The Nature of Trench Warfare and Life in the Trenches Dealing With Experiences of Alliedand German Soldiers LIFE IN THE TRENCHES: OVERALL CONDITIONS

What are trenches?

Note: Main form of warfare in ww1

Why were the trenches built?

When the German soldiers were being pushed back by Allied forces during the Schlieffen Plan they needed to be able hold a defensive position so they dug into the ground creating the trenches.

These trenches in France become the Western front creating the stalemate, the conflict which was a War of Movement now became a War of Trenches.

The War on the western front was mainly a war of attrition which is the act of weakening ones enemy to the point of exhaustion, making the other side win due to them having greater reserves and resources. This made it difficult for any country to achieve victory due to the difficult nature of trench warfare.

Nature of Trench Warfare

Trench StructureThe trenches were not built parallel with each other but were built weaving so it was harder for the enemy to shoot soldiers in the trench

Not like this, as it leaves soldiers too vulnerable

Trenches were built like this as it allowed for defensive and offensive positions

Zigzag line as a defensive measure - minimized impact of a shell landing in the trench and meant that attackers didn't have a clear line of fire down the whole trench

The Layout of the trenches There were three lines of trenches, then no mans land, then the

enemies side consisting of the three lines. the front line for attack and defense the support line to which front line soldiers could (if possible)

retreat during bombardment the reserve line where troops waited for their leaders call to battle rear wall of the support had dugouts communication trenches dug at right angles linked all three

trenches The land in between the two opposing armies was called no mans

land. This was the land that held the majority of the fighting. The land was churned up from shells and had rows of barb wire to slow down opposing enemies.

Diagrams of the layout of the trenches

No Mans Land No mans land is the term describing the land between the two

opposing trenches. This land is where the majority of the fighting occurred. The composition of no mans land changed it was never static. The no mans land consisted of up churned terrain and barb wirer near

the front line of the trenches. From the heavy artillery no mans land become barren, mud soaked craters and rotting corpses.

This area was where men, at the sound of a whistle would jump over the front line and fight face to face, sometimes hand t hand with their counter parts.

The majority of fighting here would occur at night, each side would dispatch parties to spy on the enemy, or to repair or extend barbed wire posts. Reconnaissance missions were similarly common. Injured men trapped in No Man's Land would often be brought in under cover of darkness, as were corpses for burial.

Pictures showing no mans land

No Man's Land at Passchendaele in 1917

C. R. W. Nevinson, Paths of Glory (1917)

Trench Warfare

Fixed trench warfare was the standard form of fighting during ww1

It was the reason for the stalemate Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which

was harsh, stagnant and extremely dangerous. Causing many health risk

The trenches were under constant threat of attack, from artillery firing from the opposing trench or from enemy running through no mans land

Main weapons used

Barb wirer (slows down approaching enemy) Rifles with fixed bayonets Grenades Heavy artillery: mortars etc. Introduction of tanks Gas

Life in the trenches

Life in the trenchesA typical day in the trenches:5am - 'Stand-to' (short for 'Stand-to-Arms', meaning to be on high-alert for enemy attack) half an hour before daylight5.30am - Rum ration6am - Stand-to half an hour after daylight7am - Breakfast (usually bacon and tea)After 8am - Clean themselves, clean weapons, tidy trenchNoon - DinnerAfter dinner - Sleep and downtime (one man per ten on duty)5pm - Tea6pm - Stand-to half an hour before dusk6.30pm - Stand-down half an hour after dusk6.30pm onwards - Work all night with some time for rest (patrols, digging trenches, putting up barbed wire, getting stores, replacement of unit of soldiers every five days)

Source BBC. (2014, January 20). Life on the Frontline. Retrieved from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25626530

Living conditions

The conditions in the trenches were harsh and undesirable The soldiers were under constant threat of attack Through the war soldiers suffered mental health conditions

known then as shell shock Health issues arose from the poor conditions

General Photos depicting conditions in the trenches

Rotation The trenches were designed in 3

rows, the front line, support line and the reserve line

The man at each line were rotated to refresh the men at the front line

A general pattern for trench routine was for a man and his section to spend 4 days in the front line, then 4 days in close reserve and finally 4 at rest, although this varied enormously depending on conditions, the weather and the availability of enough reserve troops to be able to rotate them in this way.

Rain and Mud There were heavy amounts of rain during WW1, especially on the western front this created a

muddy terrain The heavy artillery and shelling caused the land to be up churned, causing it to become very

muddy and wet This created water booged trenches and an up churned no mans land The water made everything wet causing water borne disease, in winter made the soldiers very

cold causing phenomena and trench foot Duckboards were used to walk across the muddy trenches

“We have just come out of the trenches after being in for six days and up to our waists in water.” - Private Stanley Terry of 15 North End, East Grinstead, wrote a letter to his family in November, 1915. The letter was not censored.

Effect of the rain and mud on trenches, top right image consist of

soldiers walking on duckboards

Sanitation In general and simple terms the trenches were not sanitised

places, there were dead bodies, rats, water, mud, disease and infection everywhere.

Due to low supplies showering was infrequent, leaving soldiers to become susceptible to disease.

Due to the amounts of dead bodes, disease was riddled through the battle fields, which attracted numerous rats.

Lice was also an issue

Health Issues General disease from the unsanitary conditions Infection from wounds Trench foot; was a consequence of the soldiers feet being bogged

and not being able to dry their feet Shell shock; was the term given to solders who were

experiencing mental health issues, they would now be known as PTSD, depression and anxiety.

Shellshock victims

Trench Foot

Photos of injuries

Allied Soldiers Vs German Soldiers The German soldiers were the first to dig in to build the trenches so they were

more established; some of them even using concreate, they also choose where to build trenches, like higher ground or near fresh water supplies

The allied soldiers trenches were generally less equipped and the structures were not as established as the German forces. This was partly due to the fact that German built there trenches first and that the allied soldiers believed this war would be over by Christmas.

condition of the trench depended on = how long and how quickly it had been established/if it was seen as temporary or permanent/nature of the ground where it was located/local weather conditions/military goals at different times/extent of military bombardment.

Generally German trenches were much better facilitated than the Allied forces.

Helpful sourcesLetters from soldiers http://spartacus-educational.com/FWWletters.htmDocument Archive http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/ http://www.library.yale.edu/rsc/WWI/primary.htmlYouTube Video outlining trench conditions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8HmPNgOC2Q