TRENCH WARFARE

Why was the Schlieffen Plan created?

• The Schlieffen Plan was created by the Germans to quickly defeat France

• The French had constructed a chain of forts, defenses, and concrete pillboxes(machine-gun nests) along their eastern border w/ Germany

• German troops decided to enter France via the small nation of Belgium

What were the consequences of the Schlieffen Plan?

• Belgian military forces supported by civilian militia, held up the Germans for almost four weeks-double the anticipated time.

• The attack on neutral Belgium also drew Britain into the war

What happened once the Germans had reached the Marne River?

• Within a month German divisions had reached the Marne River, but they were tired from marching and smaller battles

• Once the Germans reached the Marne River, they were halted by French and British forces during the week-long Battle of the Marne in September 1914.

• This marked a turning point in World War I as the Allies successfully stopped the German advance towards Paris.

What happened at the Battle of the Marne?

• As both sides attempted to gain a better position, they moved northward eventually reaching the English Channel (a body of water that connects to the Atlantic Ocean)

• Once they couldn't go around each other, they started digging trenches to protect themselves and establish defensive positions. This marked the beginning of the trench warfare that characterized much of World War I on the Western Front.

• The German forces began to prepare defenses as they planned to hold on to all territory captured in the 1st month of the war

What were the simplest defenses and how did they affect the war?

• The simplest defenses were foxholes and small trenches

• Once this began to happen the war became static, it lacked movement

What happened over the winter of 1914 in the battle of Marnes?

• With neither side able to win a traditional battle of movement in the fall of 1914 a stalemate set in over the winter

• Both sides took this time to improve their defenses and planned to return to an offensive operation when the weather improved in the spring

Describe the layout of the trench system.

What were the offensive tactics at the beginning of the war and why did they not end up working?

• Offensive tactics at the beginning of the war were soldiers marching in lines of 2 to 3 people, walking toward the enemy, shooting together, and then charging with bayonets. The rifles they used were hard to reload and fire fast.

• These tactics were not effective due to advancements in technology like machine guns and barbed wire, leading to high casualties and stalemates.

• The technology  of the war  in 1914 heavily favored the defenders , not the attackers

Why did the invention of the machine gun change how World War One was fought?

The machine gun changed everything in WWI. Just one machine gun in a protected spot called a machine gun nest could quickly kill many soldiers moving slowly towards it. The machine gun, placed on a tripod and able to shoot fast, could create a wall of bullets in front of the advancing soldiers.

What does “going over the top” mean?

• "Going over the top" in World War I referred to when soldiers climbed out of their trenches and advanced across "no man's land" towards the enemy's trenches during an attack. It was a dangerous and brave move as they were exposed to enemy fire while crossing the open ground.

• If they refused then they were called a coward and were shot by their men

Describe “no man’s land”.

• The area between the trenches, usually only 100 meters apart, became known as “no man's land”

• The area was off-limits during the day as snipers watched the area to take a shot at anyone who might show themselves

• After a battle, many bodies would be left in No Man’s Land.

• Barbed wire made it harder to go into no man's land

What is artillery and how was it used?

• Its large caliber guns

• WW1 developed into a content of artillery early on in the war

• Originally designed to destroy fortified positions, artillery became essential

• Barbed wire and trenches dug into the mud proved difficult to destroy

Make a list of the conditions soldiers faced in the trenches:

In the trenches during World War I, soldiers faced tough conditions like:

1. Constant threat of enemy attacks

2. Poor living conditions - mud, rats, lice

3. Limited food and water supply

4. Exposure to harsh weather conditions

5. High risk of diseases

6. Psychological stress and trauma from the constant danger and noise of battle

7. Trench foot due to prolonged exposure to wet and unsanitary conditions.

• soldiers were deployed in the trenches constantly, regardless of weather conditions

• because they were outdoors, their food had to be canned and usually eaten cold

• even when large battles were not being fought, artillery fire and enemy snipes made life in the trenches dangerous

• mud, dirt, and the smell of death

• no clean uniforms

• rats, lice, and dead bodies

• constant gunfire and shelling

• feezing winter

• soldiers had very little decent food and what doof they had was often attacked by rats

• these rats were the size of small rabbits and badgers because they had fed on the decomposition of dead bodies

• the smells (you are surrounded by rotting corpses, overflowing latrines, and men who haven't bathed in months)

• trenched also smelled of chemicals used to fight off disease, poison gas, cigarettes, and cooking food