WORLD WAR I LESSON FOUR

TRENCH WARFARE

Along the Western Front, 500 miles of trenches were dug from the English Channel, through
Belgium, across northern France, and south along the French-German border to Switzerland.
The digging marked the beginning of “trench warfare.” Soldiers lived in muddy trenches and
fought their enemies with machine guns and grenades.

GREAT NETHERLANDS
BRITAIN
GERMANY
NEL
AN
H CH
BELGIUM
L IS
ENG

FRANCE

SWITZERLAND

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BRITISH TRENCHES
British trenches were about ten feet deep and five feet wide. Wood and corrugated iron
strengthened the sides of the trenches. Huge rolls of barbed wire stretched across the front of
the trenches for protection.

GERMAN TRENCHES
German trenches were much deeper than British trenches. Some of them were 49 feet
deep with underground rooms for sick and sleeping soldiers. Sandbags protected the German
soldiers from enemy fire. Many of the German trenches had electric lights and pipes for water.

NO MAN’S LAND
No Man’s Land was the area between the British and German trenches. No Man’s Land
was protected by barbed wire. Most artillery attacks from the trenches lasted for days. The
idea was to scare the enemy and destroy the barbed wire in front of the trenches. Thousands
of lives were lost during trench warfare. Very little land was gained during this type of
fighting.

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TRENCH DUTY
Soldiers found life in the trenches unbearable. Trench duty usually lasted about two
weeks. In the summer, the trenches were hot and dusty. The winters were worse. Many of the
British soldiers had never seen snow or lived in such freezing conditions. Heavy rains flooded
the trenches.
The soldiers stood in mud up to their knees.
Standing in the water for so long caused “trench
foot.” Their swollen feet became so painful that
the men would scream and cry.

LIFE IN THE TRENCHES

It was impossible to stay clean in
the muddy trenches. Skin
diseases were common.
Clothes became infested
with body lice, causing itchy
red skin. Lice also caused trench
fever, a kind of flu.
Rats made their homes in the
trenches alongside the soldiers. Some were as
big as cats. The men hated the rats almost as much
as the constant attacks by enemy artillery.
The smell in the trenches haunted the men long
after the war was over. Many reported that they could
still smell the mix of stagnant mud, rotting sandbags, latrine
buckets, and unburied bodies years later.
The men ate tinned corned beef, cookies, bread,
cheese, and cold stew. They drank water from gas cans
that had been chlorinated to kill the germs. After
breakfast each day, the soldiers on trench duty
repaired the boards in their trenches and filled
sandbags. The rest of the day was spent playing
cards, reading, sleeping, writing letters to loved ones
back home, and preparing for the long night.
Darkness was the perfect time to spy on the enemy. WORLD WAR I SOLDIER
Soldiers took turns watching and listening. They guarded
their fellow soldiers as they repaired the barbed wire that protected their trenches.
Groups of men crawled across No Man’s Land and threw grenades into the enemy’s trenches.
When the sun came up each day, the enemy was awakened by rifle and machine gun
fire. The men cleaned their guns for inspection and started another miserable day in the
trenches.

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 Name ___________________________________

TRENCH WARFARE
Directions: Read each question carefully. Darken the circle for the correct answer.

1 After reading the first few paragraph 4 Which statement about No Man’s
of the lesson and looking at the map, Land and trench warfare is true?
you learn that –
A German trenches did not have a
A the trenches stretched for hundreds No Man’s Land.
of miles
B Most artillery attacks lasted just a
B most of the trenches were located few minutes.
in Germany
C Very little land was gained during
C soldiers in the trenches didn’t have trench warfare.
any weapons
D No lives were lost during trench
D there weren’t any trenches in warfare.
Belgium
5 If you asked a soldier about his
2 According to the map, the English experience on trench duty, he would
Channel – probably tell you –
F borders Germany F it was the best place to be during the
G is south of Switzerland war
H borders the Netherlands on the east G the trenches were always the perfect
temperature
J creates the northern border of France
H it was worse in the winter
3 What can you conclude from reading J the trenches were protected from
about the British and German rain and snow
trenches?
6 “Trench fever” was caused from –
A British soldiers had more room to
move around than German A standing in mud
soldiers.
B lice
B Reading a book at night would be
easier in a German trench. C rats
C Sick soldiers would be more D the smell of stagnant mud
comfortable in British trenches.
7 The perfect time to spy on the enemy
D It probably took a lot longer to dig was –
a British trench.
F at night
4 Choose the statement below that
supports your answer to number 3. G during the day
H right after breakfast
F German trenches had rooms for
sick soldiers. J when the sun came up
G German trenches were deeper than
British trenches.
H Many of the German trenches had
electric lights.
J Some of the German trenches were
49 feet deep with underground
rooms.
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 TRENCH WARFARE

