Century War

A Century of War
| Key Details | Significance to WWI |
Trench Warfare | * Sandbag protection * Opposite trenches known as “no-man’s-land” * Late 1914 and 1918 million of lives were lost * Front line never moved more than ten miles * Were defended with machines guns and barbed wire * Usually build in three or more connected lines * Behind these were artillery positions *Communication * Line trenches were with barbed wire * If enemy moved forward they headed to “killing grounds” * Battle zone full of strong points | It made the fighting between the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance slower and harder to the enemy. Also that it was also a combination of old military techniques and modern technology that they used during WW1. |
Uniforms, Rifles, andBayonets | * Clearly identified * The less a man could be seen, the less likely he was to be shot * Protection soldiers head drom shell and shrapnel fragments * Helmets uncomfortable to wear * Rifles was a main weapon * Germans had the mauser Gewehr 98 * British had the 1907 Lee-Enfield * Americans had the M1903 Springfield * They had magazines that allowed the user to fire offseveral shots rapidly without reloading * Accurate 600 yards * Some could fire 3,000 yards * Bayonet to the end of his rifles, turning to spear * Own distinctive bayonets * British type the knife blade * French style more like a thin needle * Germans used a blade with a serrated edge * “the spirit of the bayonet” Courage and determination a soldier should show in killing his enemy* Enemies had fear of the bayonet * Psychological advantage to them | The uniform was very important because its how they identify their soldiers. The uniform represented their country. If the soldier had a bright uniform it was easy for the enemy to see and meaning that it was dead for sure. The rifles and bayonets were significant because they use them to fight and to protect themselves ifthe enemy was near them. |
Grenades | * Are effectively in the Russo-Japanese War * Taken up by the Germans army in WW1 * Two basic types * Germans: metal canister on a stick * British and French smaller round or oval shaped grenades * Designed to explode on impact * Most had timed fuse for five seconds * They were thrown too soon * They could be caught and throw back beforeexploiting * British and French armies were slower than the Germans in introducing grenades * Allied troops made their own explosives, nails and scrap metal * Favored weapon of infantrymen in trench warfare | The grenades were effectively in the Russo-Japanese War. There were two basic types of grenades and they were designed to explode on the impact. They weren’t effective 100% because theycould throw it to another trencher and in enemy could catch it in the air and throw it back; that’s why it wasn’t that accurate. But it was significant during WW1 because it helped the British and the French. |
Field Mortars | * Another new weapon was introduced: the tube like field mortal * Portable, miniature howitzer * Light enough to be carried by a small team of men * Mortars wasextremely useful * Firing almost straight into the air, in a vertical trajectory * High explosives * Smoke bombs * Even poison gas shells from one trench to another | |
Flamethrowers | * Used to pressurized gas from canister * Mixture of burning oil and gasoline * Invented in Germany in 1906 * Idea adopted by the British and French armies * Heavy flamethrowers were installedin the trenches but were impractical * Used huge amounts of fuel and were too cumbersome to be moved * Useful were the portable flamethrowers with smaller gas canisters * Light enough to be carried by one man * effective | The flamethrowers were significant in WW1 because they were portable and ready to go for any emergency. It was used with burning oil and gasoline and it didn’t weight...