World War 1

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World War 1
Megan Libbeter 8i
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How did posters and government information
portray life in the trenches?
This poster is trying to convince boys and men to
join the army to help save / fight their country
Again, this poster is a typical World War 1
poster. It shows a soldier that has been shot
whilst fighting and asking the question Why?
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How was life different from a Official view?
The media portrays war very different to what it
is. It leaves out the aspect of killing, deaths,
murder and treason and replaces it with how you
would help save your country and fight for
your kingdom. It is also portrayed as being
great and heroic but it was really full of death
and horrific conditions.
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What did the trenches look like?
Trenches are long deep tunnels dug into the
ground so that soldiers can protect themselves
against the opposing enemies. For many soldiers,
the trenches became their homes.
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What was daily life like in the trenches?
Routine After breakfast the routine of the day
went on. It was not long to wait before a soldier
appeared with details of the solders duties for
the day. Weapon cleaning and inspection, always
an important task, would soon be followed with
pick and shovel work. Trench maintenance went on
all the time, a job without end. The carrying of
rations and supplies from the rear also went on
all the time. T. Howarth, on the western front,
1976.
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How well were soldiers equipped?
Gas marks were worn to prevent the harmful damage
that could be caused by harmful gas. Exposure to
gas can lead to burns, temporary blindness and
then lungs to dissolve. When gas was first used,
some soldiers covered their mouths with socks or
rags soaked in urine to help stop the effects.
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• Many other weapons were used as well as gasses.
  Some of these were artillery, mines, barges,
  snipers and bombs. Each of these caused dramatic
  effects and caused many deaths and injuries. When
  in the sea, U-boats, submarines and battleships
  were used to shoot missiles.

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What sorts of food did soldiers eat as part of
their rations?
Most of the food that the soldiers ate during the
war was tinned as nothing fresh was available and
tinned foods could be preserved for longer. Other
foods were pickles, chocolates, sardines etc For
a list of more detailed examples of food please
visit this website http//www.tommyspackfillers.c
om/ration.asp?Page4
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What sort of medical care was available for the
soldiers in the trenches?
All the armies fighting on the Western front were
large, so were the casualty figures. This gave
the medical military services a huge problem.
Although many soldiers died in no mans land and
it was too late to reach them the newly built
hospitals were still packed though.
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All wounded needed help quickly. They were taken
back through the communication trenches to first
aid posts, where regimental officers gave them
what they could. Hospital workers were also a
problem to find as not only did they have to move
the badly wounded away as soon as possible but
the workers could also catch the disease that the
soldiers carried. This meant that recruitment was
a difficult job and not many applied.
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What do soldiers do when not on duty?
It was a rare privilege when a soldier was not on
duty. He would try to spend his time wisely, such
as sleep to raise his energy levels for next time
he is on duty. A soldier often also wrote home in
his spare time telling his stories and adventures.
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What was life like in the German trenches?
The German trench system was more elaborate than
that of the French and British systems. They were
better built and maintained. Do to the fact that
the Germans were on the defensive for long
periods of time. They needed and environment
which would protect the men from the massive
bombardments and assaults of the allies.  German
deep bunkers offered protection during
preliminary attacks,
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• after which machine-gun crews and supporting
  soldiers could remerge and annihilate the
  advancing enemy troops.
• The German trench lines were much deeper than the
  Allies. The gap between the front trench and the
  support trench was about 8,200 feet, with the
  same distance separating the support trench from
  the reserve trench behind it.
• A chain of machine-gun emplacements, protected by
  concrete, were strung approximately 2,600 feet
  behind the front line.By 1916 the Germans had
  developed a new system known as "plane defence",
  which offered greater flexibility to the men.
  This made it possible for the first line to be
  held by only a few men and easy to evacuate
  during an attack.

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• Second and third lines would then provide a
  massive counter attack.
•   It was very common for soldiers to get caught
  between trenches.
• A huge system of relief and reinforcement was
  absolutely essential. This was called the shuttle
  system. It meant that every unit took its turn at
  the front. Because of this new units new very
  little about the terrain, conditions, or other
  important information of the battle.
• Verdun was an extreme case of trench warfare at
  its most intense and horrifying state.

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