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Life in the Trenches and New Technology

Explore the challenging life in the trenches and the advancements in technology that shaped World War I. From the vast network of trenches to the perilous No Man's Land, discover the impact of new weapons and tools of war.

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Life in the Trenches and New Technology

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  1. Life in the Trenches and New Technology

  2. War of Attrition • New technology and large armies made it difficult for either side to make great strides in the war • Armies started to dig trenches for defensive positions along the western and eastern fronts • Nobody gained any land • Each side wanted to see who could outlast who so they each sent more troops to the front lines

  3. Trenches • Went from 400 miles of trenches in 1914 to 25,000 miles by 1918 • Three sections for soldiers • Front lines • Support lines • Reserves

  4. No Man’s Land • The land in between both sets of trenches • Called no man’s land because nobody could survive if they entered this part of the war zone

  5. No Man’s Land • Each side sent waves of soldiers into No Man’s Land daily • Soldiers added barbed wire or tried to get into the trenches of the enemy • Soldiers were sent at night into this land for intel • Had to use hand to hand combat if they found the enemy

  6. Life in the Trenches • Daily shelling by enemy guns killed many soldiers • Snipers threatened all who looked over the top of the trench wall • Rats ran freely eating the dead before they could be removed from the trenches • Rats brought disease and death

  7. Life in the Trenches • Lice brought on Trench Fever-took 12 weeks to recover from it • Slugs and horned beetles lived in the mud of the trenches and on the soldiers as they slept • Trench Foot was common • Solution-amputate the foot/feet

  8. New Technology of War • Tanks • used as troop carriers around No Man’s Land • Flamethrowers • first used by Germany • Could kill the enemy in the trenches without destroying them

  9. New Technology of War • Poison Gas • Chlorine gas was pumped into enemy trenches • Caused blindness and a choking feeling of the lungs which led to death

  10. New Technology of War • Airplanes • First used for gathering information • Then became popular with the use of machine guns • Depth Charges • Underwater bombs to destroy u-boats • Hydrophones • First radar to find u-boats/submarines

  11. New Technology of War • Aircraft Carriers • Could launch planes, but they could not land on the boat • Mobile X-Ray Machines • Size of a car/small bus

  12. New Technology of War • Zeppelin – (filled with hydrogen) • Airships used by Germany • Used for intel and as bombers • Tracer Bullets • Allowed soldiers to see where they were shooting

  13. Sources • Google Images • http://mentalfloss.com/article/31882/12-technological-advancements-world-war-i • http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/trenchlife.htm • http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-trenches-are-dug-on-the-western-front • http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/chapters/ch1_trench.html • Textbook: The American Republic Since 1877

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