HIS 122
February 27, 201
Cliff Tyndall: Instructor
Felicia Mitchell
A Review of “The Shock of War”
By the end of World War One the British Army had dealt with thousands and thousands of cases with shell shock. The article explores how the army tackled this extreme trauma, and how it was regarded by those back home. Shell Shock was a term used during the First World War to describe the psychological trauma suffered by men serving on the war's key battlefronts. The intensity of the essentially artillery battles fought along these war fronts. It often caused neurotic cracks to appear in otherwise mentally stable soldiers. Men who saw service of any great length on an active front quickly came to recognize the symptoms of shell shock among their fellow men. Recognition in the form of military authority was rather slower to develop. At first shell shock victims were believed to be suffering from the direct physical effects of shell blasts or toxic exposure. Symptoms varied widely in intensity, ranging from moderate panic attacks. Which sometimes caused men to flee the battlefield: a crime which was invariably regarded as rank cowardice and which resulted in a court martial for desertion to effective mental and physical paralysis. Sent home to recover, many shell shock victims recovered over time, whereas many others continued to feel its effects for years afterwards. Treatment for shell shock was primitive at best and dangerous at worst; psychological theories governing its treatment developed only gradually.
The shock of war article was well told and done. In my opinion, the article was very interesting and informative. I was definitely curious and intrigued by what I read. Although, it sadden me because of the way the soldiers had to endure this disorder. It was indeed tragic. The article was very graphic and descriptive about what happened and what was going on during the war or what the solders was experiencing. It was good how the medical community went so far for the wounded soldiers. Trying and attempting to diagnose and treat the soldiers. Yet, even then it will remain the case that the symptoms many soldiers suffer are themselves both common and nonspecific. Furthermore, a clear-cut distinction between physical and psychological injury is unlikely to be realized.

Bibliography
Alexander, Caroline. “The Shock of War.” Smithsonian Magazine, September 201, 1-4: Print