ThE eVoLuTiOn Of TrEnChEs

One of the main reason that World War One evolved into trench warfare is because of all the new weapon advancements. War was becoming smarter, so the soldiers needed to find a way to fight the war in a more intelligent manner. Hence the birth of the trenches, trenches were a way for soldiers to avoid enemy artilery and gas. So with more weapondry advancement came more ways to protect yourself from the advancements, things like gas masks and fire-bays in the trenches. Gas masks were intruments that protected a soldier from mustard and chlorine gases. Fire-bays were the straight parts of the trenches from which the soldiers did their shooting, trenches were not completley straight because if the enemy succeeded in getting into your trenches you wouldn’t want them to be able do shoot straight down your trench and kill all your friends. Trenches also had other progressions such as fire steps, a step where a solider could step up to shoot then step down and be protected, also they had duck boards, a board so that the soldiers could be out of the water in order not to get trench foot. Trenches made it easier to escape but trenches weren’t the solution to all problems, trenches allowed huge masses of soldiers to be killed at once. Also the land between the enemy and home trenches known as “no mans land” was one of the most terrifying and deadly places that man has ever known or would know until WWII.

Wow. You got technical. Thanks for the explainations!

I think that it is very interesting that you took the time to research exactly how the trenches worked. It is cool that the people thought about having a place that the enemy wouldn't be able to get them.

That's very cool! I didn't know all of that stuff about duck boards and fire steps. You know, trench foot was one of the worst things that the soldiers got in my opinion. Imagine having rotting feet (to the point that your bones are showing) and still being forced to shoot at the enemy and RUN across the no man's land. Horrible.