Final answer:
The high casualty rate during World War I was due to the introduction of new military technology that made warfare more destructive, the nature of trench warfare, and the lack of significant territorial gains despite enormous human sacrifices in battles like Verdun and the Somme.
Step-by-step explanation:
The high casualty rate during World War 1 is attributed to several factors, including the widespread use of new military technologies and the nature of trench warfare. The innovations in warfare, like machine guns, artillery, tanks, and poison gas, caused unprecedented destruction and led to stalemates, where massive numbers of soldiers were sacrificed for little territorial gain. Battles like Verdun and the Somme are stark examples of this destructive warfare, with hundreds of thousands of casualties and minimal strategic advancements.
In addition, medical advancements meant more soldiers survived their wounds than in previous conflicts, but this also resulted in a greater need for medical care and rehabilitation, including the use of prosthetics and plastic surgery. Despite these improvements, the daily toll of lives on the Western Front was staggering, with approximately nine hundred French soldiers and even more German soldiers dying every day.
The aftermath of World War 1 was truly horrific, with approximately forty million people, including soldiers and civilians, dead. The demographic consequences were far-reaching, as a significant portion of a generation of men were lost in some countries. The complexity of caring for the wounded and the total numbers of dead and wounded underscore the brutal nature of the war, and why it's remembered as one of the bloodiest in history.