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• The First World War was between the 'triple alliance' of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy and the 'triple entente' of the British Empire, France, and the Russian Empire along with other supporting countries
• Trenches were used on the front lines during the First World War to give men more protection against the other side's weapons and gunfire
• Trenches were reinforced with concrete and ended up being a complex system with three lines of trenches, hospitals, kitchens, and even railway systems
• Trench foot was a very painful disease that many soldiers developed due to living in muddy and wet conditions constantly
• Symptoms of trench foot include feet swelling to two or three times their normal size and going completely dead
• Many soldiers lost their feet or legs due to trench foot, or experienced extreme pain as the swelling eventually went down
• Prevention methods against trench foot included rotations through the trenches, allowing soldiers to spend time in less damp and wet environments
• Rats were a common issue in the trenches, eating soldiers' food and dead bodies, spreading diseases and fleas
• Rats grew extremely big and reproduced quickly, making them difficult to get rid of in the trenches
• Rats caused annoyance and discomfort for soldiers by decreasing the amount of food and rest they got
• Wounds caused by weapons such as high-velocity bullets and shrapnel made life difficult in the trenches for soldiers
• Men who were injured often couldn't get back to the trenches and were forced to lie in muddy no man's land until rescue teams were sent out at night
• Wounds often caused soldiers to suffer and were a significant factor in making life difficult in the trenches
• Illness and wounds were the most important reason that life was difficult in the trenches, causing constant pain and suffering for soldiers
• Rats were the second most important reason that life was difficult in the trenches, causing disturbance and spreading diseases and fleas
• Trench foot was of lesser importance in making life difficult in the trenches because relatively few soldiers were affected by the condition
• Overall, illness and wounds were considered the most important factor that made life in the trenches difficult during the First World War