Chemical warfare, unglamorous rotting away in trenches, no clear side to peg down as instigators/"villains".
Industrialized genocide in WWII weighes out over chems in my book.
The mud and blood is way over-focused on only appear in very late 1916 and even then limted to very active areas like are Ypres until well into 1917.
Not at first, but something changed in the German character during the war, it began with Leuven and by Operation Micel German leaders were wanting concessions to incorporate into their empire ranging from Belgium to the Caspian.
Just the fact that the horror of total war on such a scale and with such new and creative ways to butcher one another broke out of an age of massive prosperity in Europe is in itself chilling.
WWII had as many new creative ways, not to mention the dark, deliberately ways to dispose of civilians en mass. That also doesn't touch upon the fact that new creative ways to killing people was the hallmark of the Victorian/Edwardian period.
Historical pointless all out butchery usually makes for poor entertainment. Probably why people shy away from the setting usually, but I guess after a dozen or so installments you need some kind of gimmick.
It's a very British and European view that is puzzling to Americans, Canadians and Australians. We lack the maudlin view of WWI and are able to better see the reasons and good that was done, namely as I mention, stopping a Germany that had suddenly found itself very much liking the idea of running all over Europe once things got started.
There was hope, there were points, but many are (rightly nonetheless) focused on all that was lost, which was effectively the beginning of the end of Western civilization and Britain and Europe's relevancy.
The ultimate irony I find in the war is how nasty it's looked upon, and yet it's the most "fair" matched war in history and is the example of why fair fights in war are terrible, create gridlock and are unsatisfying. IMO, it's for that reason it leaves such a bitter taste and I roll my eyes when people today whine about shit like proportional responses and other crap when the shorter and bloodier a war is the more lives are ultimately saved not to mention the misery made brief.
D1P for me
