By: Shannon Maloney

Trench Warfare

What Are Trenches?• A trench is a type of depression in the ground. Trenches are mostly

known to be deeper than they are wide and by being narrower than it’s length.

• Most stretch up to 400 miles• Trenches were on the front lines, which were the most dangerous

places. • This is were most of the soldiers were employed during the war

period. • In the trenches, there was little to no sanitation, and the floor

would be made by using wooden duckboards.

Why were they there?• Trenches were made to hold and arm weaponry, as

well as watch towers to see when the enemy may attack.

• The purpose of the trenches were to kill the enemy before they could get through and take over.

• Trenches also gave protection from enemy artillery

so many men living in a very small closed in space.. frostbite, trench foot (a wasting disease of the flesh caused by the foot being wet and cold, constrained into boots and puttees, for days on end, that would cripple a man)

Living ConditionsTrenches have often been dug for defense. trenches were used to shelter troops. Trench warfare and tactics evolved further in the Crimean War and World War I, until systems of extensive main trenches, backup trenches (in case the first lines were overrun) and communication trenches.

For the soldiers in trenches, there was a rotational routine they would have to follow when in and out of the trenches. This was called,

“The Trench Cycle”.

This would Include: •4 months Time in the Front Line

•2 months Time at the Support Lines•4 months Time in Reserve

•Only 2 months Time at Rest (leave)

Unfortunately, this would happen because when it would be time for the solders to rest, sometimes they were suddenly needed in the “Line of Fire” if an unpredictable event came up.

The time at rest would usually include “leave” if any was granted. The amount of leave varied, and they were lucky if they got even 2 weeks of leave during a year.

Trench Cycle

The Daily Boredom • Since enemy trenches were so close to each other, very little movement

was required during the day, and men were to move only when it was absolutely necessary.

• The times soldiers would be allowed to move would be during their morning chores, or any other tasks assigned to them.

• The rest of the day they would be free to do…. Nothing.• Many a day living in trenches were boring, but men still found things to do

to pass the time. This would last for even hours on end.

Here are some things soldiers would do:

• Cleaning /Repairing personal equipment • Reading /Writing letters home to loved ones• Preparing their meals • Prepare for Inspection• SLEEP!!!! (they would even sleep for the few minutes they were

sometimes given between doing tasks; because every minute of sleep was vital

Seeing Death Every Day1/3 of all casualties happened in trenches. Death was commonly seen in the trenches, even when

no war action was taking place. The deaths in the trenches were caused by:

•Many various diseases•Enemy Shelling•Snipers•Living with pests•Rat Infestation•Deadly Illnesses due to environment and living conditions•Maggots •Flies •Animal corpses

The overall smell in the trenches was decay. This mainly caused other numerous smells like:

• Dead Men • Overflowing Latrines • Unwashed Men (weeks)• Smelly Feet • Cigarette Smoke• Rotting Food• Lice (97% chance)• Poison gas• Cordite (type of poison gas)

Ironically, some men were able to get used to it

Stench in the Trench

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench

Citations