Life in the trenches
Background
Following a series of battles in the first three months of the year (e.g. at Mons, Marne
and Ypres) there was a dash to the sea to stop the enemy controlling the coast. This is
now known as the ‘race to the sea’ as the opposing armies tried to go round the end of
each other. Once the coast had been reached, the result was a stalemate.
In early 1915, the Imperial German Army began selecting the most favourable high
ground to start construction of a strong defensive line of trenches, barbed wire
defences, mined dugouts and deep bunkers, reinforced concrete emplacements and
selected strongpoints.
It is easy to think only of the front line trench but the British Army initially used a
system of three parallel trenches, linked by communications trenches: the front trench;
a support or travel trench approximately 65 and 90 metres behind the front trench; and
the third reserve trench further to the rear.
Between the two front lines was ‘no man’s land.’ This was fully exposed to artillery and
rifle/machine gunfire from both sides and attacks usually resulted in sustained and
severe casualties. On the Western Front, ‘no man’s land’ was typically between 90 and
275 metres. However, at Vimy Ridge there was a gap of only 25 metres between the two
front line trenches.
Student tasks
1. With your current knowledge of World War I, describe the war in a single word!
2. Watch the short video at history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-thebattle-of-verdun. Did they use your descriptive word?
3. Watch the video at youtube.com/watch?v=XqIhpYlhZKQ.
Explain the advantage of trenches to the defending army / the disadvantages of the
trenches to the attacking army.
4. Use the information above to label the aerial photograph in Source A
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Life in the trenches
Source A: This shows the trench lines near Loos and Hulluch in 1917. The German
trenches are at the right and bottom, the British at the top-left.
Public domain image originally created by the United Kingdom Government.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_Loos-Hulluch_trench_system_July_1917.jpg
5. British trenches were constructed similar to the diagram below from a 1914 British
infantry manual. What labels do you think could be used for the letters A-M?
Public domain image originally created by the United Kingdom Government.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trench_construction_diagram_1914.png
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6. Watch the short video at youtube.com/watch?v=nv222KMrr_M and look at the table
below. With your partner, discuss why each problem was a problem for a soldier in
the trenches.
Problems of life in the
trenches
Explain why it was a problem
Artillery bombardment
Rats
Lice
Boredom
Water logged trenches
Gas attacks
Snipers
No steel helmets (until
1916)
Aircraft surveillance
7. Can you think of any other problems that faced soldiers in the trenches?
8. Use the ‘diamond 9’ cards below to rank the problems of life in the trenches from
most important to least important
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9. Problems of life in the trenches – the diamond 9
1.
2.
4.
3.
5.
7.
6.
8.
9.
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10. If an attack was successful, the front trenches of the enemy would be taken and
adapted. Look carefully at Source C and label the photograph clearly to explain how
it has been adapted by the British.
Source C: a German trench occupied by British Soldiers during the Battle of the
Somme in 1916
Public domain image originally created by the United Kingdom Government.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cheshire_Regiment_trench_Somme_1916.jpg
11. Surprisingly, boredom could be a problem for soldiers in the trenches. A typical day
might be:
• Half an hour before dawn, e.g. 5 a.m. – a ‘stand to arms’ where the soldiers
would need to be ready for an enemy attack.
• Dawn, e.g. at 5:30 a.m. – issue of a ration of rum.
• Half an hour after dawn, e.g. 6 a.m. - end of the ‘Stand to arms.’
• Approximately 7 a.m. – breakfast, possibly cold bacon and tea.
• After breakfast – cleaning of weapons and trench repairs/improvements etc.
• Midday – lunch/dinner.
• Afternoon – rest time. One sentry per ten men on observation duties.
• Approximately 5:30 p.m. – tea
• Half an hour before dusk, e.g. 6 p.m. - a second ‘stand to arms’ where the
soldiers would need to be ready for an enemy attack.
• Half an hour after dusk, e.g. 7 p.m. – end of the ‘stand to arms.’
• Overnight – trench patrols, checking and repairing barbed wire defences,
receiving supplies, changes of soldiers (generally every five days).
Write a diary extract for a soldier for one ‘typical’ day in the trenches.
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12. Look at the advertisement in Source D. How useful is the advertisement as evidence
of the conditions in which men fought in the First World War? What do you think the
soldiers in the trenches thought of it?
