Construction and Design of Trenches 

World War I introduced one of the ugliest and fiercest form of fighting; trench warfare. Both the The Triple Alliances and Triple Entente built trenches across the Western Front to provide shelter while making it extremely dangerous for the enemies to attack the front line. The trenches were built in a zig-zag pattern, allowing for less damage and casualties if the trenches were ever bombarded. The trench construction encompassed reinforcing the walls by using materials such as wood, tree posts, and sand bags (filled with clay). The trenches were often constructed during nighttime by a group soldiers called engineers so that the trenches were built before the enemy attacked. During WWI there were 3 main types of trench construction: 

• Sapping: The trench was started by digging a short trench, which then be extended at either end of the trench. As the digging went on, reinforcements were made to keep it stable.  This method was very effective because it was the safest method for extending trenches, and making shorter, "rescue" and "retreat" trenched. The only problem with this method was that only one or two men could dig because it was only meant for two people to pass through.
• Tunneling: This method was very similar to sapping. The tunnels were often used for retrieving injured soldiers and making night raids on the enemies. When needed, the roofs of the tunnels would be dug out to be used as a normal trench.  
  
• Sand-bagging: This was done in areas such as the Flanders area where there were very high water tables or low levels of dirt and clay. These trenches were devised to "appear" underground by raising the levels of sandbags and covering them with dirt and camouflage. This form was very sanitary compared to the others because it reduced the chance of flooding and the related illnesses such as trench foot, lice and rats. Many times the sandbags were decorated to look like soldiers that usually gave the soldiers an advantage because the enemy would often be tricked and end up giving up its presence and position.  

Most of the trenches were built 8-10  feet in depth. Due to the rainy conditions and to keep the trenches from flooding, duckboards were put across the floors of the trenches to prevent the soldiers from getting wet. 

Differences Between German and British Trenches:

• Main difference between the two trenches was that the Germans dug their trenches first, which meant they got the better soil conditions because they dug their trenches on higher ground compared to the British trenches. 
• The Allies used four "types" of trenches. The first was the front-line trench (the firing trench) which was located 50 yards to 1 mile away from the German front line. Behind the front line, several hundred yards away was the support trench which would help assist the front line with men and supplies. After the support trench lay the reserve trench which was an emergency for the soldiers if they were ever overrun. Connecting these trenches were the communication trenches which allowed the soldiers to send messages, men and supplies between the trenches. 
  
• In contrast to the British trenches, the German trenches were sophisticated and elaborate, with some of the living quarters almost 50 ft. below the surface. The German trenches had electricity, beds, toilets, and other necessities that differed from the open-air trenches of the Allies. 

Living quarters in the trenches

Diagram of the Trench System.

The front line of the trenches.