Essay on Trench Warfare

Submitted By mstickler

Words: 466

Pages: 2

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The trench system on the Western Front in World War I, fixed from the winter of 1914 to the spring of 1918, eventually stretched from the North Sea coast of Belgium southward through France, with a bulge outwards to contain the much-contested Ypres salient. Running in front of such French towns as Soissons, Reims, Verdun, St. Mihiel and Nancy, the system finally reached its southernmost point in Alsace, at the Swiss border. In total the trenches built during World War I, laid end-to-end, would stretch some 25,000 miles, 12,000 of those miles occupied by the Allies, and the rest by the Central Powers. Between 1914 and 1918, 7,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded daily.
As historian Paul Fussell describes it, there were usually three lines of trenches: a front-line trench located 50 yards to a mile from its enemy counterpart, guarded by tangled lines of barbed wire; a support trench line several hundred yards back; and a reserve line several hundred yards behind that. A well-built trench did not run straight for any distance, as that would invite the danger of enfilade, or sweeping fire, along a long stretch of the line; instead it zigzagged every few yards. There were three different types of trenches: firing trenches, lined on the side facing the enemy by steps where defending soldiers would stand to fire machine guns and throw grenades at the advancing offense; communication trenches; and "saps," shallower positions that extended into no-man’s-land and afforded spots for observation posts, grenade-throwing and machine gun-firing (pg. 234). British trenches were considered amateur compared to the Germans, being unpleasant, dirty, smelly, and wet. Much nicer German trenches were elaborate, sometimes comfortable for soldiers, deep, and kept very clean.
While war in the trenches during World War I is described in horrific, apocalyptic

Trench Warfare

every day. A trench is a long, narrow ditch, but to the soldiers the trenches during WW1 were just series of wet, muddy long holes littered with the waste of war. TRENCH WARFARE When soldiers left to go to war they expected lush battlefields and valiant fighting, instead they got dirty, unhygienic trenches with battles playing out for months to year on end in an uneasy stale mate. Trench warfare was horrific and the ongoing effects as a result were extensive (Weebly, n.d.). Trench warfare was very…

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Trench Warfare

Europe. This war itself was something completely different from any other war. Trench warfare became the route of battle, and the mounting of machine guns and armored…

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Trench Warfare

Being an officer in World War I or even being an eyewitness is a scary event in one’s life to be part of. In the primary source, “Storm of Steel” by Ernst Junger the author reveals his experience as he served in the trenches. Trench Warfare can be described as a form of combat where armies fight their opposing side, which are long holes in dirt. In the article the author states, “In reply I hears a monotonous tale of crouching all day in shell holes with no one on either flank and…

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Ww1 Trench Warfare

provide protection when two armies fight each other to avoid losing battles. But, because both armies were unable to advance their position and break through these trenches, that created a stalemate. Therefore, trench warfare evolved into one of the main features of World War…

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Ww1 Trench Warfare

World War I, also known as The Great War, was an intense, global war that happened in Europe from 1914 to 1918. One of the strategies developed during this war was trench warfare. This changed the entire course of the war and affected millions of people. Trench warfare happened because of new weapons in the war. Machine guns, artillery, and barbed wire made old ways of fighting useless. So, soldiers dug trenches to stay safe. These trenches started as simple tunnels and eventually became complex…

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Ww1 Trench Warfare

Trench warfare shaped the outcome and length of the war. Had it not happened, there might have been a different outcome to this war. There are 3 reasons which led to the dominance of trench warfare on the western front. First of all, the leaders of the warring country had more of an attacking style to this war. And they were also super confident in their armies, and they thought that they all would overpower each other. When the war started, everyone underestimated each other’s military strength…

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Trench warfare final essay

impact of trench warfare and advanced weaponry in World War 1 was massive and very destructive. It destroyed many families, town, and countries since it had a great power of effect on its target. When soldiers left to go to war they expected lush battlefields and valiant fighting, instead they got dirty, unhygienic trenches with battles playing out for months to year on end in an uneasy stale mate. Trench warfare was horrific and the ongoing effects as a result were extensive. “A trench used solely…

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Trench Warfare Source Analysis

Source C can be considered useful to a historian studying the nature of trench warfare as it summarises modern discoveries into the living conditions within the trenches as well as the battle conditions on the front. It is a secondary source from the Daily Mail Online and written by Graham Smith, published on the 10th of February 1012. Being a secondary source and published in 2012 would mean that it was written with hindsight from the war resulting in a substantial lack of bias being so far removed…

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Personal Narrative: Trench Warfare

World War 1. The trench warfare that I took part in was absolutely vile. The weather conditions decided how disgusting and unbearable the battle would be in the trenches, combined with the sheer dirty odor that was emitted in the tight and cramped trenches. There were many animals that scurried in the trenches and all that I ever did was reminisce about returning home to my family. I really did miss the everyday things of life, even my boring old job. On top of the cruel trench warfare, the gas attacks…

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Trench Warfare In World War 1

1. This activity helped me acquire more knowledge about trench warfare in World War 1. It learned more about the way the trenches were built and their structure. As well, it helped me learn about the advantages and disadvantages of trench warfare and made me realize that it was both effective and dangerous. In addition, it helped me learn about the experience of the soldiers, the diseases they had in the trenches and the effect trench warfare had on them. 2. The part of the activity that was the…

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