Transcript Document

The Trenches
Legends of the Fall
What do Alfred and
Samuel mean when they
say this war is different
than others?
WWI was expected to be
short and a war of great
movement
“Home for Christmas”
What was the “Schlieffen
Plan?”
The Schlieffen Plan
Was the Schlieffen Plan successful?
No.
[1] Rather than give up territory, the Germans dug trenches to
protect themselves from the guns of the advancing Allies.
The Schlieffen Plan
[2] The Allies couldn't break the German trench
lines and so followed the German example.
Digging the Trenches
[3] Soon, the trench lines
spread from the North
Sea to Switzerland.
This short war turned
into a stalemate and
war of attrition.
Stalemate
A situation in which further progress by opposing
parties seems impossible
Attrition
Gradual wearing down
through sustained attack
or pressure
Today’s Topics
1.
2.
3.
The Trench System
Life and Death in the Trenches
Trench Warfare
Expectations
Assess Canada’s participation in war and contributions to
peacekeeping and security
Describe Canada’s and Canadians’ contributions to the war effort
overseas during World War I and World War II (e.g. Ypres, Vimy
Ridge, Passchendale, Hong Kong, Battle of the Atlantic, Dieppe,
Sicily, D-Day; contributions of individuals, such as Billy Bishop,
Georges Vanier, Tommy Prince; contributions of groups such as
Aboriginal peoples; convoys; liberation of prisoners from Nazi
concentration/death camps
Analyze the impact of scientific and technological developments
on Canadians
The Trench System
The Trench System
There were three
components of the
trenches:
Front line trenches
Communications
trenches
No Man’s Land
Front Line Trenches
[4] Were usually
about seven feet
deep and about six
feet wide.
[5] They had a zigzag
pattern – why?
To prevent the enemy
from shooting
straight down the
line.
Front Line Trenches
[6] Sandbags were put on both sides of the top
of the trench to absorb enemy bullets.
Front Line Trenches
[7] Lines of barbed wire protected the frontline
trench from enemy attacks.
Front Line Trenches
[8] The fire step was cut into the side of the
trench allowing soldiers to see the enemy.
Communication Trenches
[9] Communication
trenches linked the frontline trench to the support
and reserve trenches.
What were they used
for?
Movement of men
Movement of equipment
and supplies
Clear the wounded
No Man’s Land
[10] No Man’s Land
represented the area of
ground between
opposing armies.
No Man’s Land
[11] It varied from as little as a few hundred yards
to one kilometer.
No Man’s Land
What was the effect of
artillery shelling on No
Man’s Land?
Destroyed vegetation
Mud-soaked craters
Rotting corpses
KEY WORDS
Seven
Six
Zigzag
Shooting
Sandbags
Bullets
Barbed wire
Fire step
Communication
Support
Reserve
No Man’s Land
Kilometre
Yards
Life and Death in the Trenches
Death was a constant companion to those serving in the
trenches.
Life and Death in the Trenches
[12] Constant shellfire
directed by the enemy
brought random death
Up to one-third of Allied
casualties on the
Western Front were
actually sustained in the
trenches.
French soldiers try to move a
wounded man along a
communication trench on the
Western Front.
Pests & Diseases
Trench coat was
one of the terms
that came from this
period…
Pests & Diseases
“Trench Rats” in the millions
[13] Rats would gorge themselves on human
remains and grow to be the size of a cat.
Pests & Diseases
Men would attempt to rid the trenches of these
“trench rats” with gunfire, bayonet, and even
clubbing them to death.
Pests & Diseases
It was futile however: a single rat couple could
produce up to 900 offspring in a year
Pests & Diseases
Many veteran soldiers swore that rats sensed
impending heavy enemy shellfire and
consequently disappeared from view.
Pests & Diseases
[14] Lice were a never-ending problem, breeding
in the seams of filthy clothing and causing men
to itch unceasingly.
[15] Lice caused Trench Fever, a particularly
painful disease that took up to twelve weeks to
recover from.
Pests & Diseases
[16] Frogs, slugs, and nits also infested the trenches.
Pests & Diseases
Trench Foot was another medical condition
peculiar to trench life.
It was a fungal infection of the feet caused by
cold, wet and unsanitary trench conditions.
It could turn gangrenous and result in
amputation.
Pests & Diseases
Pests & Diseases
Trench Foot Facts:
Around 20,000 casualties resulted from trench foot by the end
of 1914.
Improved trench drainage and conditions in general led to a
rapid diminishment of cases
Local commanders were also held accountable for outbreaks
of trench foot
As conditions improved in 1915 it rapidly faded, although a
trickle of cases continued throughout the war.
Trench Mouth also come from this time period
Life and Death in the Trenches
The Smell:
Rotting carcasses lay around in their thousands.
Overflowing latrines
Men who had not bathed in weeks or months
Creosol or chloride of lime, used to stave off disease and
infection.
