Ww1 Vs Afghan War

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that come with going to war. “I feel that pain on a daily basis, my empathy and compassion for those suffering echoes with the pain I have carried with me for years” (Source #6). The author is a war veteran describing the impact that such a traumatic experience has left him with. He suffers from PTSD and relives many traumatic events from the war he served in. “The roots of PTSD reach back to the beginnings of warfare” (Source #1)

Another similarity between the front lines of both wars is the switch off tactic, those who were in the front lines would switch to the second or third after x amount of days to prevent the soldiers from breaking down. “Soldiers rotated into and out of the front lines to provide a break from the stress of combat” (Source #8). Soldiers on the front line lived in long narrow trenches that were dug into the ground. Living day and night in the trenches was not easy. The conditions were horrible and the soldiers had very little time to rest. Being in the front line also comes with a greater risk of being attacked first. “We are now only a few hundred yards away from the enemy so we move quietly up to the appointed dump in the front line” (Source #9).

The war can have a great effect on the type of person you’ll become after the war. Once you get a feel for killing for some it’s like an addiction and they just want to kill everyone who’s a threat to their country. “We got to kill some of these Heinies” (Source #10). Another difference that’s come to light is how in WW1 Canada didn’t get themselves involved with the war, Canada has always stayed away from conflicts that they have no business being in. Today Canada’s being influenced by the United States to join and fight their wars, “Canadians in Afghanistan are soldiers, sucked into a war, created by the U.S.” (Source #2)

Despite the overall differences and similarities that I’ve come across when doing my research, the major difference and key factor from WW1 to the Afghanistan War is that the technology has evolved so much that nuclear weapons are on the table if need be. Instead of risking thousands of soldiers in a war, they can simply use their newest technology such as drones and nukes. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the aftermath on the soldier’s life, whether or not he or she would suffer from PTSD and relive the traumatic war experiences over and over. For future research I propose using a variety of sources such as books, magazines, videos and newspapers instead of limiting the choices of acceptable sources.

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