Trench Warfare Much of the war's combat involved trench warfare, where hundreds often died for each meter of land gained. Many of the deadliest battles in history occurred during the First World War. Artillery was responsible for the largest number of casualties during the First World War.
MYTH
REALITY
From your reading… How were trenches set up during WWI? How did Allied trenches differ from German trenches? How did they try to keep morale up in the trenches? What were conditions like in the trenches?
Front line Communication trench Support trenches No Mans Land Barbed wire
BRITISH TRENCH
TRENCH FOOT
Barbed Wire & Artillery Barbed wire slowed infantry advances Artillery & machine guns, made crossing open ground extremely lethal
Poison Gas both sides were using poison gas. Won’t win battle with gas, but it made life even more miserable in the trenches Tear gas, mustard gas, phosgene Gas masks came at the end of the war
Tanks Tanks were introduced in World War I by the British and created mechanized warfare that dominated the rest of the 20th century.
Aircraft Fixed-wing aircraft were first used militarily during the First World War. Initially used for recon missions Developed into ground-attack and fighter duties Strategic bombing aircraft were created by the Germans and British.