Trench warfare
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Trench warfare is a form of land warfare using occupied fighting lines consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are significantly protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery. The most prominent case of trench warfare is the Western Front in World War I. It has become a byword for stalemate, attrition and futility in conflict.
Trench warfare occurred when a revolution in firepower was not matched by similar advances in mobility, resulting in a grueling form of warfare in which the defender held the advantage. In World War I, both sides constructed elaborate trench and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties.
See also
- Blitzkrieg
- Breastwork (fortification)
- Harry Patch
- Medieval warfare
- Mining (military)
- Mobile warfare
- Sangar (fortification)
- Siege Warfare
- Tunnel warfare
