oil a day. As a result, cases of trench foot became rarer.

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Infestation of lice was another problem. They caused blotchy red bite marks and created a stale smell. The army tried to get rid of lice by giving soldiers baths in huge vats of hot water whilst putting their clothes through delousing machines but this wasn’t very successful as most of the lice eggs stayed in the clothes and body heat hatched them within two to three hours.

As well as causing a bad stale smell and itching, lice were the cause for another disease, “Trench Fever” which was the cause for about 15% of all sickness in the British ...

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