The Trench System at the Western Front (Edexcel GCSE History)

The Development of Trench Warfare - Summary

British soldiers fought in trenches along the Western Front of the First World War (1914 and 1918).

Trenches served as both a blessing and a curse for the soldiers who inhabited them. Dug as a way of protecting soldiers from artillery and machine gun fire the trenches became a hostile environment.

Soldiers were at risk of trench foot and trench fever. Nevertheless, trenches served an important purpose for both sides during the war. They were defensive obstacles which prevented the occupation of strategic land.

Developments in medicine during the First World War are often linked to the existence of trenches and their key features. Alterations in ambulances and x-rays, allowed them to travel between the different sections of the trench system. Tunnelling at Arras produced one of the most famous base hospitals during the war.

To understand the illnesses and injuries that were common in the trenches it is important to understand the trench system.

Construction & Organisation of Trenches

• By the end of 1914, Germany occupied much of Belgium and Northern France 

• Warfare had become more static, with a desire to defend the land that had been gained:

  • Artillery and machine guns forced soldiers to seek cover

• Trenches were an easy and efficient way of sheltering troops

• By 1915, there was a complex system of trenches:

  • Trenches were dug to a depth of 2.5 metres

• They were easy to defend but difficult to attack:

  • Crossing no-man's land exposed troops to barbed wire and machine-gun fire

The trench system

• The trench system covered around 475 miles from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps

• The construction of rows of trenches prevented the enemy from easily occupying an area:

  • Building trenches in a zig-zag pattern prevented enemy soldiers from firing down the length of the trench

  • Holes in the side of trenches known as dugouts provided cover for soldiers

  • Positioning artillery at the back protected it from enemy fire

• Most trench systems followed a similar structure:

  • Front line trenches were the closest to no-man's-land. Attacks started from here

  • Soldiers were able to retreat to Support trenches which were 80 metres behind the front line

  • The launch of counter-attacks came from Reserve trenches which were at least 100 metres behind the support trenches 

  • The transport of soldiers, equipment and supplies was through the Communication trenches

Trench System on the Western Front

Interior of a trench

• Trenches began as a collection of foxholes dug by soldiers

• As the war progressed, trenches developed in several ways. These helped to protect soldiers and also made it easier for them to defend themselves from enemy attacks

• The experience of soldiers in the trenches varied depending on where along the front they were 

  • In the Alps, trenches were dug deep into the mountains to give soldiers protection from the cold weather conditions

Cross-section of a First World War trench

Use of Mines at Hill 60

• The small Belgian city of Ypres and its surrounding area was highly contested between Allied and German forces from 1914 to 1917

  • It was the only city in Belgium not occupied by German forces and many battles were fought over possession of the city

• After the First Battle for Ypres in November 1914, German soldiers captured a man-made hill called Hill 60 to the south-east of Ypres

  • It allowed troops to have a clear view over the area and was strategically valuable

• In April 1915, British forces tunnelled into the side of Hill 60 and placed five mines

  • The tunnellers had worked underground before the war. Many of them were coal miners, sewage drain diggers and tube tunnel diggers from London

• The explosion blew off the top of the hill and British forces captured it 

Expansion of Tunnels, Caves & Quarries at Arras

• The Battle of Arras 1917 was a major event during the First World War

• The ground around the town of Arras is very chalky and suitable for digging:

  • Quarries and tunnels were dug by Romans during the 9th Century. This meant tunnels were already available for the troops to use

  • In 1916, Tunnelling Companies from Britain and New Zealand linked together 2.5 miles of tunnels in five months

  • By 1917, the tunnels were home to 25,000 men 

• The 800 metres of tunnels, contained a functioning underground hospital