Trench Warfare:Trench Warfare:

Life in the Trenches:Life in the Trenches:

Possibilities of drowning in mud

Very uncomfortable

Inhaling toxic and corrosive gases

Being overrun by huge rats

Threat of being killed in many ways without notice

Trench Conditions:Trench Conditions:

Waterlogged trenches

Hundreds of artillery shells would fall on the trenches, soldiers could spend up to 50 days on the front-line and wouldn’t get the chance to leave except in intense attack/counter-attack

Men would die everyday not just from enemy fire, but simply from the conditions under which they lived

Rare for soldiers to construct proper irrigation systems

Resulting in the buildup of water on the bottom of the trench, and could sometime fill the trench with 4-5 feet of water

If soldiers spent too much time in a trench they could develop trench foot, which could lead to amputation of the feet

Trench foot:Trench foot:

Trench foot (also known as fat foot) is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary and cold conditions. It is one of many immersion foot syndromes. The use of the word "trench" in the name of this condition is a reference to trench warfare, mainly associated with World War I.Trench foot occurs when feet are cold and damp while wearing constricting footwear. Unlike frostbite, trench foot does not require freezing temperatures and can occur in temperatures up to 60° Fahrenheit (about 16° Celsius). The condition can occur with as little as eleven hours' exposure. The mechanism of tissue damage is not fully understood.

Affected feet may become numb, may be affected by turning red or turning blue as a result of poor vascular supply, and feet may begin to have a decaying odor due to the possibility of early stages of necrosis. As the condition worsens, feet may also begin to swell. Advanced trench foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections; this is sometimes called tropical ulcer (jungle rot).If left untreated, trench foot usually results in gangrene, which can require amputation. If trench foot is treated properly, complete recovery is normal, though it is marked by severe short-term pain when feeling returns. Like other cold-related injuries, trench foot leaves sufferers more susceptible to it in the future

(Show video)(Show video)

Rats were also a major discomfort (huge)

The build up of dead bodies on the top of the trench would attract them

Dysentery-

Disease of the intestines which caused diarrhoea and occasionally vomiting the bacteria was ingested by means of poor food and water quality Big problem at the start of the war because they only supplied soldiers with canteens that had to be refilled at a water station hundreds of yards to the rear

But during combat it was rare that soldiers would get the chance to make the journey so they turned to contaminated water they found at the bottom of the trenches or in shell craters

Food became more scarce

Soldiers were well fed at the beginning of the war but as the armies swelled with volunteers and attacks on supply lines became more frequent the food trickled down to just the bare essentials

Worst problem was lice

Enough to drive men insane

Soldiers shaved their heads and ironed their shirts regularly the lice breeded in the seams of clothing and were never completely rid of for more than a few hours

The harsh realities of war:The harsh realities of war:

It is clear that trench warfare was an extreme environment that tested human endurance 24 hours a day

Most people living under today’s standards wouldn’t have survived a day in the trenches, let alone years like these young men endured and eventually grew to accept it as daily life

Trench System:Trench System:

Trenches were very complex and tested the skills of army engineers and soldiers

After the battle of the Marne the Germans were in full retreatThey realized they had to hold onto the conquered territory in France and Belgium at all costs so they began to entrench themselves to gain strategic advantage Chose their new defensive positions carefully and effectively

When Allies realized they couldn’t break through the German lines, they also began to dig trenches

Because Germans chose the location of their trenches they held the high ground which made them more efficient

Allies had to dig trenches in the low ground which was only a few feet above sea level and would often discover water just 3-4 feet under the groundTo solve this they created breastworks, which was an above ground trench made with logs, stones, and anything that could be stacked to give the soldiers the saved 7ft protection they got while in the trenchesSome were made 30 feet tall

Model trench was 7ft deep and 6ft wideThe parapet was the lip of the trench facing the enemy, usually built up with 2-3 sandbagsTrench lip behind the was the parados and was also reinforced with sandbags and usually higher than the parapet

So when soldiers stuck his head over top the trench, his sillhouette on the horizon was broken by the higher wall of sandbags behind them

Protected soldiers from other allied soldiers to the rear firing at the same time

7ft deep trenches were impossible to look over so they made a 2-3 foot ledge called the firing step they stood on to fire and to charge out of the trenchDuckboards were placed at the bottom of the trench that rested above the water to keep soldiers feet dry

Trenches were never dug in straight line so that if an enemy were to over take the trench they could not fire down a straight line

Dugouts were created in the side of trenches to house soldiers and could hold up to 10 men at a time, but later could hold a whole batallion

Also dug alongside communication trenches so not in direct line of fire

Safer and often housed batallion headquarters or officers quarters

Funk holes- scrapped along side of trench so soldier can fit in it and sleep or take shelter from rain

Extremely hazardous

Front lines protected by barbed wire and machine gun posts

Short trenches were dug straight out into no-mans land were called saps, usually 30 yards out and were used as listening posts at night

Behind front lines were reserve trenchesAll 3 rows of trenches usually covered 200-500 yards of ground

Communication trenches were dug at an angle and connected all the rows of trenches, they were used to transport men, food and equipment to the front

Germans were famous for creating large concrete boxes called “pillboxes” that houses up to 3 machine guns at a time

German machine gunners were hated by Allies and were more likely to be killed after capture

Made miniature fortresses to strengthen lines

Pillboxes 30ft long 10 ft wide with very thick walls

Usually survive direct hit from artillery cannon and were huge obstacles for the Allies

Allies didn’t create them like the Germans did, weren’t worth the labor and cost to build

Trenches in WWI were very complex and effective, but its safe to say that this is the most horrible kind of war to wage

The conditions that the men lived under were horrific, and the cost of life was great and the progress was painfully slow

With today’s technology, we can rest easy knowing that this kind of warfare will never again occur

Life in the Trenches:Life in the Trenches:

HOMEWORK:(show video)

Imagine that you are a soldier fighting in the trenches…write a letter home describing the conditions in the trenches

Read Pages 655-660 (Notes, don’t forget the question)