Trench warfare did not exist before World War 1. In the earlier wars, soldiers would pack together with shields and spears, and as weapons became more advanced, the soldiers were still packed together in rows but the need for a more advanced method of movement became clear. During the Civil War, they basically charged at each other firing blindly and hoping to god that they would not be killed by a bullet. They sometimes dug in, but that was nowhere deep enough to actually be called a trench and was used as a temporary resting place.
The main purpose of trench warfare was to defend the position, but at the same time attack the enemy. It would also protect them from artillery fire.
There were three standard ways of building the trench. Entrenching, Sapping, and Tunneling. Entrenching is the way of simultaneously digging the trench by a large group of diggers. Sapping is where two or three diggers extended the current trench by its sides. Tunneling is basically the same thing as sapping but you kept the roof intact. The trenches were built in zigzag patterns. This made soldiers unable to see beyond 10m along the trench. This also prevented enemy to attack them from the side. It also made it difficult for enemy aircraft to map the trenches.
The life in the trenches
The day starts like any other day, with the morning stand-to. The men are roused from sleep. Then the men go to the fire step with their bayonets fixed waiting for a dawn raid by the enemy. They would fire artillery, their guns and even some fired off handguns. After the stand to the soldiers would be issued rum while they were cleaning their guns. Then it was breakfast time. This was an unofficial truce between the two armies while they ate. Then they would face inspection and then their chores. During the rest of the day movement was restricted because if the enemy saw movement they would shoot at the movement. Then at night came the second stand-to. Then they would put sentries at the fire step. If the sentries fell asleep they would be killed by a firing squad.Some problems the soldiers faced in the trenches was all the dead bodies that were not buried. There were no latrines so the men couldn't shower. There were overflowing cess pits. There was also the smell of the lingering poison gas that they would launch at each other.
There were also some lasting effects of trench warfare. There was shell shock, known today as PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) that would effect the men. They would also remember the smell of the trenches for the rest of their life. Some would escape the war unscathed others were not so lucky. Some were missing limbs do to infections or other things.
Reflection
I think it would of sucked being in those trenches all the time. Not knowing if you were going to survive. Just think what would of happened if a bomb landed right in the trenches almost everybody would be dead. I am glad that our soldiers fought for our freedom but I would hate to be one of them at the time.
Here is a video of what it is like to live in the trenches
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s77y2zU2a8g
Resources
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/world-war-1-causes-trenches-and-timeline.html
http://jimmythejock.hubpages.com/hub/World_war_1_A_Day_in_the_Trenches
http://jimmythejock.hubpages.com/hub/World_War_1_Trench_Warfare
Comments
Very well done Cody!!