I think that trench warfare was the result of the following:
1.Failure of the Schlieffen Plan
-Because Germany placed all of it eggs in one basket and placed all odds of winning into the Schlieffen Plan, failure to execute swiftly and effectively was costly. It wasn’t that the plan was a horrible idea, it was just very risky and very much a guessing game. It would either be a great success or a failure but with Moltke’s alterations (the idea to strengthen the left side of the attack, while weakening the right) the plan failed. This greatly weakened the German forces and morale and extended the war.
2.France’s lack of military awareness
-The French also placed a lot of their hope and time into one war strategy. Although their dependence was not as great as Germany, the failure of their plan when taken down by Germany on the western frontier was a huge downer for their offensive. Not only had the French relied too much on the patriotism and heart of their soldiers to win the war but also, they were under prepared military and underestimated the enemy.
3.Battle of the Marne
- At this point, both sides are weak and trying to regroup from detrimental losses and rethink their war tactics. However, France receives help from their ally, Russia, who helps them come in and defeat the Germans. This kind of evened out the wins and losses and placed the Western side of the war back at even with neither side having a clear advantage over the other.
4.What trenches represented/ How trenches were perceived
-I also think that both sides viewed the idea of trench warfare as a safe, low expense, and easy way out of war. Each side figured that this kind of warfare would bring about a decisive victory at the expense of the other side. Idealistically, trench warfare was an ideal situation for anyone who wanted to win. Not only did you know where the enemy was located, but there were large portions of the enemy’s army within sight and you knew that nothing too drastic, in the form of an attack, could take place and be successful without the other side knowing. This mindset was harmful in the long run and only lead to tons of deaths with little advance either way.
5.Poor realization of reality
-Both sides got too caught up in the idea of trench warfare, how it sounded, and how it looked on paper and failed to realize the long term effects that this new type of warfare could have. Both sides were tired and worn out from all of the fighting and this new, safe, short-term solution was good enough for them.
6.Blinding stubbornness on both sides of the war
-Both sides underestimated the length and the effects that war would have on their countries and resources. Trench warfare provided a sort of refuge where the fight was at least predictable to point that made each side content with the outcome as long as they knew the other side was not gaining anything from it either. Instead of realizing that the trenches were not helping anyone but only hurting everyone, each side decided to continue fighting for no longer for their county only out of pride and stubbornness and an unwillingness to accept or admit defeat.
Part 2
- As for the effect on civilans, soldiers, governments....
1. Civilians had it bad for the most part but not all suffered tremendously. Those close the battlegrounds and the relatives of those fighting had to indure the most pain. Those nearby the fighting were exposed to all of the horrors of the soldiers: the bloody scenes, the poison gases, the loss of land, and the economic hardships that followed (lack of food and needed resources). The civilians with family often had to go through the burdensome proces of reading a letter from the army informing them of the death of a loved one, the stress of having family so far away from home, and for many not ever getting the chance the view the body of see thier loved one again in any way. The civilians away from the battles with no family saw few hardships.
2. Soldiers had it the worst having to see their commrades die, living in the filthy trenches,being exposed to all of the gruesome sights, and having long-lasting mental effects from their time on the field, if they lived.
3. Goverments had little direct hardships. Afterall, they were not being killed, they were able to eat, and could work on repairing thier countries in due time.
1.Failure of the Schlieffen Plan
-Because Germany placed all of it eggs in one basket and placed all odds of winning into the Schlieffen Plan, failure to execute swiftly and effectively was costly. It wasn’t that the plan was a horrible idea, it was just very risky and very much a guessing game. It would either be a great success or a failure but with Moltke’s alterations (the idea to strengthen the left side of the attack, while weakening the right) the plan failed. This greatly weakened the German forces and morale and extended the war.
2.France’s lack of military awareness
-The French also placed a lot of their hope and time into one war strategy. Although their dependence was not as great as Germany, the failure of their plan when taken down by Germany on the western frontier was a huge downer for their offensive. Not only had the French relied too much on the patriotism and heart of their soldiers to win the war but also, they were under prepared military and underestimated the enemy.
3.Battle of the Marne
- At this point, both sides are weak and trying to regroup from detrimental losses and rethink their war tactics. However, France receives help from their ally, Russia, who helps them come in and defeat the Germans. This kind of evened out the wins and losses and placed the Western side of the war back at even with neither side having a clear advantage over the other.
4.What trenches represented/ How trenches were perceived
-I also think that both sides viewed the idea of trench warfare as a safe, low expense, and easy way out of war. Each side figured that this kind of warfare would bring about a decisive victory at the expense of the other side. Idealistically, trench warfare was an ideal situation for anyone who wanted to win. Not only did you know where the enemy was located, but there were large portions of the enemy’s army within sight and you knew that nothing too drastic, in the form of an attack, could take place and be successful without the other side knowing. This mindset was harmful in the long run and only lead to tons of deaths with little advance either way.
5.Poor realization of reality
-Both sides got too caught up in the idea of trench warfare, how it sounded, and how it looked on paper and failed to realize the long term effects that this new type of warfare could have. Both sides were tired and worn out from all of the fighting and this new, safe, short-term solution was good enough for them.
6.Blinding stubbornness on both sides of the war
-Both sides underestimated the length and the effects that war would have on their countries and resources. Trench warfare provided a sort of refuge where the fight was at least predictable to point that made each side content with the outcome as long as they knew the other side was not gaining anything from it either. Instead of realizing that the trenches were not helping anyone but only hurting everyone, each side decided to continue fighting for no longer for their county only out of pride and stubbornness and an unwillingness to accept or admit defeat.
Part 2
- As for the effect on civilans, soldiers, governments....
1. Civilians had it bad for the most part but not all suffered tremendously. Those close the battlegrounds and the relatives of those fighting had to indure the most pain. Those nearby the fighting were exposed to all of the horrors of the soldiers: the bloody scenes, the poison gases, the loss of land, and the economic hardships that followed (lack of food and needed resources). The civilians with family often had to go through the burdensome proces of reading a letter from the army informing them of the death of a loved one, the stress of having family so far away from home, and for many not ever getting the chance the view the body of see thier loved one again in any way. The civilians away from the battles with no family saw few hardships.
2. Soldiers had it the worst having to see their commrades die, living in the filthy trenches,being exposed to all of the gruesome sights, and having long-lasting mental effects from their time on the field, if they lived.
3. Goverments had little direct hardships. Afterall, they were not being killed, they were able to eat, and could work on repairing thier countries in due time.
