Diseases
There were many diseases that soldiers caught in the trenches. Among the diseases were Dysentery and Trench Foot. Dysentery was the inflammation of the large intestine caused by lack of proper sanitation, such as drinking contaminated water. If a soldier got Dysentery, they had fever, stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. They would lose body fluids and salt which could be fatal. Trench Foot was the inflammation of the foot. It was caused by long immersion in water or mud. If a soldier got trench foot, they're foot would swell up and and lose feeling. It would turn red or blue. Sometimes, it would become so bad that they had to have amputation....or they're foot might simply fall off! During the winter of 1914, over 20,000 British soldiers were treated for trench foot.
Fast fact: 8.6% German soldiers were sick at any one time!
Fast fact: 8.6% German soldiers were sick at any one time!
Deaths
Even with the trenches to help protect the soldiers, there were still many deaths in WW1. Diseases, bullets, shellfire, poison gas and much more killed soldiers. But the #1 way to be killed in the war was going 'Over the Top'. 'Over the Top' means to leave the trenches in a frontal attack. Or in other words to attack the enemie's trench. Once a soldier left the trench they were completely exposed to the enemy, making it easy for them to be shot. That's why it was the #1 way to be killed. Another major death factor was the unsanitary trench conditions. Go to the Trench Conditions tab at the top to learn more about that.