World War 1 is perhaps best known for being a war fought in trenches (Grolier 94), ditches dug out of the ground to give troops protection from enemy artillery and machine-gun fire. In Erich Remarque's novel, All Quite on the Western Front, that is exactly how he described trench warfare. Remarque showed World War 1 as a war fought in trenches, which he depicted well leaving out only a few minor details.
The trenches spread from the East to the West. By the end of 1914, trenches stretched all along the 475 miles front (Grolier 94) between the Swiss border and the Channel coast. In some places, enemy trenches were less than thirty yards apart (Stewart 40).
Although trenches spread for many miles, their appearance varied. Upon looking more closely, one could see that each army's trench line was actually a series of three trenches. These three lines connected at various points by small, twisted trenches (Stewart 40). These three lines were called front, support, and reserve trenches. The front line trenches usually measured six feet and had a zigzag pattern to prevent enemy fire from sweeping the entire length of the trench. Between the two opposing front lines laid, an area called "No Man's Land" that measured from 7 yards to 250 yards in width. This area was littered with barbed wire, tin scrapes, and mines to reduce the chance of enemy crossing. The other two trenches (support, and reserve) were constructed to easily move supplies and troops to the front trenches. Trenches varied from six to eight feet in height (Simkin). After wet rainy days trenches would get filled with water. Soldiers called these "Waterlogged tr! enches." In these trenches, there was a need for extra support, wood boards, and sandbags were placed on the side and on the floor for extra support and a safe area for walking (Simkin).
In spite of the fact that the trenches protected the soldiers, they stood no chance against the diseases. Body...