One of the weapons introduced was the Lee Enfield Rifle. This was an entirely new concept. The shooter did not have to reload the gun every time because the next round of bullets was kept in the clip by the cocking of the handle. Whereas originally a rifle would have to be reloaded every time a bullet was shot. This new rifle was very dangerous for anyone in its way as it could shoot around 25 times per minute. On the western front, the opposing armies had different versions of these types of rifles. This meant that trenches were built on each side to avoid the crossfire. The land in between the trenches was called No-Mans Land.
The Machine Gun was also used on the western front. Machine guns could, in theory, fire up to 400-600 calibre rounds every minute meaning it was a very powerful weapon. However, it was difficult to maintain and required at least 4-6 people to shoot from it. The disadvantage of the machine gun was that, to avoid it, trenches were dug deeper.
Other weapons that were used on the western front were Heavy Artillery. These were long range, heavy field guns which would fire from heavy shells. The Heavy Artillery had a recoil mechanism which meant it would back into the firing system and could potentially be hazardous to the soldiers standing behind it. This contributed to trench warfare greatly: there would be shells flying and constant threats of being killed, blinded or wounded by the shells. But the Heavy Artillery made the trenches even more dangerous as it meant there could be danger at any point, even from your own side and weaponry when the machine recoiled.
However, because each army had the same weapons and similar trenches the soldiers and the population of them remained constant. This impacted the stalemate as it showed the war was not progressing.
Barbed Wire was another war invention used on the western front. It was used by the enemy to cover the outer parts of the trenches, making it impossible to get through. This also stopped surprise attacks meaning the soldiers in the trenches could feel safer. One warfare tactic was to leave a gap in the barbed wire where the enemy would cross. This, however, was a trap and if the enemy crossed through the gap they would be in the perfect position to be killed.
As a result of modern war interventions a stalemate developed at the western front which lasted for years. Both armies had similar weapons so it was impossible to gain an advantage over the opposition, which meant neither army could win or lose the war.
Sophia Danielsson-Waters