Conclusion

Summary

This book set out to answer three questions: why did soldiers and armies in the First World War fight for such a long time? How were they able to cope psychologically with conditions at the front? And, finally, why did they eventually stop fighting? In order to answer these questions, it was necessary first to examine the conditions in which men operated, the fears they confronted and the resilience they demonstrated. The fighting on the Western Front between 1914 and 1918 subjected men to unprecedented levels of stress. This was not because it was bloodier than other wars, or more uncomfortable or more physically demanding. Rather, the intense strain experienced by soldiers at the front came about due to the extremely disempowering style of fighting there. Overwhelming artillery fire and the spatial restrictions of the trenches hindered men's ‘fight or flight’ instincts, leading to an intense sense of loss of control, which in turn generated emotionally wearing feelings of fear, anger and depression. Permanent and temporary exits were available from the trenches; soldiers no longer willing or able to withstand the pressures of combat could report sick, desert or, if with like-minded comrades, mutiny or ‘strike’. Others found refuge from the front in psychiatric disorders, self-inflicted wounds or suicide. Curiously, however, given the extreme demands of front service and the long duration of the war, surprisingly few soldiers took advantage of these exits.