Source D: an advertisement for Sunlight Soap before the introduction of steel helmets.
Public domain image from The War Budget of December 30, 1915.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sunlight_Soap_WW_1_Ad.jpg
Examination style question
Using the sources in this exercise, describe conditions for soldiers in the trenches on the
Western Front.
(8 marks)
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Extension activities
1. Listen to the podcast at iwm.org.uk/history/podcasts/voices-of-the-first-world-war/podcast20-trench-life. This is a primary source of life in the trenches. Write down five new facts
from the podcast.
2. It is difficult today to appreciate the impact of the First World War. Trench warfare left a
generation of injured and maimed soldiers as well as a generation of war widows and
unmarried women. The loss of life had been catastrophic. This had a lasting effect on
people’s attitudes to war. Some historians have argued that this resulted in the 1930s
reluctance to pursue an aggressive policy toward Adolf Hitler and was a contributory factor
to the causes of World War II.
Compare the casualty figures from the major battles of the Western Front of World War I
below:
Battle
Year
Allies
German
Battle of the Frontiers
1914
363,097
305,594
First Battle of Marne
1914
263,000
256,000
First Battle of Ypres
1914
58,155
46,765
Third Battle of Artois
1915
109,943
51,100
Second Battle of Ypres
1915
87,000
35,000
Verdun
1916
Approx. 428,000
Approx. 356,000
Somme
1916
618,257
434,500
Second Battle of Aisne
1917
187,000
163,000
Third Battle of Ypres
1917
244,897
217,000
Spring Offensive
1918
851,374
688,341
Hundred Days
Offensive
1918
1,069,636
1,172,075
Total casualties
1914 – 1918
a. Complete the boxes for total casualties for 1914 - 1918.
b. Draw a bar graph of the allied and German casualties for 1914 – 1918.
c. Calculate the total casualties for the Allies for the four years of the war.
d. Calculate the total casualties for the Germans for the four years of the war.
e. Why do you think the figures for the casualties for the Battle of Verdun are only
approximate?
f. Use the internet to research the meaning of a World War I ‘Thankful village’. Where there
any thankful villages near you?
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Teaching notes
There is a useful introductory 2.5 minute video summing up World War I in a single word at
history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-battle-of-verdun. There are some
good views of the trenches in the video clip.
The straight-line running north to south in this aerial photograph is the line of a country road
from before World War I.
The video, youtube.com/watch?v=nv222KMrr_M, begins with some modern game footage. You
may wish to select a later starting point, e.g. at 31 seconds.
This activity could be considered as a summary for activities 6 and 7. Once students have
completed the main ‘diamond 9’ activity in activity 8, they should be encouraged to justify their
top three and their least important choices. The examination question could then be attempted.
It may be considered useful to point out to the students that as this is a captured trench, the
soldier on guard duty is facing backwards!
There is an excellent article about advertising and World War I at bbc.com/news/magazine30115533. This demonstrates how UK firms ‘cashed in’ on the conflict. More able students will
find it useful.
Examination question mark scheme
•
Basic: Answers that identify evidence, features or material relevant to the question.
Explanation is likely to be implicit or by assertion. Answers take features of sources or
interpretations at face value. Material discussed may have implicit relevance.
•
Simple: Answers that describe evidence, features or material relevant to the question.
Answers that display simple one-step reasoning or brief explanation of a point or
comment that is explicitly relevant to the question. Answers may recognise, describe and
may explain, simple similarities or differences in sources or interpretations.
•
Developed: Answers that display more than one-step of reasoning or detailed explanation
that is explicitly relevant to the question. Answers will sustain an explanation of the
differences or similarities in sources or interpretations.
•
Complex: Answers build on the qualities of developed answers. Answers display reasoning
that shows the links or connections between evidence or details that are explicitly
relevant to the question. Answers may show originality or sophistication. Answers
demonstrate substantiated judgement or an awareness of the provisional and problematic
nature of historical issues, evidence and interpretations.
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Extension activity 2.i.
Total casualties
Allies
German
1914 – 1918
4,280,359
3,725,375
Casualty figures for the battles at Verdun vary tremendously. French casualty figures
range between 315,000 and 542,000 with German casualty figures ranging between
281,000 and 434,000.
The website, wereldoorlog1418.nl/battleverdun/slachtoffers.htm discusses this in some
detail.
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