What were the impacts Trench Warfare on the families when the soldiers were away and when they got back?
Image of American soldiers returning home in 1919 from: http://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2012/06/world-war-i-in-pictures-new-reference-aid/
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Trench Warfare effected families greatly when the soldiers were away and when they came back. The impact trench warfare had on families can also be directly linked to the decline of soldiers enlisting (when a solider joins the military without motivation) making the Australian government resort to recruitment (motivating people to join the military). Trench warfare affected families because there was less men to jobs which were considered “men’s jobs” so there was less money going into families. The wives of the soldiers who had left would also likely be worried about their husbands. They would also be hoping that their family members that had gone away would return unharmed, though, this was rarely the case (ww1twarfare.weebly, n.a). Returned soldiers were also a discouragement from going to fight in the trenches, as they were aware of the terrible conditions. Letters home were also a problem, an example of these letters is one from a soldier from the Western Front named Henry, writing to his brother Jonathan:
Dear Jonathan, The conditions in the trenches are terrible; I cannot even begin to describe them to you. Because the trenches are dug in clay and sand, the water from the rain is unable to flow through and soak into the ground, causing floods and huge puddles where we are supposed to stand all day and all night. It gets so bad that some men would rather sleep out on the field, outside of the trenches at night, than attempt to sleep in wet clothing in the flooded trenches. We spent weeks in the trenches without showering because the war was growing increasingly difficult and we needed as many soldiers as possible out and fighting, so there simply was no time for us to leave and shower. The worst of it was the diseases that went around. Trench warfare mostly consisted of waiting in our trenches, and firing across no man’s land until one side tired out first; it essentially became a war of attrition . A comrade of mine got trench foot from standing in wet socks and boots for too long. It was horrid! His feet turned black and blue and the poor fellow eventually had to be sent to the hospital because he could no longer hold himself up on his feet. I heard he eventually had to get his leg amputated because it developed into gangrene. Luckily, that did not happen to me as I made sure to dry feet and change socks several times a day. Dysentery was also a big problem because of infected water and food, and many soldiers were vomiting and had diarrhea for days straight. Had I not been careful, I could have easily gotten severe dehydration from the terrible diarrhea that we got. Initially, the food was decent and we received about 10 ounces of meat and 8 ounces of vegetables each day but recently the rations appear to have been decreasing. I heard rumors that they are cutting back on the food because the German forces are becoming stronger and they can no longer afford giving so much food to so many soldiers. Not to worry, though. Tell mother that I am doing fine. Love, Henry (SS11 WWI, 2012) These letters made the families fearful for their loved-one’s health and well-being. After they got back from trench warfare soldiers were often “Shell-shocked” (now realised to be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Soldiers upon returning to life had to find ways to accept what they had seen; many resorted to arts and poems. “In Flanders Fields” is a poem about the war in Flanders fields, located Northern France. The poem was written by John McCrae, a Canadian military doctor, in May 1915: In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. The poem was written during the battle of Ypres by McCrae after Lieutenant Alexis Helmer was killed by a German artillery shell explosion on the 2nd of May 1915. After his burial McCrae began the drafting for the now famous “In Flanders Fields” (greatwar.co.uk, n.a.). This poem stated the psychological battles of being involved in Trench Warfare; giving the families an insight into how the soldiers felt. People after the war used art rather than poems as during the war they had paper but no canvases and paints. |