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

The Development of Trench Warfare - Summary

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