The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

PTSD in the Civil War? You Betcha-- Part 3: World War I's "Shell Shock" and "Gas Hysteria"

All wars are scarring.  The relentless trench warfare and artillery bombardments in World War I led to "shell shock."  The fear of gas attacks led to "gas hysteria."  Long campaigns in later wars brought the realization that all soldiers have a breaking point, causing "combat fatigue" and "old sergeant's syndrome."

In Vietnam, the line between civilians and combatants in that country blurred, drug abuse was rampant and veterans returned home to an often hostile public.  Improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan makes for a constant risk of death.

Civil War combatant was different from later wars in that battles were concentrated and personal.  Bullets rather than bombs accounted for over 90 percent of the carnage.  Most troops fought on foot, marching in tight formation and firing at relatively close range.

By the 1860s, they had new and more accurate, longer range rifles as well as improved cannons.  As a result, units were often cut down in mass, showering survivors with blood, brains and body parts of their comrades.

--Old Secesh

No comments: