Trenches
Warfare changed dramatically after the Civil War, and the invention of new weapons such as machine guns, fast-loading rifles, and barbed wire. The strategies employed by armies before World War I no longer applied in this era of much deadlier weaponry.
The strategies of open field battle and cavalry charges became suicidal when employed on the battlefields of WWI. Barbed wire and trench fortifications prevented quick maneuvers from succeeding, and warfare during WWI quickly developed into a stalemate, with periodic charges resulting in high casualties.
Warfare changed dramatically after the Civil War, and the invention of new weapons such as machine guns, fast-loading rifles, and barbed wire. The strategies employed by armies before World War I no longer applied in this era of much deadlier weaponry.
The strategies of open field battle and cavalry charges became suicidal when employed on the battlefields of WWI. Barbed wire and trench fortifications prevented quick maneuvers from succeeding, and warfare during WWI quickly developed into a stalemate, with periodic charges resulting in high casualties.
Did You Know?
Over 400 miles of Trenches were active at one point during the war.
There were 4 types of trenches:
The land between the two enemy trenches was called "no-man's land" and was marked by large amounts of barbed wire and destroyed vegetation.
The German layout of Trenches was different than that of the Allies.
There were Trenches on both fronts, but the only major ones on the eastern front were at Tannenberg, which technically speaking were not needed due to the massive rout the Germans gave the Russians.
Over 400 miles of Trenches were active at one point during the war.
There were 4 types of trenches:
- Front-line Trench: Usually 50-1760 yards from the front-line enemy trench, first line of defense
- Support Trench: Usually a few hundred yards behind the front-line trench, usually second line of defense
- Reserve Trench: Usually a few hundred yards behind the support trench, usually third line of defense
- Communications Trench: These trenches were usually perpendicular to the other trenches and brought supplies from behind the reserve trench to the all the trenches and maintained the communications between the trenches and the HQ behind the trenches.
The land between the two enemy trenches was called "no-man's land" and was marked by large amounts of barbed wire and destroyed vegetation.
The German layout of Trenches was different than that of the Allies.
There were Trenches on both fronts, but the only major ones on the eastern front were at Tannenberg, which technically speaking were not needed due to the massive rout the Germans gave the Russians.
http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch1_trench.html