What were trenches like?
The trenches of world war one were disgusting, unsanitary, tense, angry places where many diseases spread due to the dead bodies and rats infesting the networks. The trenches were generally split into 3, with a front line, a communication line, and a support line. They were not straight, and would sometimes span for mile upon mile. A common disease was “trench foot”. This disease normally lead to gangrene and many soldiers legs had to be amputated during their times in the trench. Many poets were inspired by life in the trenches, and many wrote about their experiences. The trenches were often quiet, isolating places, with beds dug in under layers of rock. The area between the allies and axi’s trenches was called “no mans land”. Sometimes the enemy trenches were only metres apart. There were rumors that if the soldiers stretched their arms enough, they would be able to shake hands with the enemy on SOME occasions.
