Why Is It Important To Live In The Trenches

The war pits of the first world war were pits of death, full of disease and decay. Soldiers spent months trudging through muddy waters full of decaying allies and fecal matter. The soldiers fighting in these pits had a high chance of dying, and they had little comfort in the dark pits they called home during the long fights against the opposing powers. They had to carry their heavy gear along with them at all times and had to fight off starvation. The dangers they faced weren’t just from the enemy, but from having to survive in the trenches. They even faced danger from their own people.

The soldiers had a lot of equipment to carry for months at a time, but it was not enough to make their life in the trenches easy. Their gear and clothing were heavy. The typical soldier also had to carry their rifle, ammo pouches, bayonets, water bottles, entrenchment tools, and their knapsack. All they had was what they could carry. When it would rain, they

They were given very little food and the quality of it was horrible. According to a letter home from Private Pressey of the Royal Artillery, “the biscuits are so hard that you had to put them on a firm surface and smash them with a stone or something. I’ve held one in my hand and hit the sharp corner of a brick wall and only hurt my hand. Sometimes we soaked the smashed fragments in water for several days. Then we would heat and drain, pour condensed milk over a dishful of the stuff and get it down.” So in addition to having almost nothing to eat, they had to be careful not to do anything wrong in front of their officers, or they faced harsh punishment or even death. There would be severe punishment if they fell asleep on post, were disobedient, exhibited cowardice, or cast away arms. Doing any of these things could lead to the soldiers being executed, which raised the already high death toll from this