Trench Warfare

Gas was another frightening weapon of WWI. Mustard gas could blind a man and burn his skin and lungs. Sometimes it was fatal. However once gas masks were given to all regiments, gas ceased to play a decisive role in the war. So gas was a cause of deaths in the First World War, but not a major killer.

The painting above is an artist’s impression of the effects of gas.

Tanks could be said to have won WWI. Using them the British army finally found a way to breach German defences (notably barbed wire) and gain much ground. However early tanks weren’t as successful. Below, we can see two stuck tanks.

By the end of the war, however, tanks were much more sophisticated and successful. Below is an artist’s impression of an attack using tanks.

Conclusion – What was the cause of so many deaths?

I have looked at some of the causes of death in trench warfare and now I will summarise what I have discovered to be the main causes of death in trench warfare.
Tactics – The British and French generals sent millions of soldiers into battle, knowing they would die. This war of attrition was suicidal and pointless and was, I believe, the overriding cause of deaths in trench warfare. I appreciate that something had to be done to get out of the stalemate of trench warfare, but the generals should have been more patient. The British and French should have defended their positions with as little loss in life as possible, while waiting for the tank to be developed properly. Only when tanks had become reliable and were used properly did the British succeed in driving the Germans back. However by then, millions of men had lost their lives in pointless unsuccessful attacks. Aside from the reasons and sensibility of attacking, thousands of soldiers lost their lives trying to cross the mud of no-mans-land.

Trench Layout – On the whole, trenches were quite well designed, meaning defenders didn’t take too many avoidable casualties whilst in their trenches. However many people lost their lives trying to cross barbed wire and this was quite a major cause of death. Also trench walls were sometimes unstable, but trench walls usually only collapsed under heavy shelling, the force of which would kill a soldier, before he had time to worry about being buried alive under a collapsed wall.

Conditions in the trenches – Diseases killed many soldiers in trench warfare and thousands of soldiers died unnecessarily of their wounds. Standing in cold water for hours on end ruined soldier’s feet and lack of proper toilets, opportunities to wash and sewage removal, allowed typhus and skin diseases to thrive. Lice and rats spread fatal diseases, but lice and rats themselves were not killers.

Weapons used in WWI – I looked at six different weapons used in WWI. Rifles were lethal, but used mainly by snipers, who killed only a few people a day. Bayonets killed soldiers in hand to hand combat, but often few soldiers would make it as far as the enemy trench, to engage in this kind of combat, so bayonets weren’t a major cause of death. Machine guns on the other hand killed most of the soldiers who tried to advance towards an enemy trench and accounted for many lives lost in WWI. Before an attack heavy artillery would bombard the enemy trenches for days on end. This did great damage to the trenches, but didn’t kill many soldiers, as soldiers would hide in underground bunkers for the duration of the bombardment. Gas killed many soldiers, but ceased to have much effect once gas masks were invented. Finally tanks caused some deaths, but saved many more by bringing the war to an end.

So now I must answer the question I was given at the start of this investigation

Why did trench warfare cost so many lives in World War I?

I believe trench warfare cost so many lives in WWI because of the plan of a war of attrition and because of poor living conditions.