Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Psychological effects of war on soldiers
Psychological effects of war on soldiers
The psychological effects of war
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Psychological effects of war on soldiers
The soldiers of that era faced a lot of hardships like severe cold weather, lack of food, lighting struck, deadly diseases, and dirty water. Also, they lacked sufficient clean clothes. Most of them were discouraged and felt like giving up on several occasions. Moreover, the soldiers were confused and frustrated due to shortage of ammunition. During the revolutionary war, soldiers missed home food at the thought of home. But they were even more saddened at the fact that their home was far away . Unfortunately they were already in the field and could not turn back. Even though the soldiers faced all these mishaps, according to Martin Plumber, the most daunting one was the living conditions. Most people were still very excited about joining the …show more content…
Most of the combatants were not acquainted to the lifestyle of a soldier. While they were in the process of adapting to the change, they faced a lot of hardships. The most daunting part of the war was the living conditions of the soldiers. The living condition of the soldiers in and out of the battlefield during the war was devastating. Some of the soldiers lost their lives before they even had the opportunity to fight. Some of the challenges faced by new army recruiters were severe cold weather; lack of food, lighting struck, deadly diseases, and dirty water was what they were encased with. Sniffing gunpowder by soldiers caused some allergies to some soldiers and even aggravated sickness to others. Moreover, watching non catered wounds, seeing broken legs; arms and heads a little daunted him. Moreover, the soldiers were not able to have their activities scheduled by themselves but had to follow the schedule from their general commander. In addition to that, the quality of food served to the soldiers was very poor. An example is the bread served to the soldiers. It was so “hard that it could break the teeth of a rat”, unfortunately, complains were not deliberated by their leaders. For the response from the leaders will be, if one person
The life of a common soldier fighting on behalf of colonial independence during the American Revolution was a difficult one. Recruiters for the Continental Army targeted young and less wealthy men, including apprentices or laborers. Some (like Martin) enlisted voluntarily, while others were drafted. Among the discomforts Continental soldiers suffered were shortages of food or other supplies, long periods away from home, sinking morale and the constant threat of death.
During the Revolutionary War, at Valley Forge, which is Washington’s winter camp, 18 miles outside Pennsylvania, soldiers went through a very rough time during the tough and hard winter months of 1777 and 1778. Many soldiers didn’t have shoes, jackets, blankets, and proper warm clothing. Also, there was barely enough food for everyone. For example, in Document C, Dr. Albigence Waldo, (a doctor/surgeon at Valley Forge) , states, “No meat! No meat!”
The soldiers lacked basic necessities such as clothing and food. In Document B it Dr. Albigence Waldo states, "There comes a Soldier, his bare feet are seen thro' his worn out Shoes, his legs nearly naked from the tatter'd remains of an only pair of stocks". In other words, these soldiers clothing were very worn out due to being used so often and were not provided with brand new attire. Since there were many mouths to feed, food became scarce, which left many soldiers starving. Around the camp soldiers cry
All of these hardships the soldiers faced caused an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and constant fear. To counter this sense of despair, the soldiers had many ways of coping with or avoiding the reality of the war. Tim O’Brien, with Going after Cacciato and In the Lake of the Woods, addresses th...
