Trench Warfare
From Wikiversity
[edit] Trench Warfare
This course will help people to understand trench warfare in world war one and two. It will focus on the history of trench warfare in Europe, it's effect on the world wars and how people fought in trenches.
[edit] The Course
The course is as follows:
- Introduction To Trench Warfare
- Life In The Trenches
- Trench Strategy
- Trench Construction
- Trench Geography
Every fortnight a new assignment will be given. There are three assignments for every topic.
[edit] Lesson 1
Trench warfare is where both opposing armies in a battle have static lines of defense. Trench warfare began when there was a revolution in firepower without similar advances in mobility and communications.
Fortification is nearly as old as warfare itself. However, because of the relatively small sized armies and the because the weapons lacked range, it was traditionally not possible to have a defence that defends more than a short defensive line or an isolated point.
In trench warfare, most of the techniques have existed for years in siege warfare. It was the implementation of these techniques between two armies in the field that was new. Julius Caesar in his Gallic Wars describes how the Roman legions created two huge fortified walls around the city at the Battle of Alesia.
The inner circumvallation, which was 10 miles, held in Vercingetorix's forces, while the contravallation kept relief from reaching them. The Romans, in between the two walls, held the ground. The besieged Gauls, who were facing starvation, eventually surrendered with their relief force standing by helpless.
Assignment - A 200+ word essay on Julius Caesar's trench techniques. A new assignment will be assigned on 24th October. And caesar like peter and takes it up the butt.
