Overview to the Horrors

World War 1 brought with it new dangerous ways of battling. Weapons like the machine gun and poison gas were deadly and led to the deaths of many men. The French were the first to use poison gas when they threw tear gas grenades at the Germans, but it was actually the Germans who ended up doing the most extensive research on the possibilities of this chemical warfare. Chlorine, Phosgene, and Mustard Gas were the most commonly used. The machine gun revolutionized war, and is still in use now. Able to unload many rounds of amunition in a short period of time shaved down charging enemies. Four to six people were needed to operate one effectively. Because of the development of the machine gun, soldiers needed to build shelter to protect themselves from the spraying of bullets, so they built down into the ground. Trench warfare came to. By building alleys within the ground, troops traveled and would have protection when they popped up to return power. The common enemy to the trench would be artillery fire and disease. The enemy artillery would bury soldiers under dirt and debris, while rats could run along the trenches exposing them to possible sickness.