Lesson 2: The Reality of War CHC2PI

Write down the first three words that come to mind with the following image

Was Life Trench Life Merely a Matter of Surviving? What does the word hardship mean? What were some hardships faced by Canadian soldiers in the trenches of World War I. Complete Worksheet 1.1.5: Visualize Trench Life

Canadian Soldiers in the Trenches As World War I began, German troops invaded Belgium on their way to France. In Belgium, the Allies stopped them. The German troops were unable to advance, but the Allied forces could not push them back. The two sides had reached a stalemate.

Canadian Soldiers in the Trenches As the stalemate continued, armies on both sides dug defensive trenches in the ground. This started the trench warfare that made World War I so different from previous wars.

Trench Warfare In early 1915, the first Canadian soldiers arrived in France as part of the British army. In France, they found themselves digging -and living in -- trenches. This line of trenches eventually stretched from the North Sea to the Swiss Alps. It was called the Western Front The Central Powers were also fighting Russian troops on an eastern front. In addition, fighting took place in Africa, Asia, and South America.

Life in the Trenches Life in the trenches of the Western Front was miserable and dangerous. Depending on the season, soldiers endured bone-chilling cold, unbearable heat, or constant rain and mud. Their uniforms were filthy and infested with lice. Rats were everywhere. Diseases such as trench foot were common. Trench foot, which rotted the flesh of the feet, was caused by standing in mud and water. If this infection spread, a soldier’s foot and leg might be cut off.

Life in the Trenches Fear was constant. Soldiers never knew when the enemy might stage a surprise raid or an all-out attack. Even between battles, troops were not safe. Snipers on both sides tried to shoot enemy soldiers, and each army tried to lob shells and grenades into the other’s trenches. Some soldiers found the horror and fear too much to bear. They became victims of shell shock, a kind of stress disorder. At the time, little was known about shell shock, and these soldiers were often accused of being cowards.

Trenches in World War I What can you infer from these two images?

Trench Layout

No Man’s Land The dangerous area between the lines of opposing trenches was called no man’s land. As the war dragged on, no man’s land filled up with barbed wire, land mines, booby traps, shell holes, and abandoned equipment. When an attack was ordered, soldiers prepared to go “over the top.” They climbed over the top of the trenches and charged across no man’s land toward enemy trenches.

No Man’s Land In no man’s land, soldiers had little protection. They were easy targets for machine-gun and rifle fire, shells, and grenades. Stretcher-bearers risked their lives to go into no man’s land at night to pick up the wounded. But working in no man’s land was so dangerous that the bodies of the dead were often left to rot or be eaten by rats.

No Man’s Land The bodies of more than 11 000 Canadian soldiers were never recovered. Despite the horrors and hardships, most soldiers found ways to survive in the trenches. They drew strength from their comrades-in-arms and took pride in their ability to meet the challenges. They even found time to have fun.

FYI On the evening of December 24, 1914, soldiers on both sides left their trenches and met in between. They sang Christmas carols, exchanged gifts, drank toasts to one another, and talked about their lives back home. This event, which became known as the unofficial Christmas truce, was never repeated. Officers put a stop to it. They believed that if troops came to know enemy soldiers, they would be reluctant to kill them in battle.

In your notes: Pick the hardship that you would have found the most difficult to face if you had been a soldier in the trenches of World War I. Explain why you chose this particular hardship and how you might have overcome – or at least learned to live with – this hardship?

War Museum of Canada: Over the Top Go through the online activity at the link below. Answer the questions from the handout Questions About the Story. http://www.warmuseum.ca/overthetop/

Conquest – Trench Warfare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXzXsk_Z7Ic Life in A Trench – World War I – History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4ZY66BG38