"And clink of shovels deepening the shallow trench.
The place was rotten with dead; green clumsy legs High booted, sprawled and grovelled along the saps And trunks, face downward, in the sucking mud, Wallowed like trodden sandbags loosely filled; And naked sodden buttocks, mats of hair, Bulged, clotted heads slept in the plastering slim. - Siegfried Sassoon |
Trench Warfare is a special form of land warfare that includes fighting both from within and against the trenches. Trenches allowed soldiers to defensively hide from gunfire or an enemy attack. As trench warfare became more frequent during World War I, new weapons and equipment began developing. For example machine guns, tanks and hand grenades were developed in order to adapt to the trenches. Chemical Warfare also developed during the first world war. creating a whole new way of war. With these advancements came much emotional and physical trauma for soldiers.
Living conditions in trenches were horrific. Soldiers were surrounded by sickness, disease, mud, ice, and a constant fear of dying. |