Comparing Trench Warfare and Blitzkrieg

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        During old times, the main elements of victory were size of army; the bigger the army had more possibility to win a war. However as world develops, the ideology of war begin to shift, and it required more than the size of army. The shift included World War I and II[a]; the wars required well-organized army, abundant supplies, maneuvers, and tactics. Most important element of these wars was the tactics, without any military tactics, the army, supplies, and maneuvers will be wasted. Trenches were main tactic during World War I and “Blitzkrieg” was during World War II. This research paper’s main purpose is to determine whether these two military tactics would be more efficient in battle than the others.

Trench Warfare

        During World War I, trenches were used widely among countries because of its effective defense against large number of enemy. Trench allowed soldiers to defend enemy forces from passing particular bounders or places, or to buy a time until the ally reinforcement[b] arrives. In the beginning, the trenches were made to provide protections to soldiers from enemy fires but later it becomes complex system. However, trench warfare had numerous negative feedbacks that affect soldiers’ lifestyle and the progress of war.

        In the beginning of trench warfare, the trenches are barely small dirt hills that can provide minor protection from bullet fires. But as the day passes, the small dirt hills developed into deep holes and to well build defense, trenches. (Descriptions about trench’s depth, length, and defense range). Trenches are divided into so called “section.” If the enemy or artillery lands on a particular section of the trench, only that section will be affected, not affecting other sections of the trench. The trench system is divided into frontline, support line, communication trench, and (back-ups). The frontline is the main battling part in trench warfare, it is the “firing and attacking trench” (In the Trenches). Meanwhile, the frontline fight against opposing side, few several miles back, there is the support line. The support line is the supporting trench for frontline; it contains men and supplies that can be replaced in emergency. In support line, there are little rooms that could fit 4-5 men, and also there are rooms used for various purposes. The communication trench is the link between two main trenches, frontline and support line. (About the back-ups/ the artillery firing part). This complex trench system had provided stone-wall defense, however it slow down the progress of the wall and increase of death rate.

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        In between the two opposing trenches, there is a section of land called “No-Men’s Land.” No-Men’s Land is literally no men’s land because of heavy bullet fires from each trenches, it was suicidal to go out to the land. What makes this section of land to be suicidal is due to barbed wires, machine guns, and artilleries. “As defensive and offensive tactics developed later in the war, trench positions became formidable fortresses with barbed wire belts tens of yards deep in front of them, with concrete shelters and emplacements, often below ground level. Machine guns would be permanently trained on ...

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