life in the trenches Flashcards
what is the Western Front?
a series of opposing unbroken trenches built between 1914 and 1916- trenches became a necessity not a strategy
about how long was the Western Front and where did it span?
640 km / from Belgium to Switzerland
while war was also fought on Germany’s Eastern front against the Russians, where would the war be decided?
the Western Front
trench systems were extremely well fortified with ________ and _________, as a result the conflict became a stalemate with both sides using similar tactics, unable to dislodge the other
machine guns / multiple support systems
because of the well fortification of the trenches, the conflict became a stalemate with both sides using _________, ________
similar tactics, unable to dislodge the other
trench life was a horrid existence for combatants with each day being a struggle to survive against ________ and the ______
your enemy / elements
what are examples of the “elements” soldiers had to suffer?
weather, rats, disease, psyche, etc
trenches were to be strictly constructed in order to maintain ______ and ______________
a position / save the lives of the soldiers
what was the general timeline of duty (did not always happen depending upon conditions)?
duty lasted 6 days in the front lines, then 6 days in a support trench, and then 12 days of rest in the barracks
what would soldiers do during the war?
repair trench walls, patrol, fight, supply the front lines, ferrying ammunition or food/water, maintain cleanliness, etc
what was activity like in the day compared to the night?
daytime meant little movement overall for fear of snipers, night would be busy with movement and raids and dawn was the typical time chosen for attacks
