1. Trenches and Technology
The Great War
Trenches and Technology

2. War of Movement
War begins August Most believe the war will be over by Christmas
Germans advance through Belgium to France
Stalemate- deadlock, stand-off, neither side can advance
Men left to fight in the trenches without any clear victories or advancements

4. Daily Death in the Trenches
Constant shellfire= death by gunshot or buried alive from explosions
Snipers clipped men looking over the top of the trench
About 1/3 of the Allied death toll happened in the trenches
Disease
Combat
Wounds/Infection

5. Rat Infestation Rat couples could produce up to 900 offspring
Rats fed on decaying bodies
Attacked soldiers
Spread infections
Contaminated food
and water

6. Frogs, Lice, and Worse Lice bred in filthy clothing and hair= itching
Lice caused Trench fever- severe pain followed by high fever
Frogs, nits, beetles, and slugs in trenches
Trench foot- fungal infection that sometimes resulted in amputations

7. Trench Cycle Men started in the front line
Rotated back to support lines
Moved back to reserve lines for rest
Then rejoined the men at the front to start again

8. Stand To and the Morning Hate
Stand-to-Arms- fighting in the early morning and after dusk
Machine gun fire
Shelling
Bombs
Mines
Barbed Wire
Gas

9. Rum, Rifles, and the Breakfast Truce
After the Stand-To, an unofficial truce took place between both sides
Rifles cleaned and inspected
Breakfast served
In some cases, rum given to men

10. Inspection and Chores
Men inspected by commanding officers and given daily chores
Chores:
Refilling sandbags
Repairing boards
Draining water in trenches
Repair walls
Preparing latrines

11. Daily Boredom
Movement within the trenches was restricted during daylight hours
Chores
Reading
Writing Letters and Poems
Meal preparation
Sleep

12. Dusk: Stand-To, Supply, and Maintenance
Repeated Morning Stand-To-Arms
Supply and Maintenance Activities
Rations of Food
Gathering Water
Chores
Sentry Duty
No more than two hours
Fall asleep on duty= death by
firing squad

13. Patrolling No Man’s Land
Men sent to patrol
Repair and add barbed wire
Listening posts
Gather intelligence
Watch for signs of mines, gas attacks, or wiring
Hand-to-hand combat- no guns so as not to attract machine gun fire

14. Relieving Men at the Front
Done under cover of darkness
Moved to different lines through communication trenches
Process could take several hours to switch men out

15. The Smell Rotting carcasses of dead men Overflowing latrines
Unbathed men (would go weeks or months)
Cleaning chloride of lime used to help prevent disease
Poison gas
Rotting sandbags
Stagnant mud and water
Cigarettes
Food