Why Is Trench Warfare Important In Ww1

In World War One, trench warfare helped further the war of attrition by aiding technological innovations and developments, leading to many casualties. Trench warfare demanded commanders to rethink their tactics on advancing on the enemy, as it hindered a good portion of their weapons defenseless. Tanks were massive, almost invulnerable death machines that were designed to break through these trenches and inflict psychological damage upon the enemy. Chemical warfare was another innovation in World War One that sparked controversy with its brutal physical and psychological damage made to hurt the enemy’s morale, without harming their own men. These technological advances in weapons and war tactics pushed researchers to keep creating bigger and

“Trench warfare of the First World War can be said to have begun in September 1914 and ended when the Allies made a breakthrough attack that began in late July 1918. (Chris Baker 1996)” Trenches only lasted four years during World War One. When the opposing sides could no longer gain ground on each other, trenches were erected. Some trenches were as close as a few feet from their enemy. This forced the commanders to rethink their advancing strategies and develop new maneuvers in order to breach the trench. World War One was a war of attrition, meaning the goal was to bleed the enemy dry of resource. Stalling the advancement of the enemy allowed for more resources to be used, more men to suffer in their terrible, inhumane conditions, be subject to psychological warfare, and Trenches had protection in the form of mines, barbed wire, and mounted guns. In between the two forces was “No Man’s Land”, where infantry was fully exposed to heavy artillery and enemy fire. As soon as trenches became easily penetrable, they became obsolete. One of the biggest counters to trench warfare was the simple machine gun. The machine gun gave infantry the ability to cut down soldiers advancing in a line effectively with ease. The troops would already be lined up in the trench due to its small quarters and lack of maneuverability offered to the infantry inside

Haber believed that chemicals were a more humane way to fight rather than explosives.“The German scientist had proposed using chlorine gas on Allied troops, overseen its development as a weapon, and gone to the front lines himself to supervise placement of 5,730 gas cylinders along a 4-mile stretch of road near the trenches outside the Belgian town of Ypres. (Sarah Everts)” Many of Haber’s advisors were unconvinced of the benefit and impact poisonous gas would have on the war. They thought wind and other environmental factors would hinder the gas useless and ineffective, not to mention the possibility of harming their own troops. Haber choose to use chlorine gas as a weapon because of how readily available it was in Germany at the time. It was very inexpensive to make and was commonly used in the dye factories across Germany. Initial exposure to chlorine gas starts with a burning sensation in the throat and eyes and breathing becomes painful and strenuous. Consistent exposure will lead to severe headaches, disorientation, and eventually unconsciousness. The point of the gas was not to kill the enemy troops, but to inflict psychological damage and fear that would break the morale of the troops affected and around them. This would allow enemy troops to easily mow down their targets and force unaffected individuals to flee the area. An insignificant amount of deaths were related to chemical warfare in