1. TRENCH WARFARE IN WW1

2. Trench warfare was a form of warfare which both sides would occupy fortified fighting lines. Troops would be mostly immune to the enemy’s artillery and small arms fire Was designed when firepower was evolving at a speed faster than the mobility of the arms, creating defense to be the most desirable form of attack The object was to slowly wear down your opponents forces until it was relatively safe to cross “No Man’s Land”

3. The development of trench warfare is due partly to inventions such as the machine gun. It became clear that open attacks against highly armed forces was merely suicidal The other reason for this type of warfare was that it prevented the use of maneuver to drive the defender from their position This type of warfare first occurred in the American Civil War, was seen in the Russo-Japanese War, the Second Anglo-Boer War, but was used at its highest in World War I A trench could stretch to as long as 30 miles Early trenches were merely dirt ditches with men fighting shoulder to shoulder. This led to high casualties. The more modern form involved fewer men, and defenses such as barb wire.

5. Front Line- where the soldiers who were fighting lived, were reinforeced with barbed wire in front Reserve Trenches- the second line of defense, also a resting place for soldiers having just fought in the front line, also called “support trenches” Running between the trenches were communication trenches that linked the first and second lines, or led to safetty in case of a mobile attack Trenches were dug in zig-zag designs. This was so that if the trench was in risk of being captured, the attacker could not fire straight upon the trench. It also trapped shrapnel from exploding shells in the right angle bends.

6. Soldiers lived in dug-outs inside the trenches. It was a miserable life with the mudand stagnant water being a breeding ground for dieases A high percentage of men would develop “Trench Foot” Trench Warfare became infrequent at the end of WWI. This was the result of more mobile arms in WWII. Trench warfare later reemerged in the Chinese Civil War, the Korean War, the Vietnam war, and even the Iran- Iraq War.