1 essay trench war world

1 essay trench war world

What was life like for the millions of professional, conscripted or recruited soldiers, who fought in the various European and international theatres of war? The trench experience involved the terror of mud, slime and disease and the constant threat of shellfire. Heavy artillery and new weapons such as poison gas threatened death from afar; but hand to hand combat with clubs and knives killed many during the grisly business of trench raids. When troops were not fighting, they were locked into trench deadlock, at which point boredom also became a serious issue.

Rats, Lice, and Exhaustion

Trenches—long, deep ditches dug as protective defenses—are most often associated with World War I , and the results of trench warfare in that conflict were hellish indeed. Trenches were common throughout the Western Front. Although trenches were hardly new to combat: Prior to the advent of firearms and artillery, they were used as defenses against attack, such as moats surrounding castles. But they became a fundamental part of strategy with the influx of modern weapons of war.

Long, narrow trenches dug into the ground at the front, usually by the infantry soldiers who would occupy them for weeks at a time, were designed to protect World War I troops from machine-gun fire and artillery attack from the air.

While significant exposure to militarized chemicals such as mustard gas would result in almost certain death, many of the gases used in World War I were still relatively weak. Thus, trenches may have afforded some protection by allowing soldiers more time to take other defensive steps, such as putting on gas masks.

The Battle of Somme as seen from the trenches. Trench warfare caused enormous numbers of casualties. Later in the war, forces began mounting attacks from the trenches at night, usually with support of covering artillery fire.

The Germans soon became known for effectively mounting nighttime incursions behind enemy lines, by sending highly trained soldiers to attack the trenches of opposing forces at what they perceived as weak points. If successful, these soldiers would breach enemy lines and circle around to attack their opponents from the rear, while their comrades would mount a traditional offensive at the front.

The brutality of trench warfare is perhaps best typified by the Battle of the Somme in France. British troops suffered 60, casualties on the first day of fighting alone. German soldiers lying dead in a trench after the Battle of Cambrai, With soldiers fighting in close proximity in the trenches, usually in unsanitary conditions, infectious diseases such as dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever were common and spread rapidly. Constant exposure to wetness caused trench foot, a painful condition in which dead tissue spread across one or both feet, sometimes requiring amputation.

Trench mouth, a type of gum infection, was also problematic and is thought to be associated with the stress of nonstop bombardment. It was also the first conflict in world history to have more deaths caused from combat, rather than from disease spread during fighting.

Trench warfare was also employed in World War II and in the Korean War to some degree, but it has not been used regularly during conflicts in the ensuing decades. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. This Day In History. World War I—in Color. World War I.

One hundred years ago the world shared one thing in common, experiencing the world's first war. Many factors that go into the war or had an. Free Essays from Bartleby | In World War 1 trench warfare could be shown as terrible but amazing at the same time. Trench Warfare could be viewed as good.

Trenches—long, deep ditches dug as protective defenses—are most often associated with World War I , and the results of trench warfare in that conflict were hellish indeed. Trenches were common throughout the Western Front. Although trenches were hardly new to combat: Prior to the advent of firearms and artillery, they were used as defenses against attack, such as moats surrounding castles.

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Trench life involved long periods of boredom mixed with brief periods of terror. The threat of death kept soldiers constantly on edge, while poor living conditions and a lack of sleep wore away at their health and stamina. Rats and lice tormented the troops by day and night.

Trench Warfare Essay

This page of the essay has words. Download the full version above. Many factors that go into the war or had an influence on it had their own specific role. Trenches were a key part of the battleground during World War I and became the home and final location for millions of soldiers. Trenches were known as a form of survival for the soldiers in World War I because it was a successful system of fighting that allowed soldiers to defend themselves and attack the enemy without getting hurt.

Essay: Trenches in World War I

In World War 1 trench warfare could be shown as terrible but amazing at the same time. Trench Warfare could be viewed as good because twisted trenches made within WWl could prevent bombings due to the zigzag shape shape of them it would be hard to bomb them, but it would also make deaths within them easier than usual too due to the fact that grenades could be thrown in and kill many soldiers at once. Deaths included grenades, bombings, bullets, etc. In a close area it is a lot easier for deaths. World War one is best known for being the war fought in trenches, and the ditches dug into the ground to give troops protection from gunfire and enemy artillery. When men volunteered to fight in World War One on the Western Front, little did they know about the living and fighting conditions. The strategy earned the Muslims a decisive victory and has been implemented. Trench Warfare World War 1 is perhaps best known for being a war fought in trenches, ditches dug out of the ground to give troops protection from enemy artillery and machine-gun fire. The trenches spread from the East to the West.

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In World War 1 trench warfare could be shown as terrible but amazing at the same time. Trench Warfare could be viewed as good because twisted trenches made within WWl could prevent bombings due to the zigzag shape shape of them it would be hard to bomb them, but it would also make deaths within them easier than usual too due to the fact that grenades could be thrown in and kill many soldiers at once. Deaths included grenades, bombings, bullets, etc. In a close area it is a lot easier for deaths.

World War I (1914–1919)

The letters, as primary source material, will provide an experience from the outlook of the American soldiers, coming fresh to the fighting, not as weary and worn as their European counterparts. This lesson plan can be done as a group or individual project, and certainly can serve as a cross-curricular activity with the Language Arts department. It makes use of primary sources, literary sources, and provides the students with the opportunity to analyze and synthesize information. Students can often use literature contemporary to an era to determine facts about a specific time or event. World War I lends itself readily to this exercise since a great deal of classic literature came out of the war. Through this activity, students will learn to analyze primary source materials such as letters and diary entries, and literature contemporary to the period. It exercises reading, analyzing, and writing skills, and allows the students to visualize the war experiences of the soldiers of World War I. Benchmark 1: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of individuals, groups, ideas, developments, and turning points in the era of the emergence of the modern United States A analyzes a theme in United States history to explain patterns of continuity and change over time. A develops historical questions on a specific topic in United States history and analyzes the evidence in primary source documents to speculate on the answers.

Essay on Trench Warfare

Clio has taught education courses at the college level and has a Ph. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Log in or Sign up. Are you teaching your students about the history of wars and conflicts? One thing that students often find interesting is the changes that have happened over time in exactly how wars are fought. A big aspect of this might be learning about trench warfare, or fighting that occurs largely between lines of troops who are protected by the fact that they are in trenches.

Life in the Trenches of World War I

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