The Impact Of World War One On Trench Warfare

World War 1 began in 1914 and ended in the late months of 1918. This war was often portrayed as one of the first modern war that took place in the 20th century. World War 1 was primarily the struggle for mastery in the continent of Europe. Equipment including rifles, artillery, and grenades were just a few of the many weapons and pieces of equipment that needed many improvements. Rifles used in the war were difficult to load quickly and some were heavier than others. Artillery was lighter than the rifles but the shortage of shells impacts the nations as they needed large amounts and some needed a high skill level to produce. Also, grenades were seen as an alternative to carrying around a heavy rifle, but these unimproved items were known to detonate instantly and sometimes even in the hands of the thrower. However, as World War 1 progressed, technology improved drastically and benefited nations greatly. Things that were created and improved that
Before machine guns came into play, rifles were the primary guns used by soldiers. These rifles varied in effectiveness, weight, and size. Some were heavier, and longer than others, and some were difficult to reload quickly compared to others. Once people started to think about a better gun to use in combat, the machine gun came to mind. In World War 1, machine guns played a vital role in trench warfare. Compared to rifles, “the firepower of one machine gun was the equivalent of 30, or perhaps as many as 60, individual riflemen.” This shows how the creation of machine guns were crucial for nations to have. The first automatic machine gun created was named the Maxim gun. While it did fire more bullets than rifles, the Maxim gun was very heavy which was very unpleasant for soldiers. Newer machine guns gave soldiers more fire power, were lighter for easier movement, and were later able to be mounted onto aircrafts for an aerial advantage on the