In the trenches of 1914-1918 What were the trenches? Although most of us think primarily of the Great War in terms of life and death in the trenches, only a relatively small proportion of the army actually served there. The trenches were the front lines, the most dangerous places. Why were the trenches there? The idea of digging into the ground to give some protection from powerful enemy artillery and small arms fire was not a new idea or unique to the Great War. What were the trenches like? The type and nature of the trench positions varied a lot, depending on the local conditions. The bird's-eye view (below, from an official infantry training manual of March 1916) shows a typical but very stylised trench layout. Behind it is another line, similarly made, called a support line. The enemy had a very similar system of trenches. A typical trench system consisting of three main fire or support trenches, connected by communication trenches and with various posts, strong points and saps. Keep your head down!
BBC Schools - Life in the trenches 31 October 2014Last updated at 15:07 Two British soldiers standing in a flooded communication trench during World War One On the Western Front, the war was fought in trenches. Trenches were long, narrow ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived all day and night. There were many lines of German trenches on one side and many lines of Allied trenches on the other. In the middle, was no man's land, so-called because it did not belong to either army. Rest Soldiers in the trenches did not get much sleep. Dirty trenches The trenches could be very muddy and smelly.
Front Line: Life in the Trenches of WWI If you were a soldier fighting in the First World War, what would you see? What would you hear? With only 20 WWI veterans left in the world, fewer and fewer people are able to answer these questions with certainty. For everyone else, there's Front Line. Trenches: In this page, you'll find information on the construction of trenches, their layout, the hygiene (or lack thereof) of trenches, the cold, and how burials were handled in trench warfare. Routine: On here, you'll find information on the day-to-day life of the soldiers in the trenches: for example, the food they ate, their various duties, and the ways they attempted to cope. Warfare: This page details the "warfare" part of "trench warfare." Traumas: Trench Warfare was a horrific experience for most of the soldiers. Game: This is a choose-your-own-adventure style game that attempts to recreate the experience of trench warfare. About Front Line 2008 marks the 90th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the First World War. Contact Me
People's Century | Total War text versionAbout the Series | Episodes | Timeline | Your Stories | Thematic Overview | Teacher's Guide People's Century | WGBH | PBS Online | Search PBS | Feedback | Shop | © Causes of World War I Germany, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Britain attempting to keep the lid on the simmering cauldron of imperialist and nationalist tensions in the Balkans to prevent a general European war. They were successful in 1912 and 1913, but did not succeed in 1914. The crisis came after a long and difficult series of diplomatic clashes between the Great Powers (Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Austria-Hungary and Russia) over European and colonial issues in the decade before 1914 that had left tensions high. The various categories of explanation for World War I correspond to different historians' overall methods. Background In November 1912, Russia was humiliated because of its inability to support Serbia during the Bosnian crisis of 1908 or the First Balkan War, and announced a major reconstruction of its military. Both Wilhelm II and the Army leadership agreed that if a war were necessary it were best launched soon. "Moltke described to me his opinion of our military situation.
