Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

Define trench warfare.

Caused by Germany’s Schlieffen Plan

New style of fighting by positioning soldiers in deep ditches for protection

The Schlieffen Plan

The Schlieffen Plan was unsuccessful, leading Germany and the Central Powers

to fight a two front war.

Define trench warfare.

Rather than being a quick conflict, Allied and Centrals Powers “dug in” for trench warfare for most of the war, causing slow and painful results

Define no-man’s-land.

Trenches separated by no-man’s land – land between trenches filled with landmines, and barbed wire

Trench Design/Layout

The Front-Line TrenchThe Front-Line Trench7’ X 7’ X 6’6’

The Front-Line TrenchThe Front-Line Trench7’ X 7’ X 6’6’

Parapet topped with sandbagsParapet topped with sandbags

The Front-Line TrenchThe Front-Line Trench7’ X 7’ X 6’6’

Parapet topped with sandbagsParapet topped with sandbags

Dug at anglesDug at angles

The Front-Line TrenchThe Front-Line Trench7’ X 7’ X 6’6’

Parapet topped with sandbagsParapet topped with sandbags

Dug at anglesDug at anglesFaced “No-Man’s Faced “No-Man’s

Land”Land”

The Support TrenchThe Support Trench

22ndnd line of defense line of defense

The Support TrenchThe Support Trench

22ndnd line of defense line of defense Connected to Front-line with Communication TrenchConnected to Front-line with Communication Trench

The Reserve TrenchThe Reserve Trench

Last line of defense Last line of defense

The Reserve TrenchThe Reserve Trench

Last line of defense Last line of defense Often connected to nearest Often connected to nearest

town town

http://www.studiolarz.com/speakman/wwi/trench01.html

Life in the Trenches

Describe the poor conditions soldiers faced in trench warfare.

•No shelter from weather•Boredom•Dangerous to go “over the top” to attack the enemy

•Grenades and other explosives could be hurled or launched into your trench

•Disease/poor sanitation•Lice•Rats•Trench foot•Difficult to get in/out

Body LiceBody Lice

Trench Rats

Trench Rats

Trench FootTrench Foot

It was during WWI that the term “shell shock” was coined. We now call this condition Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Most modern war memoirs describe that the most unnerving and

maddening thing in battle is artillery detonations.

Some scenes of No Man’s Land.

Some trenches were not well developed.

Artillery duds.

Note in these pictures how the vegetation has been destroyed and trees just stripped of foliage by artillery and gunfire.

You can see the enemy’s trench lines in the distance.

Old trenchlines today.

Any questions?Any questions?