Trench Warfare Ww1

Trench warfare was a living hell. Death and destruction rained from the skies, while lead bullets peppered soldiers from the front. Their only protection was their wit, and a trench. A trench filled with rats, disease, and the stench of dead soldiers. No longer was war a glorious affair, but rather a crime against humanity. While in the modern world, technology has revolutionized warfare for the better. Combat has changed drastically since the time of trenches. No longer are trenches a soldier’s home and their only physical protection. Now mobility is. Soldiers can move far quicker around the battlefield using vehicles. One of these vehicles, the fast-moving tank revolutionized combat. It forced one to fight a mobile war. From this new form

Compared to modern combat, warfare in WW1 was slow and unmoving. Each side would dig in to gain cover, in place of mobility. This was the main factor as to why WW1 was so drawn out, and why the death toll was so large. In All Quiet on the Western Front Paul and many of his comrades died because of this brutal and pointless way of fighting. Tanks changed all of this. While originally introduced in WW1, they did not find much use and were far too crude to be used effectively. But in WW2, after years of upgrades, these fast-moving military vehicles made trench warfare a way of the past. No longer could a soldier hide in a stationary trench, as the firepower and the maneuverability of a tank could outflank and out gun them with ease. A great example of this occurs in the outbreak of WW2. The French, seeing the rise of Hitler, constructed a series of heavily fortified bunkers called the Maginot Line. Using tanks, the Nazis quickly out flanked the bunkers, ignoring them completely, and conquered France in six weeks, an unprecedented feat in

The unsanitary living conditions of the trenches facilitated the spread of disease ridden rats (102) and lice (75) among soldiers. Aerial bombardments (53) and gas attacks (68) were also common, causing widespread death in the trenches.7 As the corpses piled up disease only increased, as burying the dead was sometimes impossible.8 In modern combat living conditions are greatly improved. Established living quarters at the front lines are a thing of the past. With troop transport vehicles, troops are able to easily access and leave the frontlines so troops don’t have to live as close to the front. This makes it possible for military bases to house soldiers in sanitary barracks away from harm. The barracks are nice as well. Soldiers are able to enjoy the freedoms of civilian life with TVs, a fridge, and other amenities. Even in combat, the experience is much better. Soldiers are equipped with proper first aid kits, body armor, helmets, and light weight gear.9 This is a great leap forward from the simple bandages and a heavy rifle that soldiers carried in the trenches. Even troops without helmets were common as helmets were not issued to soldiers until the second half of the