The Trenches Of World War I

Trench warfare is a war strategy used in the American Civil War in 1861 – 1865 and the Russian – Japanese War of 1904 – 1905, but it wasn’t until World War One that trench warfare became the standard form of fighting. World War one is best known for being the war fought in trenches, and the ditches dug into the ground to give troops protection from gunfire and enemy artillery. When men volunteered to fight in World War One on the Western Front, little did they know about the living and fighting conditions that was seen in the trenches. World War one saw massive development in technology which allowed enemies to fight in different ways. Trench warfare was the most important and significant operation undertaken by troops.

Who? – Two major alliances were formed, known as the Allies (France, Great Britain, and Russia) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire)

Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived day and night. There were many lines of German trenches on one side and many lines of the trenches on the allied side. In the middle there was no-man’s land, so called because it didn’t belong to either army. Soldiers crossed no- man’s land when they wanted to attack. Soldiers in the trenches did not get much sleep, but when they did it was in the afternoon during daylight and at night for only 1 hour at a time. They were woken up at different times, either to complete one of the daily chores or the go to fight. The system of trenches was employed because a German commander, General Erich von Falkenhayn, decided that his troops must at all costs hold onto those parts of France and Belgium that Germany still occupied. Falkenhayn ordered his men to dig trenches that would provide them with protection from the advancing French and British troops. The Allies soon realised that they could not break through this line and they also began to dig trenches.

World war I is considered one of the bloodiest wars ever fought in the history of the world. A major contributor to the death toll of this war was the new tactic of trench warfare. Trench warfare is a battle strategy using man made trenches and weapons to attack and take the enemy’s trench. This battle strategy combined with the use of new war technology, and the living conditions in the trenches resulted in one of the deadliest wars ever fought by mankind.

Allies are those countries in opposition to the Central Powers. The Central Powers were Germany, Turkey and Austria-Hungary. Many countries made up the allies. The major allied powers were the British Empire, France and the Russian Empire. They were linked by the Treaty of London in 1914. Other countries that were allied countries included Japan, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Greece, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia. The countries that were in opposition to the Central Powers preferred to be called the Associated Powers rather than the Allied Powers.

Trench warfare, although trenches were used in ancient and medieval warfare, in the American Civil War, and in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–5), they did not become important until World War I (Trench Warfare). The introduction of rapid-firing small arms and artillery made the infantry charges of earlier wars virtually impossible, and the war became immobile, with the contenders digging thousands of miles of opposing trenches fronted by barbed wire

The trenches were long, narrow paths and walkways used to protect both sides from open fire from the enemy. They were dug into the ground and were often two to five meters

The trenches were a very revolting place. Soldiers had to battle on the front line as bullets would fly past their faces. They were very cold and wet which caused many illnesses to the soldiers. Lice and rats would bother the soldiers all day and would feed of the soldiers who have died. The trenches were cramped which caused a lot of discomfort to the men. They had to change their socks regularly because they would get trench foot. The smell was morbid and many became mentally ill. Some would get shell shock which caused them to get severe depression. Conditions were that awful that they would inflict a wound to themselves so they could get

World War One was a significant event in Australian society, from 1914-1918.The impact of World War One on the changing role of women, effects of weaponry and trench warfare and discrimination against German and Turk Australians.These different topics all changed Australian society in varied ways.

Trenches are basically long narrow ditches that were dug by soldiers for shelter from enemy fire. Back in WW1, the trenches became a place where soldiers would live and sleep with poor living conditions. The way the trenches in WW1 were set up was with the German trenches on one side and all the Allied trenches on the other. Between the two enemy trenches would be no man’s land which didn’t belong to either one of the armies. Some soldiers would climb out of the trenches and charge across no-man’s land to attack the enemy. This tactic is known as going over the top .

Trench warfare defined the first world war. Prior to the start of the “War to end all wars,” generals believed offensive attacks would ensure that the end would come swiftly. However, they soon realized that stalemates would bring the war to a screeching halt. The Allies and

World War 1 had dramatically and tragically impacted soldiers due to the living conditions in trenches and the use of weaponry. Firstly Trench warfare’s was used to protect the soldiers from enemy, gunfire and grenades. The depth of the trenches was the key aspect of having a successful trench, as it would allow soldiers to be protected from enemy gunfire as they stood or moved about. Trench warfare occurred as a war tactic, where both sides dug deep trenches as a barrier against the enemy. The trenches massively affected soldiers as it caused a number of casualties on the battlefield and horrific diseases from health problems. Trenches were contaminated with rats and lice. Climate gave trenches unpleasant and terrible conditions. Charlie shows

Trench warfare was a type of warfare used primarily in WW1. Trench warfare involved both sides digging trenches, where war was fought from. Trenches were typically only deep enough to keep soldiers concealed, and anything that popped up over the top of the trench was sure to be blown apart. Trenches were separated by “no man’s land”, which typically had barbed wire separating the two sides. The objective of trench warfare was to weaken the other side and then leave the trench, or go over the top, and attack the enemy’s trench. Soldiers lived in trenches,

Trench warfare is a war tactic that was commonly used on the eastern front and the western front. Trench foot was a major problem during world war I.

World War One had two sides: the Allied forces and the Axis Powers. The Axis Powers consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria (Shi 990). Some countries backed off helping the Axis Powers, such as Italy (Willmott 2003, p15). The Allied forces were comprised of France, the British Empire, Japan, Italy, the Russian Empire, Serbia, Belgium, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Hedjaz, United States, Greece, Siam, Poland, Armenia, Serb-Croat-Slovene State, and Czechoslovakia (“The Treaty of Sèvres, 1920-Section 1, Article 1”). There were few neutral countries in Europe for this World War and they consisted of: Spain, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Spanish Morocco (Shi 990).