WW1 Trench Warfare
The Western Front stretched 400 miles from Switzerland to the North Sea. For four years, millions of soldiers lived and died in elaborate trench systems.
Why Trenches?
Modern weapons — machine guns, artillery — made frontal assaults suicidal. Both sides dug in for protection. The result: stalemate.
Trench Layout
Front line: Facing the enemy, protected by barbed wire and sandbags.
Support trenches: Behind front line, for reserves and supplies.
Reserve trenches: Further back, for rest and reinforcement.
Communication trenches: Connected the lines, zigzagged to prevent enfilade fire.
No Man's Land: The deadly space between opposing trenches.
Daily Life
- Dawn "stand-to" (alert for attack)
- Breakfast
- Maintenance (repair parapets, drain water)
- Evening "stand-to"
- Night: patrols, wiring parties, resupply
- Mud everywhere (sometimes drowning soldiers)
- Rats fed on corpses, spread disease
- Lice infested every soldier
- Trench foot from constant wet
- The smell of death, unwashed bodies, latrines
The Attacks
Going "over the top" meant climbing out of trenches into machine gun fire.
Typical attack:
1. Artillery barrage (intended to destroy defenses)
2. Infantry advance across No Man's Land
3. Machine guns cut down attackers in rows
4. Survivors reach enemy trench (maybe)
5. Counterattack pushes them back
6. Thousands dead for yards of ground
The Battle of the Somme (1916): 1 million casualties for 6 miles gained.
Psychological Toll
"Shell shock" (now called PTSD) affected countless soldiers. The trauma never fully healed for many survivors.
Related Reading
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Experience the Great War in World War 1: Complete Guide.