The Development of Trench Warfare
The commencement of World War One brought with it a new style of warfare through the development of new guns and weaponry. Countries began to create effective high explosive artillery with the ability to fire further with far more accuracy and create far more destruction than previously before. Because of this new, more destructive style of warfare, the best form of protection against the attacks was to take shelter as close to the ground as possible. This was the reason behind the digging of trenches, as they allowed far more shelter and protection from enemy attacks than being on foot above ground level. These semi-permanent trench systems then became utilised by both sides in the war by 1915, and began to grow in complexity throughout the war. By the end of the war, over 6,000 miles of trenches were dug. Although the methods behind the development of trenches allowed a good form of shelter from enemy fire for the troops on the battlefield, trenches also caused increased trauma to troops on the front throughout the war. Trenches brought with them a range of life threatening and detrimental factors that troops previously had never had to deal with.