GREAT Along the Western Front, 500

NETHERLANDS
BRITAIN
GERMANY miles of trenches were dug from
NEL
AN
H CH BELGIUM
LIS _____________________________ ,
ENG
through _____________________ ,

across _______________________ ,
FRANCE
and south along the French-
SWITZERLAND
German border to Switzerland.

The digging marked the beginning of ____________________________ . Soldiers

lived in muddy trenches and fought their enemies with ____________________

and _________________________________________________________ . One

interesting fact about British trenches is __________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

One interesting fact about German trenches is _____________________________

_____________________________________. No Man’s Land was ___________

_____________________________________ . Trench duty usually lasted about

_____________________________________________________________________

Two other interesting facts about trench duty are __________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
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 LET’S TALK ABOUT IT
TRENCH WARFARE

You’re not at war or spending your life in a muddy trench. Still, life can be difficult.
Sometimes it might feel like you are under “constant attack” or facing unbearable conditions.

In this activity, you will choose a Discussion Card and participate in a Discussion Group with
some of your classmates. Prepare for your Discussion Group by completing the activity below.

Read the six Discussion Cards on the next page. Choose and cut out the Discussion Card that
you would like to discuss. Glue your Discussion Card in the area below:

Use the space below to answer all of the questions on your Discussion Card. This will help
you prepare for your Group Discussion.

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

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 DISCUSSION CARDS
COMPARE/CONTRAST
British trenches were about ten feet deep and
five feet wide. Wood and corrugated iron
strengthened the sides of the trenches. Huge
rolls of barbed wire stretched across the front
of the trenches for protection. How is your life
like a British trench? What makes you strong?
Who do you depend on for support and
protection? Do you feel safe? Where is your
secret “safe place?”
DREAMS/GOALS
No Man’s Land was the area between the
British and German trenches. No Man’s Land
was protected by barbed wire. Most artillery
attacks from the trenches lasted for days. Very
little land was gained during trench warfare.
Do you ever feel like life is standing still?
What is one goal that you have for your life?
What steps will you take to make positive
progress toward your goal?
OPINIONS
It was impossible to stay clean in the trenches.
Soldiers drank water from chlorinated gas
cans. Skin diseases were common. The smell
haunted the men long after the war was over.
Rats in the trenches were as big as cats. What
part of living in the trenches would be the
worst for you? Describe one difficulty that
you have experienced in your life. What did
you do to survive this difficult time?
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COMPARE/CONTRAST
German trenches were deeper than British
trenches. They had underground rooms for sick
soldiers. Many German trenches had electric
lights and water pipes. How does your life
compare with other people your own age? In
what ways do you feel you have it better or
worse than others? If you could change one
thing about your life, what would you choose
to change?
FEELINGS
Soldiers found life in the trenches unbearable.
In the summer, the trenches were hot and dusty.
In the winter, heavy rains flooded the trenches.
The soldiers stood in mud up to their knees,
making their feet swell. What makes your
life unbearable? How does this effect you
emotionally and physically? Who do you talk
to? Is there anything you can do to change
your situation and make life more bearable?
FAMILY
The soldiers on trench duty repaired boards and
filled sandbags. They took turns watching and
listening. They guarded their fellow soldiers
as they repaired the barbed wire. Are you an
important part of your family? What specific
things do you do to make life better for your
family members? Are you recognized for
what you do? What keeps you from doing
more for your family?
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 DISCUSSION RECORD

1. List the names of your Discussion Group members.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Circle one of the names of your Discussion Group members. Cut out and glue his or her
Discussion Card below.

3. Underline one of the questions on your group member’s Discussion Card. How did he or
she answer this question?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

4. What surprised you most about the way he or she answered this question?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
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