1. Grade 10 History TRENCH WARFARE

2. The Canadian government wanted to encourage men to enlist for war. They said the war would be safe, hardly any fighting, a good time and over by Christmas. They used advertising posters to encourage this idea! A picture of soldiers going ‘Over the Top’

3. Key Points of Trench Warfare ► Trenches were built during WWI as a defense from machine guns and artillery. ► Trenches were built in a zigzag, in order to limit the amount of casualties from artillery explosions.

4. The reality of ‘going over the top’ was very different!

5. Soldiers were expected to carry all of their equipment with them at all times. They were supposed to keep it clean and in good condition – they were members of the British Army after all.

6. How the uniform and equipment changed after just three weeks in the trenches…

7. Posters always showed men ready and willing to fight. They never showed the boredom of the trenches or actual fighting taking place. Why do you think the government showed no fighting?

10. Stalemate ► Is a break in fighting and combat ► Because armies dug into trenches, it made it hard to fight. ► It was difficult to win over or take an enemy's trenches defended with machine guns and lined with barbed wire ► ► This meant that the war was in a stalemate.

11. No Man’s Land ► Between the trenches was no man's land. ► It was pitted with craters and blackened tree stumps from constant shelling.

12. No Man’s Land

14. Over the Top ► When soldiers went into no man’s land towards the enemy trenches into hand to hand combat from the front line trenches

15. Going over the top

17. Digging in – Belgium Troops waiting for German Attack

18. German Trenches

20. Building the trenches

21. German Trench in Russia

22. Russian Trenches

23. Home Sweet Home?

24. Australian Medical Troops

26. Sleeping in the Trenches

28. Types of Trenches ► There were many different types of trenches, each one serving a different purpose. ► The firing trench was located at the edge of “No Man’s Land”. These trenches contained machine gun nests and observation posts.

30. ► Support Trenches contained support troops who would back up the troops in the firing trench when being invaded. ► Communication Trench located within the support trench was used to communicate between trenches.

32. ► Reserve Trench contained reserve soldiers. Also contained latrines, aid posts and kitchen. ► Soldiers would cycle through each of the trenches taking turns patrolling each trench. This was called “The Trench Cycle”.

33. ► Barbed Wire was placed a few feet ahead of the firing trench. This was used to slow down enemy attack. ► Trench Foot Swelling and rotting of legs, feet, toes due to exposure to water. Treatment: dry feet, whale blubber or amputation.

34. Wet & Muddy

37. Lice: ► Lice eggs would remain in the seams of uniforms, hatching as the soldier’s body warmed them. Lice caused “Trench Fever”. Treatment: Burn seams, keep hair short.

38. Rats: ► Grew to the size of cats, caused disease, spread infection and contaminate food. Treatment: Use guns, bayonets or club rats to death.

39. Shell Shock: ► Psychological stress from constant tension of war, bombing, fighting. Treatment: virtually none, soldiers considered cowards.

41. No smiling and relaxed faces… No clean uniforms… Their equipment is scattered everywhere… Boredom and sleep are obvious…

45. The soldiers had very little decent food, and what food they had was often attacked by rats. These rats were the size of small rabbits and badgers because they had fed on the decomposing bodies of dead soldiers.

47. You have looked at the posters that the government used to persuade men to go to war. You have looked at photographs showing what war was really like. On your handout, you are to write a proper paragraph explaining what YOU think war was really like. You could describe some of the photographs/posters and explain how they might make people feel about fighting!