The Western Front

As a big part of the soldier's time passed on in the trenches without fighting a war, they were often assigned to do several daily tasks to improve the trenches quality or improvements of defence for better protection against the enemy.

The different tasks included repairing of duckboards, the draining of water from trenches, and reinforcing of trench walls damaged by rainfall.

3. Conditions on the front line

Not only were the soldiers facing a massive danger of being killed on the front line, but even worse were the harsh conditions and life threatening diseases.

A life on the front line was ruthless and only the strongest were able to survive the low amount of food and dangers that were faced.

It was not often that the trenches were constructed so that there were good conditions for the soldiers in it, and even if they were constructed with duckboards, so the soldiers did not have to walk in dirt, there was a high chance of these being destroyed by enemy's shells and artillery.

5. The dangers soldiers faced

As stalemate could continue for long time it was necessary for both the Allies and the Central powers to establish an attack and try to break the defence of the opponent and break the stalemate between the two sides.

Britain led its soldiers into two big attempts to break this stalemate, but both failed with mown down of British troops, which led to giant losses.

When an attack was attempted the soldiers faced a massive danger from the time where their trench was left and the No Man's Land was entered. Regularly the No Man's Land made dead a reality and the soldiers were aware of this.

7. Equipment and supplies

A part of the First World War included sinking of enemy supply ships. The sinking of enemy supply ships was used mainly by the Germans on the British transport ships, as Germany sought a hunger within the British society. At one point, one out of every fourth British transport ship was sunk by the German navy, making the British nation starve for a shorter period.

The method of lowering enemy's supplies was one of the harsh truths in First World War and was also the reason why the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917.

The Western Front was also hurt by shortening of food and supplies. This had big influence on starving and harsher conditions among the soldiers with life in the trenches.

Also was it terrible when the poor country Russia had its 15.5 million young soldiers in war with poor techniques and equipment of very low standards. For example was one million of Russia's soldiers without rifles and they were terrible beaten by the better led and better fed Germans and Austrians.

First World War 03/12-2008