Life in the Trenches
Life in the trenches during the First World War took many forms, and varied widely from sector to sector and from front to front. Undoubtedly, it was entirely unexpected for those eager thousands who signed up for war in August 1914. A War of Movement? Indeed, the Great War - a phrase coined even before it had begun - was expected to be a relatively short affair and, as with most wars, one of great movement. The First World War was typified however by its lack of movement, the years of stalemate exemplified on the Western Front from autumn 1914 until spring 1918. Not that there wasn't movement at all on the Western Front during 1914-18; the war began dramatically with sweeping advances by the Germans through Belgium and France en route for Paris. So what was life actually like for the men serving tours of duty in the line, be they front line, support or reserve trenches? Daily Death in the Trenches Rat Infestation Rats in their millions infested trenches. Frogs, Lice and Worse The Trench Cycle
Trenches in World War I
During trench warfare, opposing armies conduct battle, at relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. Trench warfare becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other. Although trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on the Western Front during World War I. Why Trench Warfare in WWI? In the early weeks of the First World War (late in the summer of 1914), both German and French commanders anticipated a war that would involve a large amount of troop movement, as each side sought to gain -- or defend -- territory. During the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, however, the Germans were pushed back by Allied forces. By October 1914, neither army could advance its position, mainly because war was being waged in a very different way than it had been in the nineteenth century. Construction and Design of Trenches Daily Routine in the Trenches Shell Shock
The Long, Long Trail - UK
Front Line: Life in the Trenches of WWI
If you were a soldier fighting in the First World War, what would you see? What would you hear? With only 20 WWI veterans left in the world, fewer and fewer people are able to answer these questions with certainty. For everyone else, there's Front Line. Trenches: In this page, you'll find information on the construction of trenches, their layout, the hygiene (or lack thereof) of trenches, the cold, and how burials were handled in trench warfare. Routine: On here, you'll find information on the day-to-day life of the soldiers in the trenches: for example, the food they ate, their various duties, and the ways they attempted to cope. Warfare: This page details the "warfare" part of "trench warfare." Traumas: Trench Warfare was a horrific experience for most of the soldiers. Game: This is a choose-your-own-adventure style game that attempts to recreate the experience of trench warfare. About Front Line 2008 marks the 90th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the First World War. Contact Me
WW1 TRENCH SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS,WORLD WAR 1 TRENCH SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS,WHERE TO SLEEP IN A WW1 TRENCH,WW1 TRENCH SHELTER INFO,WW1 TRENCH SHELTER DRAWING,1917 TRENCH SHELTER ILLUSTRATION,DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO CONSTRUCT A WW1 TRENCH SHELTER,ARMY REGULATIO
Attached you will find a 1917 illustration making clear as to how the great many soldiers of W.W. I were expected to sleep within the dank, muddy labyrinthine trench system. It was the preferred plan on both sides that their troops sleep in fields and forests as they briskly march forward to the terror-struck cities of their timid and surrendering foes - but other sleeping arrangements had to made after it was decided that trenches were necessary. Officers in forward trenches would sleep in shifts within muddy little rooms called "dugouts" and the rankers would get something worse - misleadingly they were dubbed, "shelters" and they were simply rectangular caves carved into the walls of the trench. "It should be raised at least a foot above the floor level in the trench to prevent water from the trench floor from coming in..."
Internet History Sourcebooks
Internet Modern History Sourcebook The Internet Modern History Sourcebook now contains thousands of sources and the previous index pages were so large that they were crashing many browsers. See Introduction for an explanation of the Sourcebook's goals. Explanation of Sources of Material Here. The Modern History Sourcebook now works as follows: This Main Index page has been much extended to show all sections and sub sections. Additional Study/Research Aids In addition to the above structure, there are a series of pages to help teacher and students. Modern History in the Movies Older Style Big Indices Still Available Since some faculty members had built into their course pages direct links to the Sourcebook's old indexes, these remain available, but will not be updated with materials added after 12/31/1998. Subjects covered by the source texts in each Section. Studying History The Early Modern World Reformation Early Modern World Everyday Life Absolutism Constitutional States Colonial L America 19C Italy
Causes of World War I
Germany, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Britain attempting to keep the lid on the simmering cauldron of imperialist and nationalist tensions in the Balkans to prevent a general European war. They were successful in 1912 and 1913, but did not succeed in 1914. The crisis came after a long and difficult series of diplomatic clashes between the Great Powers (Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Austria-Hungary and Russia) over European and colonial issues in the decade before 1914 that had left tensions high. The various categories of explanation for World War I correspond to different historians' overall methods. Background In November 1912, Russia was humiliated because of its inability to support Serbia during the Bosnian crisis of 1908 or the First Balkan War, and announced a major reconstruction of its military. Both Wilhelm II and the Army leadership agreed that if a war were necessary it were best launched soon. "Moltke described to me his opinion of our military situation.
Revetment
Asphalt and sandbag revetment with a geotextile filter In stream restoration, river engineering or coastal management, revetments are sloping structures placed on banks or cliffs in such a way as to absorb the energy of incoming water. In military engineering they are structures, again sloped, formed to secure an area from artillery, bombing, or stored explosives. Freshwater revetments[edit] Wooden revetments Rock armour revetments Many revetments are used to line the banks of freshwater rivers, lakes, and man-made reservoirs, especially to prevent damage during periods of floods or heavy seasonal rains (see riprap). Revetments as coastal defence[edit] Tetrapods[edit] Tetrapod revetment along the waterfront at Mumbai Fortifications[edit] World War I: British diagram for the construction of reveted trenches - the revetment here is the part forward of the standing soldier. According to the U.S. See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] Fortifications[edit] River and Levee Management[edit]
