The Challenges Of Soldiers In The First World War

The First World War, began in July of 1914. It did not end until July of 1923 when the final peace treaty between Turkey and the Allied powers was signed. Throughout the course of the war, everyone was impacted. For soldiers life in the trenches was unbearable. Factory workers were constantly forced to work under harsh conditions and in dangerous situations. Refugees who tried escaping the terrors of war in their homelands were faced with even more challenges when trying to find safety in new countries. Women who were not in factories could find jobs as nurses. Those who stayed home found it difficult to provide for their families as food and other resources were scarce. Food and resources that were available was rationed. During these nine years, the wartime experiences each group of individuals faced was filled with harsh challenges, yet they were …show more content…
At home, factory workers were affected by the war in many of the same ways. Life in factories was rarely safe and accidents occurred almost daily. While many of these were not life threatening, some were. When working in a German munitions factory, one woman said, “We never really thought about the immediate danger we were in” (Grayzel, 100). After working as a seamstress this woman was moved to what she described as ‘the heavy work.’ Here she was charged with putting together the brass casings of howitzer shells. Because of the gunpowder in the room windows were kept closed to prevent explosions. While accidents were common one in particular stood out in her memory. She explained, “During this time three young girls, who had recently started work in the other munitions factory, were fatally injured by a grenade which fell and exploded” (Grayzel, 100). This is just one of many accounts of dangerous work environments. Factory workers were expected to show up to work on time, get to work, and not complain about the harsh