In (Doc. D) a soldier’s diary explains how cold and dreadful the winters were for him. This document also explains how these soldiers were treated as slaves. Even after their duty they can’t even go home, he writes “And so now our time has come to an end according to enlistment, but we are not yet [allowed to go] home.” The soldiers were very mistreated. The Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser (Doc. H) explains” The TIMES are dreadful Doleful Dismal Dolorous and DOLLAR-LESS” showing how these times were horrible for the colonists and they clearly didn’t like what Britain was doing with their
We have had to deal with, “poor food- hard lodging- cold weather- fatigue, “(Document B). In this diary by Dr Waldo, a doctor we have at camp, he has accurately described what life is like at camp. The factors that we undergo make us sick both physically and mentally, these factors make us lose all sense of empowerment to win this war that we once felt, these factors make us want to go home more than anything just to hear our mother’s voice just once more. The absence of encouragement from other colonists and countries, and how I have to go to bed with my stomach empty every single night pushes me over the edge to give up and just
During the War for American Independence, 78 men were commissioned as general officers into the Continental Army by the Continental Congress. Many of these generals commanded troops with differing levels of competence and success. George Washington is typically seen as most important general, however throughout the war a number of his subordinates were able to distinguish themselves amongst their peers. One such general was Nathanael Greene. At the end of the Revolutionary War, Greene would become Washington’s most important subordinate, as demonstrated by Edward Lengel’s assessment of Greene as “the youngest and most capable of Washington’s generals.” Washington and Greene developed a strong, positive and close relationship between themselves. Greene began his life in the military after having been raised a Quaker. With limited access to literature and knowledge in his younger years, Greene became an avid reader which equipped him with the knowledge necessary to excel as a general during the war. Through his devoted study of military operations, firsthand experience and natural abilities as a soldier, Greene became an excellent military commander. He would become known for his successful southern campaign, during which, he loosened British control of the South and helped lead the war to its climax at Yorktown. Throughout the war, he was involved in a number high profile battles where he built a reputation of being an elite strategist who also understood unconventional warfare, logistics, and the importance of military-civil affairs and had a natural political/social acumen. The thesis of this paper is that Greene’s proven reputation of being a soldier, strategist and statesman would cause him to become the second greates...
The day to day life for the regular soldier was not glorious. Many times the regiments were low on supplies such as food and clothing. They lived in the elements. Medical conditions were grotesque because of the lack of advanced equipment and anesthesia. “Discipline was enforced with brutality” as if all the other conditions were not bad enough.
Soldiers faced diseases like measles, small pox, malaria, pneumonia, camp itch, mumps, typhoid and dysentery. However, diarrhea killed more soldiers than any other illness. There were many reasons that diseases were so common for the causes of death for soldiers. Reasons include the fact that there were poor physicals before entering the army, ignorance of medical information, lack of camp hygiene, insects that carried disease, lack of clothing and shoes, troops were crowded and in close quarters and inadequate food and water.
The Confederate soldiers had a tough time living together for years with barely any food, bathing as a rarity and carrying around 40 pounds a day wherever you went.
The war scarred the soldiers permanently, if not physically then mentally. After the war the soldiers usually never recovered from the war. Two of the most common side affects of the war were shell shock and stir crazy. When suffering from shell shock a soldier’s brain doesn’t function properly and the man is a “vegetable”. This means the man is alive but he can’t do anything because he is in a state of shock because of the war. Stir crazy is a mental illness caused by the firing of so many bullets that when no bullets are heard by the victim he goes insane. Everyone was scared to go to war when it started. Young recruits were first sent because the veterans knew they were going to come back dead. "When we run out again, although I am very excited, I suddenly think: “where’s Himmelstoss?” Quickly I jump back into the dug-out and find him with a small scratch lying in a corner pretending to be wounded.” (P 131) Even the big men like Himmelstoss are scared to go fight. They too go through the mental illnesses like stir crazy and shell shock. “He is in a panic; he is new to it too.
Unsanitary hospitals and camps kept the wounded soldiers in large groups, which were ideal places for infection, fevers and disease to spread. Soldiers were not immune to childhood diseases like the measles and smallpox. Medical science has not yet discovered the importance of antiseptics in preventing infection. Water was contaminated and soldiers sometimes ate unripened or spoiled food. There weren’t always clean rags available to clean wounds.
As an American observes the life around him, noting the many advancements made in merely the last century, he must wonder how America climbed to such a level. The 21st century technology, the military and political power, education and ethics, all came from such meager beginnings, solidified by the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War proved to be a significant turning point in the history of our country, but what caused America to win? What were some of the most significant factors in the victory of these American patriots? By examining these three particular factors, America’s military assets, it’s aid from other countries, and its own spirit of independence, one’s understanding of the Revolutionary War, an essential root of this nation, is truly increased.
The notebooks contain events, discussions and feelings of the corporal. The work emphasizes the horror of the war and bad treatment that the soldiers who were victim of starvation, hunger and fatigue. The book is a collection of primary source with as implicit focus on the life of French soldiers during WWI. The book contains military tactics description, soldiers work description, detailed aspect of the trenches and how they were built, soldiers treatment, and various cultural aspect of regions of France, Spain and the people living
Civilians' Ignorance for Fighting During War The reality of the great war was appalling living conditions, disease,