Trench Warfare In The Trenches

In the beginning of World War One the common outlook on warfare was that of a primarily mobile and open method of attack. Trench warfare was thought to be a temporary phenomenon which would be replaced by infantry and cavalry skirmishes. No one had predicted that only after a couple of months of open and mobile warfare, the November of 1914 would begin four years of static trench warfare.

Trench warfare was going on the whole of WWI, yet the the bigger battles only occurred at specific times. In the book, Trench Warfare 1914-1918, Ashworth focuses on trench warfare since he believes that it is “the larger part of the total war experience” (p. 2).

Since the French had relatively recently fought in the Napoleonic wars, they had an image of

warfare that also involved

contrary to that of the trained Germans. The train

What happens to the dead bodies

Life in the trenches

Description of Trench Warfare |
V
Movement ceased November in 1914
Stretched 475 miles from Switzerland to the North Sea
Western front from Belgium in 1914
Since the Western front and line of fighting stretched across Europe, there were many different terrains where
Shells that exploded in and around wet ground caused trench drainage on the Western front (example, Flanders)
German trenches looked over British
Dry rock stretched for seventy miles, Lens to Lassigny, was ideal trench construction land
The trenches from Lassigny to Rheims were hilly giving advantage to the 'upper land owners'
Trenches also passed through forests (Champagne)
A series of strongpoints in the Vosges stood in place of endless trenches
Some places were better than others, but the soldiers fought in the land assigned
Although the allied armies move slightly along the Western front, between November of 1914 and September of 1918 their movements were not drastic
The Belgian army was responsible for a strip of land 15 miles from Ypres Salient to Nieuwport
The French trench strip was longer but less densely filled with troops compared to the British
At first when the (1917)U.S. were sent to be trained in trenches by the French and British but as more Americans came to the cause the country possessed its own trench section from Argonne to 80 miles south of it Geography ^

The Western front started off in numerous trenches dug unstrategically, these were join into two long trench systems which served for communication supply offense and defense
Between these trenches was no mans land, an open area occupied by neither side, filled with mines, shot across, patrolled at night, and filled with barbed wire
No man's land varied from 5 to 1000 yards average 100-400 yards
British trenches were comprised of three lines; front, support, and reserve
Built above or below ground depending on conditions of land, either trenches or breastwork, most commonly a combination of the two
The fire trench was not straight in order to make it difficult to target by shelling
The soldiers in the trenches experienced horrific conditions; rats were present in their millions, spreading disease, contaminating food, and causing fear.

The rats would swarm the trenches, and could grow to the size of a cat by eating the flesh of the dead soldiers. They also got infected with lice, which attributed to a louse’s infective prowess.
The only way to kill lice at this time was to use a candle, by burning them with the flame of a candle or with the hot wax. Soldiers constantly removed lice from their clothing, but since the lice hid in the folds of their clothing, they could not remove all of the lice. Because the lice can produce ten eggs per day, removal of all but one louse meant that they victim would again be infected. Lice, aside from being pestilent, spread trench fever. Trench fever was a disease that caused severe pain in the head and legs, followed by a fever. The only way to recover was to be taken away from the trenches, for a long 12

weeks.