People's Century | Teacher's Guide | Total War The following lesson focuses on a program segment about the evacuation of children from war zones, the drafting of British women to produce military equipment, and the bombings of London and Plymouth. European citizens recall their experiences. Discussion Before Watching 1. As a class, brainstorm definitions of the term total war. Discuss examples of total war and who is affected by it. Life In The Trenches | WW1 Facts There was nothing glamorous about trench life. World War 1 trenches were dirty, smelly and riddled with disease. For soldiers life in the trenches meant living in fear. In fear of diseases (like cholera and trench foot) and of course, the constant fear of enemy attack. Trench warfare WW1 style is something all participating countries vowed never to repeat and the facts make it easy to see why. Constructing WW1 Trenches The British and the French recruited manpower from non-belligerent China to support the troops with manual labour. 140,000 Chinese labourers served on the Western Front over the course of the First World War (40,000 with the French and 100,000 with the British forces). No Man’s Land The open space between two sets of opposing trenches became known as No Man’s Land because no soldier wanted to traverse the distance for fear of attack. The climate in France and Belgium was quite wet, so No Man’s Land soon became a mud bath. Hell on Earth
The Impact of Total War - Dictionary definition of The Impact of Total War World War II Reference Library COPYRIGHT 2000 The Gale Group Inc. World War II was larger than previous wars and was fought in more parts of the world. But it was different in another way, too. It came closer than any prior conflict to being a total war. If all the people of a country were involved in the war, then the country could ask the civilian population to make major sacrifices to win the war. Death from the air One of the ways in which the war was brought hometo civilian populations was by attacks from the air. Although they caused civilian deaths, the air attacks were closely connected to efforts by German ground troops to capture the cities they were bombing or to cut off enemy forces. The RAF and the strategic air offensive The German military strategy was in sharp contrast to that of Britain's Royal Air Force, the RAF (pronounced are-ayeff). Supporters of the strategic air offensive theory believed it might even bring victory by itself, rather than just helping the army win.
Ina - Les Jalons de la Première Guerre mondiale L’Ina a développé, avec le concours du Ministère de l’Education Nationale, un site éducatif de référence Jalons pour l’histoire du temps présent qui propose de découvrir et décrypter à travers 1500 documents provenant des archives de la radio, de la presse filmée et de la télévision, l’histoire du monde contemporain depuis 1914. La sélection des films portant sur la Première Guerre mondiale a été faite majoritairement au sein des fonds Pathé et Gaumont. Elle s’est donnée comme objectif d'illustrer plusieurs dimensions du conflit, conformément à l'approche développée dans le cadre des programmes de troisième et de première. Il est apparu indispensable d'y faire figurer quelques grandes batailles et offensives ayant profondément marqué plusieurs générations de Français et occupant toujours une place toute particulière dans la mémoire collective : la bataille de la Marne, Verdun… offensives et contre-offensives de l’année 1918. Quelques Jalons de la Grande guerre : La Grande Guerre
80 years later, the Nazi war crime at Guernica still matters Want smart analysis of the most important news in your inbox every weekday along with other global reads, interesting ideas and opinions to know? Sign up for the Today's WorldView newsletter. The Nazi aircraft appeared above Guernica in the late afternoon of April 26, 1937. It was market day in the historic Basque town, with hundreds of residents congregated in the central square. They couldn't have imagined what was about to happen: Over the next three hours, the planes dropped 100,000 pounds of high-explosive and incendiary bombs, reducing Guernica to a smoldering ruin. It was one of the first crimes against humanity to grip the global imagination. To this day, the scenes of catastrophic suffering recorded in Guernica are a black mark on Spanish history. "I was the first correspondent to reach Guernica, and was immediately pressed into service by some Basque soldiers collecting charred bodies that the flames had passed over," wrote Noel Monks of the London Daily Express. world worldviews
Des décorations et des archives Les soldats de la Grande Guerre et les civils ont été abondamment décorés pendant et après la Première Guerre mondiale. Des sites internet permettent de reconnaître les différentes décorations et de découvrir leur histoire, les critères d’attribution et leurs caractéristiques matérielles : Ordres, décorations et médailles (1914-1918) et France Phaleristique. En revanche, on sait moins que l’attribution de décorations a généré des archives, qui peuvent s’avérer très utiles pour les recherches familiales et historiques. Nous avons voulu identifier ces sources et nous en avons découvert la diversité et la richesse, dont nous essayons de rendre compte dans le présent article. Des décorations : pourquoi, pour qui ? Avant la guerre : Que ce soit par l’octroi d’une promotion au grade supérieur ou par l’attribution d’une marque distinctive, récompenser le soldat est aussi ancien que la guerre elle-même. Pendant et après la guerre : Quelles archives ? 1) Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur (1802) :