Define trench warfare.
Caused by Germany’s Schlieffen Plan
New style of fighting by positioning soldiers in deep ditches for protection
The Schlieffen Plan was unsuccessful, leading Germany and the Central Powers
to fight a two front war.
Define trench warfare.
Rather than being a quick conflict, Allied and Centrals Powers “dug in” for trench warfare for most of the war, causing slow and painful results
Define no-man’s-land.
Trenches separated by no-man’s land – land between trenches filled with landmines, and barbed wire
The Front-Line TrenchThe Front-Line Trench7’ X 7’ X 6’6’
Parapet topped with sandbagsParapet topped with sandbags
The Front-Line TrenchThe Front-Line Trench7’ X 7’ X 6’6’
Parapet topped with sandbagsParapet topped with sandbags
Dug at anglesDug at angles
The Front-Line TrenchThe Front-Line Trench7’ X 7’ X 6’6’
Parapet topped with sandbagsParapet topped with sandbags
Dug at anglesDug at anglesFaced “No-Man’s Faced “No-Man’s
Land”Land”
The Support TrenchThe Support Trench
22ndnd line of defense line of defense Connected to Front-line with Communication TrenchConnected to Front-line with Communication Trench
The Reserve TrenchThe Reserve Trench
Last line of defense Last line of defense Often connected to nearest Often connected to nearest
town town
Describe the poor conditions soldiers faced in trench warfare.
•No shelter from weather•Boredom•Dangerous to go “over the top” to attack the enemy
•Grenades and other explosives could be hurled or launched into your trench
•Disease/poor sanitation•Lice•Rats•Trench foot•Difficult to get in/out
It was during WWI that the term “shell shock” was coined. We now call this condition Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Most modern war memoirs describe that the most unnerving and
maddening thing in battle is artillery detonations.
Note in these pictures how the vegetation has been destroyed and trees just stripped of foliage by artillery and gunfire.