The First World War and interpreted Horots?

The First World War was a terrible war demanding millions of lives. The horrors of war were diverse and frightening.

Military terror

The military horrors of the First World War were devastating. In the four years of the war, millions of soldiers were killed or wounded. The battles were often bloody and meaningless.

The new warfare with machine guns, artillery and poison gas led to a new extent of destruction and suffering. Soldiers were encased in trenches and had to shoot each other. Toxic gas caused horrific pain and often led to death.

Civil terror

The First World War also had devastating effects on the civilian population. Millions of people were homeless or expelled by the war.

The blockade of the German Baltic Sea ports led to a famine in Germany and Austria-Hungary. In the cities there was food scarcity and disease.

The bombings and the artillery bombing caused great destruction in French and Belgian cities. Thousands of civilians killed or injured

Psychic terror

The First World War also had a profound influence on the human psyche. Many soldiers suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).

The war propaganda and the propaganda of the warriors led to a climate of fear and hostility. This led to violence and persecution of minorities.

The horrors of the First World War have changed the world sustainably. The war led to the collapse of the old European order and laid the foundation for the Second World War.

Here are some examples of the horrors of the First World War:

• The Battle of Verdun was one of the bloodiest battles of history. Around 700,000 people were killed or wounded in nine months.
• The battle at the Somme was another great battle in which about 1.2 million people were killed or wounded.
• The German gas attacks in Ypern in 1915 killed around 6,000 people.
• The famine in Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1918 demanded about 700,000 deaths.
• The bombings of the Allies in the last months of the war killed around 60,000 people in Germany.