Life in the Trenches
Life in the trenches during the First World War took many forms, and varied widely from sector to sector and from front to front. Undoubtedly, it was entirely unexpected for those eager thousands who signed up for war in August 1914. A War of Movement? Indeed, the Great War - a phrase coined even before it had begun - was expected to be a relatively short affair and, as with most wars, one of great movement. The First World War was typified however by its lack of movement, the years of stalemate exemplified on the Western Front from autumn 1914 until spring 1918. Not that there wasn't movement at all on the Western Front during 1914-18; the war began dramatically with sweeping advances by the Germans through Belgium and France en route for Paris. So what was life actually like for the men serving tours of duty in the line, be they front line, support or reserve trenches? Daily Death in the Trenches Rat Infestation Rats in their millions infested trenches. Frogs, Lice and Worse The Trench Cycle
The Long, Long Trail - UK
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
Internet History Sourcebooks
Internet Modern History Sourcebook The Internet Modern History Sourcebook now contains thousands of sources and the previous index pages were so large that they were crashing many browsers. See Introduction for an explanation of the Sourcebook's goals. Explanation of Sources of Material Here. The Modern History Sourcebook now works as follows: This Main Index page has been much extended to show all sections and sub sections. Additional Study/Research Aids In addition to the above structure, there are a series of pages to help teacher and students. Modern History in the Movies Older Style Big Indices Still Available Since some faculty members had built into their course pages direct links to the Sourcebook's old indexes, these remain available, but will not be updated with materials added after 12/31/1998. Subjects covered by the source texts in each Section. Studying History The Early Modern World Reformation Early Modern World Everyday Life Absolutism Constitutional States Colonial L America 19C Italy
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.
Far far from Ypres: Soldiers' songs shine light on WW1 attitudes
16 January 2014Last updated at 19:46 ET By Steven Brocklehurst BBC Scotland news website The songs of World War 1 often speak of disillusionment, bitterness, boredom and a very dark sense of humour, says Scottish folk singer and producer Ian McCalman. He says there was no talk of heroics in the songs the soldiers were singing in the trenches or in the music halls back in Blighty. "Another surprise was that there were very few songs with any animosity towards the Germans, who they were fighting," says McCalman. "It was quite unbelievable that the wrath of the soldiers was directed at their own Command." Last week, England's education secretary Michael Gove sparked a heated debate when he hit out at "left-wing academics" and TV comedies and dramas which had led people to view the conflict as a "misbegotten shambles - a series of catastrophic mistakes perpetrated by an out-of-touch elite". The show was written and directed by Ian McCalman Barbara Dickson is one of the 28 singers taking part
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.
Teaching World War I With The New York Times
This summer marked the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife by a Serbian nationalist — the catalyst that sent Europe into a spiral of war and destruction for the next four and a half years. Below, we offer a series of topics and questions paired with Times essays, articles, slide shows and videos to help students dig deeper into the causes, effects and overall legacy of World War I. We imagine students could use these resources as part of a class jigsaw activity, a mini-research project or a jumping-off point for discussion and analysis. Remaking the Map of Europe How did World War I rewrite the map of Europe? Before the Great War, Europe was still a land of centuries-old empires: Austro-Hungarian, German, Russian and Ottoman. Causes and Lessons What caused World War I? Slide Show The First World War: In the Trenches Deadly Technological Advances How did technological advances make war deadlier and more devastating? Echoes and Legacies
