WWI - Trenches

Question 1

What hindered Germany’s advance into France?

Answer 1

1. Belgian, French and British troops had fought back more strongly than anticipated.
2. Russia had mobilised quickly, and Germany was faced with fighting both France and Russia at the same time.

Question 2

What were the conditions like in the trenches? Name 6.

Answer 2

1. The fear of death
2. Death of friends
3. Poor living conditions.
4. Mud coated boots, socks and trousers;
5. Rats
6. Clothes became covered in lice.

Question 3

What was trench warfare?

Answer 3

Most of the fighting was done by foot soldiers. They dug trenches to protect themselves, lined with sandbags and defended by men with rifles, bayonets, machine guns and hand grenades.

Question 4

What was the Western Front? Where was it?

Answer 4

It stretched from Belgium to western Germany, including north eastern France and Luxembourg.

On the Western Front, both sides had dug in to form long lines of trenches that faced each other.

Question 5

What was NO MANS LAND?

Answer 5

On the Western Front, both sides dug trenches that faced each other. The land in between was known as no mans land.

Question 6

Explain why trench warfare was futile?

Answer 6

The Western front didn’t move more than a few miles either way in four years of war.

Thousands of men would run across no man’s land to try to capture the enemy, and die for the sake of a few hundred metres. The following week, they might be pushed back to their starting place.

Question 7

What does STALEMATE mean?

Answer 7

Stalemate: a complete inability to move forward and a solid determination to not move back.