Why was world war 1 also called the trench war?
20th Century weapons met 19th Century tactics. European infantry tactics had not changed since the Napoleonic and Crimean Wars and in the case of the French, their uniforms had not changed since the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. Meanwhile, weapons technology had advanced greatly since the Franco-Prussian War. Breech loading rifles had been perfected and could carry clips of five or more bullets, increasing the rate of fire of average infantryman greatly. Machine guns had been developed and perfected, and made mobile, making defensive positions even more dangerous to attack. Mortars had been perfected and made easier to use in the field, and breech loading artillery pieces were perfected. The use of Napoleonic tactics, slightly adapted to allow for the use of new weapons resulted in 1 million casualties in 1914 alone. Since the generals yet did not have the developed the tactics of “fire and maneuver” for the infantry or “blitzkrieg” for the cavalry, the armies dug trenches to protect th
