When we say World War 1, trench warfare comes into the minds of many people. On the Western front, trench warfare was heavily used, and was a huge role in the success of many countries. Starting with the Germans, trenches became extremely popular and started to spread from the Swiss border to Belgium totaling about 25,000 miles.
For three years, this line of trenches that became known as the Western Front never moved more than about 5 miles between the sides. .
The Germans were the first to use trenches. General Falkenhayn wanted to hold off the British and France from advancing into the parts of France and Belgium that the Germans still had control of. The Allies saw how good the trenches were working, so they decided to build trenches also. The Germans still had the advantage though because they were faster and more experienced at building them. They also already chose the best places to build their trenches. As more trenches were built, the desire to take over the enemies was on the rise. Trenches were now used in part of an offensive strategy. These military actions were known as attacks. Attacks usually involved a division of men (16,000), and were used to break the enemy lines. Offensives were the defensive military actions used to hold their position (what the trenches were first used for). During these attacks and offensives, heavy artillery was used to "soften up" the enemy trenches. Also during these attacks, it was very hard to supply the soldiers with ammunition, food, and water because of the rapid use.
Now lets talk about the structure of the typical trench and the fighting area around it.
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The typical trench had a parapet, parados, fire step, duck boards, sandbags, and barbed wire. The rear side of the trench was known as the parados. The front side of the trench was known as the parapet. Both were protected by 2 to 3 feet of sandbags. These sandbags protected the shooters.