Poison gas
Rotting sandbags
Stagnant mud
Cigarette smoke
Cooking food
The Trench Cycle
Typically a battalion would be
expected to serve:
Front line (70 days)
Support lines (30 days)
Reserve lines (120 days)
Rest (70 days)
Trench duty
KEY WORDS
Shellfire
One-third
Rats
Human remains
Cat
Lice
Trench fever
Frogs
Slugs
Nits
Cold
Wet
Unsanitary
Gangrenous
Amputation
Battalion
Front-line
Support lines
Reserve lines
Rest
Trench duty
Daily Routine
Dawn:
The daily morning ritual was often termed the ‘stand
to’ or the 'morning hate'.
Everyone was ordered to climb up on the fire step to
guard against frequent raids by the enemy.
Daily Routine
Breakfast:
In some areas rum might then be issued to the men.
They would then attend to the cleaning of their rifle
equipment, which was inspected by officers.
Unofficial truce at breakfast, even extended to
wagons delivering food.
Daily Routine
Inspection and Chores:
Inspections by the company or platoon commander
Assignment of daily chores:





Refilling of sandbags
The repair of the duckboards
Draining of trenches
Repairing the trench itself
Preparation of the latrines
Daily Routine
Daylight:
During the day, men could
read and write home.
Sleep, if possible.
Because of snipers,
movement was restricted to
night.
Daily Routine
Dusk:
Morning ritual was repeated again to guard against a
surprise attack
Patrols would often be sent out into No Man’s Land
to repair or add barbed wire to the front line.
Others would go to listening posts to spy on the
enemy.
Daily Routine
Night:
Patrolling No Man's Land – two options if enemy
encountered
 1) Hurry separate ways
 2) Engage in hand-to-hand combat – why no
handguns?
• Handguns attract machine gun fire
Daily Routine
To stop British night patrols the Germans used a lightshell rocket and pistol flares to light up the battlefield.
The most dangerous part of a patrol was returning to
their own trenches – why?
Because sentries often fired at any movement in front of
them.
What is this called?
Friendly fire
KEY WORDS
Stand to
Fire step
Enemy
Breakfast
Unofficial truce
Inspected
Daily chores
Read
Write home
Dusk
Surprise attack
Patrols
No Man’s Land
Repair
Add
Listening posts
Hurry separate ways
Engage in hand-to-hand combat
Handguns attract machine gun fire
Patrols
Light-shell rocket
Pistol flares
Returning to their own trenches
Sentries
Trench Warfare
Trench Warfare
Before WWI, commanders placed a great deal of
emphasis on using the infantry for massed
bayonet charges supported by the cavalry and
mobile field artillery.
Machine Guns
Infantry tactics had to be reassessed after
armies suffered heavy casualties during attacks
against machine-guns.
Could fire 400-600 small-calibre rounds per minute
Estimates range that a single machine gun to be
worth as many as 60-100 rifles
Machine Guns
German machine-gunners were often housed
inside pillboxes which were miniature forts
They were deeply hated by the infantry and they
were more likely to be killed when captured than
other soldiers.
Chemical Warfare
The Germans also employed chemical warfare with
chlorine and mustard gas.
Chemical Warfare
Chlorine gas destroyed the respiratory organs of
its victims and this led to a slow death by
asphyxiation.
These had to be employed with the right winds
or their own troops would be gassed.
Chemical Warfare
At first, Allied troops were supplied with masks of cotton
pads soaked in urine to neutralize the chlorine.
By July 1915 soldiers were given efficient gas masks
and anti-asphyxiation respirators.
Otto Dix, A German
Gas Attack (1924)
Chemical Warfare
Mustard Gas was first used by the German Army
in 1917. It was the most lethal of all the
poisonous chemicals used during the war.
Snipers
Snipers crept out at dawn into No
Man’s Land land and remained
there all day.
They wore camouflage and used
the cover of a fake tree, waiting
for a British soldier to look over
the parapet.
A common trick was to send up a
kite with English writing on it.
Anyone who raised his head to
read it was shot.
Snipers killed many men on their
first day.
Flame-throwers
Flame-throwers had a
short range
Contained enough oil to
burn 40 seconds at the
time.
Short-life span because
they were the target of
rifle and machine-gun
fire.
Tunneling
Tunneling was also used to dig under No Man’s Land to place
mines.
Different strategies to discover enemy tunneling:
Drive a stick into the ground and hold the other end between
the teeth and feel any underground vibrations.
Sinking a water-filled oil drum into the floor of the trench, to
listen for any noise.
It could take as long as a year to dig a tunnel and place a mine.
Occasionally, opposing tunnels would be dug into each other
Resulted in an underground fight.
Destroyed by placing an explosive charge inside.
Legends of the Fall conclusion…
Conclusion
Consequences of Trench Warfare
Deeply marked those who experienced it
Romantic notions of war were gone
Departure popular view of war as an opportunity for
glory
British soldiers
recovering from
amputations
Question to Ponder
Why was World War I the last time the tactic of
trench warfare ever used?
Research Suggestions
www.firstworldwar.com
All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque
“Over the Top” (1918)
John Nash
KEY WORDS
Bayonet
Cavalry
Artillery
Machine guns
400-600
Chlorine
Mustard gas
Winds
Gassed
Cotton pads
Urine
Gas masks
Snipers
Look over
Kite
English writing
Flamethrowers
Tunneling
Mines
Those who experienced it
Opportunity for glory
www.firstworldwar.com
All Quiet on the Western Front