Why was WW1 fought in the trenches?
WW1 was fought in the trenches because trenches were the most effective cover soldiers could find out in the open. Trenches were about 2 meters deep; deep enough to stop soldiers from being shot at by people in the other trenches. However a lot of soldiers were shot by snipers on higher ground. Trenches were reinforced with sandbags and barbed wire was laid out to slow enemy advances. Inbetween two enemy trenches there was a stretch of muddy land, churned up by shells and machine gun bullets, where soldiers could be picked of by enemy guns. This was called the no-mans ground. Fighting in the trenches was horrible work; it had been described as "hell on earth". The soldiers had no toilets or bins, nowhere to sleep but curled up against the trench walls and nowhere to go but into enemy territory to escape their filthy confines. When it rained, the trenches were flooded with cold, muddy water. One report describing the trenches said that "there was mud everywhere, thick gluey mud, in which was mixed up all the ruin of the war, bits of trees and buildings and guns and human bodies". 1. Disease spread easily among soldiers and many developed trench foot, where the flesh around the toes begins to rot due to prolonged dampness. Others came down with trench mouth, a painful infection of the gums. It was common for soldiers to have a nervous breakdown due to the constant threat of death and the terrible conditions the soldiers were forced to endure. Units were allowed to leave the trenches to rest in a warm, dry place, eat a warm meal, and bathe only once a month before returning to active duty.
1) http://historyarchive.whitetree.ca/pages/article0029.html