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Ww1 Trench Warfare

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Trench Warfare in WWI

Trench warfare was a new land warfare strategy where soldiers would stand in six to eight foot deep trenches that were dug in to the ground. These trenches were blocked off in the front by barbed wire and sandbags. Sure this strategy was very effective, but it affected the soldiers negatively just as much.

World War I brought a style of warfare so crazy that it actually benefited no one, instead it traumatized the soldiers and everyone that had taken part in it, for life. Trench warfare had many downsides and it shows in that many soldiers never healed from the mental wounds inflicted by those terrible sights. Many of the men felt it was their duty to exclaim to the public about the wrongs committed on that infamous …show more content…

When the allies reached the trench, they soon realized that they could not break through the line that the trench provided. They also realized that the trench provided the Germans with shelter from their fire. Soon after, the allies began to dig their own trenches and, therefore, trench warfare began. Not very long after the first trenches of the war were dug, a network of trenches arose. This network spread across France and Belgium for many miles. Within the network, there were three different types of trenches: front line trenches, support trenches, and reserve …show more content…

Life in the trenches took its toll on the soldiers involved in the war. In spite of the fact that the trenches protected the soldiers, they stood no chance against the diseases. Body lice were among one of the diseases that travelled among the trenches the most. Body lice caused frenzied scratching and led to trench fever. Fifteen percent of sickness was from body lice. Trenches varied from six to eight feet in height. After wet rainy days trenches would get filled with water. In these trenches, there was a need for extra support, wood boards, and sandbags were placed on the side and on the floor for extra support and a safe area for walking. Every four days the soldiers were relieved from the trenches and sent to billets for four days of rest. A typical day in the billets would see the soldiers getting up at six o'clock, washing, taking part in roll call and inspection, having breakfast, and then participating in drills with the company at 8:45am. At around 11:30 am the soldiers were dismissed, had dinner, and were then on their own for the rest of the day if they had not signed up for a "digging or working party". During the soldier's four days of rest they were sometimes ordered to visit the "Divisional Baths". The "Divisional Baths" contained a bathroom with 15 tubs (barrels sawed in half) half-filled with water and

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