Trench Warfare During World War I

Trench warfare was a revolutionary war tactic that changed how war was fought. Soldiers would dig big ditches, called a trench, and then live in them for long periods of time. The conditions were not the best, but more soldiers would have died in combat if the trenches had not been created. This defensive strategy had many flaws and it prolonged the war, but it did help the Allies defeat the Central Powers in World War I. Trench warfare was a military tactic that is known for its use along the Western Front during World War I. Soldiers from the Allied Forces and the Central Powers dug trenches that were parallel to each other and about one mile deep. The trenches were lined with barbed wire and sandbags were placed in and around the trenches to give added protection from artillery barrage. Each trench was dug in zigzag so that the enemy could not fire for more than a few trenches that were dug roughly perpendicular to them. The trenches from opposing sides faced each other and the land between the two enemy trench lines was called "No Man 's Land." This land was generally around 50 to 250 yards apart. Private Stanley East wrote a letter to his family in November 1915 describing an experience in “No Man’s …show more content…
Firepower improvements made it illogical for full frontal attacks and the weapons that were invented during World War I were far more accurate and lethal compared to those used in the past. Hence, a frontal attack would lead to a greater number of soldiers dying. The solution to this problem was the construction of trenches. The first trenches were made on the western front, due to the large number of deaths in the Battle of the Marne. Soldiers form the Allied Forces and the Central Powers spent days digging the big ditches that were on opposite ends facing each other. Once inside the trench, soldiers had a very difficult time getting out because of the protective reinforcements placed around