Paper Summary:

This paper discusses trench warfare used during World War I including strategies, weapons, and conditions in the trenches. It looks at how trench warfare reached its height in World War I, and how the trenches were horrific for the soldiers who had to fight in them. The paper also briefly discusses some of the major battles of the war such as the Battle of Somme and the Battle of Verdun.

Outline:
The Weapons
Life in the Trenches
Major Battles

From the Paper:

"Initially, trench warfare was not the order of the day when World War I began. At the beginning of the war, both sides deployed mounted cavalry units on horseback, but weapons like the machine gun made these outmoded tactics ineffectual and impractical. The Germans dug the first trenches of the war in 1914 on the Western Front of the war, forcing the Allied American and British forces to dig in, too. These were the first trenches of World War I, and the method of digging in to repress attacks would continue until the war ended in 1918. It is important to remember that the trenches were not straight; they were dug in a zigzag pattern so that attackers could not attack the entire trench from the side. Thus, soldiers inside the trenches could only see about 30 feet to either side."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bell, Fraser. "The Spirit of Our Time." Queen's Quarterly Spring 2004: 11+.
• Cox, Gary. "3 France." Researching World War I: A Handbook. Ed. Robin Higham and Dennis E. Showalter. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. 51-78.
• Duffy, Michael. "Weapons of War: Poison Gas." First World War.com. 2008. 22 Nov. 2008. <http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/gas.htm>
• Grotelueschen, Mark E. Doctrine under Trial: American Artillery Employment in World War I. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001.
• Simkin. John. "First World War: Trench Warfare." Spartacus Educational. 2008. 22 Nov. 2008. < http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm>

Visitors who viewed this Research Paper also liked these:

• Essay # 29565 : "Trench Warfare"
• Essay # 3566 : "Life in the Trenches"
• Essay # 53395 : "Warfare in the American Civil War"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: