Shell Shock - The Psychological Scars of World War 1 I THE GREAT WAR Special

[Major Nikon]

Published on Apr 18, 2016

The traumata of warfare were certainly nothing new when World War 1 broke out. But the extreme and prolonged exposure to machine gun fire, artillery bombardments and trench warfare led to a new kind of psychological disorder: Shell Shock. Soldiers who were perfectly fine on the outside, were incapable of fighting or living a normal life anymore.

[Nitram]

1. My Grandfather was a scout during WWI. He went across No-Man's Land on reconnaissance patrols.

He dove into a crater hole with his squad to avoid machine gun fire, and they were all injured by chlorine gas that had collected at the bottom of the crater. He recuperated in Paris and returned to the U.S. without noticeable after effects. Years later he had severe psychological problems with depression and paranoia, and I've wondered if it wasn't a form of PTSD.