The aim of this essay is to provide detailed descriptions and links to different sources to present the way German soldier’s experienced life in the trenches and how the British experiences in the Trenches differ from the German army. This essay will include several quotes from famous World war 1 authors and poets that gave their point of view from the way they experienced war and the way they lived. It will also include opinions and judgments that will support my statements and facts and how they relate to the main concept which is how the two greatest competitors(Germany and Britain) in World War 1 used trenches as a strategical advantage to get an upper hand. However, this essay will also point out the aftermath of trenches as there were several consequences and ramifications which affected the lives of the many soldiers in drastic ways.
World war 1 is regarded to as one of the greatest wars in history however many disagree because they have experienced the pressure before and during war and how they had to live months in trenches and had to fight in a war that seemed like it had no end. World war 1 began in July 1914 when Arch duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist(Gavrilo Princip). Gavrilo Princip was a member of the black hand gang which were a secret government that tried to free Serbia from the hands of the Austrian-Hungarian empire but assassinating the archduke might have been a false move as they started a conflict that would take the lives of millions of citizens and young soldiers. This was the main outbreak of World war 1 however there were many other factors that enlarged the problem such as Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalisms, etc. The triple Alliance and triple entente were also the two main groups in war, when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, Russia backed Serbia when Austria-Hungary declared war. This lead to the greatest powers of the world to join the war, powers like Great Britain, Germany, etc. These countries joined the war due to their alliances with other countries such as Britain, France, Germany had an alliance called the Triple entente and Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy had an alliance called the Triple Alliance.
World war 1 created several casualties as there were over 30 million deaths of civilians and soldiers that were fighting for glory and patriotic victory. The war was one of the deadliest battle in history. The bloodshed war also created tension between countries and precipitated other conflicts like the battle of the Somme which took place between July 1 and November 1 1916.
Trenches were a strategic advancement and tactic in war. Trenches were first used in September 1914 and were a way of giving cover for soldiers and blocking opposition soldiers from entering no mans land or other territorial areas. Trenches were dug-outs and ditches in the ground that would be covered with barb wire and would be covered with sand bags that would block bullets from hitting soldiers. Trench warfare was first used by the Germans during the Battle of the Marne which was fought in 1914, during this conflict, the German army lost territory to the Franco-British forces. Eventually the German commanders started digging into the ground to prevent soldiers from entering their terrain. The other allies were then unable to pass through so they, likewise created trenches nevertheless they weren’t as refined and induced various problems that were a threat to the way soldiers lived in trenches. Soldiers experienced life in the trenches in different ways due to the way trenches were made and their conditions. However trenches might seem like a tactic that might give an opposition the advantage but due to circumstances they actually had severe consequences such as diseases, horrific deaths, lack of food and water, shell shock and many other affects on soldiers that would lead them to taking their own life as they were not men but young soldiers age 17-20.
Trenches were more of a defensive strategy than attack as it would block weapons and chemicals that were used in WW1. It wouldn’t relatively block the gasses but would give soldiers enough time to put gas masks on in order to stay safe from the dangerous mustard gas that was used to harm soldiers and was one of the most horrific ways to die in war. German experiences against British experience vary differently because the German trenches were more evolved and had the proper amenities that a soldier would require. Compared to the British trenches, the German soldiers had proper rooms and bunks along with other facilities that were essential to the way they lived. British trenches in WW1 were recognized as unsanitary ditches due to the lack of supplies, places for the soldiers to sleep, well-made facilities, etc. The way a German soldier would live in a trench in World War 1 was very different from the way a British soldier would encounter a trench on Britain’s territory. Evidence that supports the statement is a poem by Wilfred Owen, who was a World War 1 poet and soldier that experience the harsh conditions of a trench and died in war however his poems are still preserved. The poem that describes the terrible way young British soldiers experienced the traumatizing trenches is named “Dulce et Decorum est” which translates to “ It is sweet and honorable to die for your country”. This poem described the way soldiers had traumatizing experiences in war that haunted them for the rest of their lives. In the poem Owen describes the soldiers as young and influenced by others to make a decision. He also writes that they are desperate for glory and are influenced by the propaganda and others that don’t realize the true side of war because propaganda gave misleading information which would affect the decision of people and men.
The Franco-British forces didn’t consider making firm and superior trenches as they already had land they won from the Germans. The British trenches were atrocious and repulsive due to the lack of settlement as well as the horrible conditions. On the other hand the German trenches had effective defensive lines that would prevent shots from the allied side and would be able to contain many soldiers with the proper living conditions. German trenches would also include observational points were soldiers would look into a scope to see around the trench because there was a risk of getting shot if they peeked out of the trenches. German trenches would have floorboards and barracks that would hold multiple soldiers, along with the comfortable living, the German trenches had electricity transferred to the trenches which they used to power lights and other sources. At this point in war, the German forces under control of Kaiser Wilhelm II were trying to keep defensive in order to maintain the land they had remaining even though German forces were the first to advance in war. Wilhem also ordered them to deepen the trenches to make room for more soldiers and to have a backup defense if the first command line was overtaken.
On the other hand, the British trenches were a way of getting a large amount of soldiers to different battlefields but for some soldiers it was a nightmare. British soldiers had to survive through the horrible conditions of the Great War and the trenches. British soldiers also experienced regular bombings and shelling which also led to shell shock. The British also experienced the must dangerous chemical in war(mustard gas) which would turn the inside lungs of soldiers in to froth and was the most painful death of WW1. Even soldiers that lived through the war regret going and have regular flashbacks to the events. An interview was done with a soldier in WW1 named Richard Tobin who describe his experiences as nostalgic and unforgettable but not in a positive way. The German and British experience of trenches in WW1 were traumatizing and both sides suffered great loss due to the way trenches were created and they way they lived in the trenches.
To conclude this topic and answer the research question I will restate the question and give an opinion to how the British conditions differ from the German status. The lives of German soldiers that lived in trenches were superior to the British trenches because defensive strategy was their only option due to the several battles that the French and the British had won such as the battle of Somme or the battle of the Marne. The British also constructed several trenches but none seemed to be at the level that the Germans had established their trenches. The Germans had an upper hand and organized a plan to keep their area of limits. The British trenches weren’t only less developed but also had many affecting factors such as the weather conditions, trench diseases, the way soldiers lived or the other threats. The Germans proved their effective use of trench warfare on the day of the Battle of Somme which was when German forces weakened the British attack with heavy artillery and major forces. On the day the British soldiers and German soldiers were both fighting from trenches. The Germans proved that their military and defensive tactic was valid. This shows soldiers in German trenches had more desirable conditions than the way the British experienced the mortifying circumstances.