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World War I officially began on July 14, 1914. After the Battle of Asne in September of 1914, both the Allied and German Armies quickly constructed a matching set of trench lines that eventually reached from the Swiss border northward to the coast of the North Sea in Belgium. The trench warfare established a stalemate that lasted, in some areas, until the end of the war on November 11, 1918. For most of that time, the two armies traded dozens of yards of land back and forth and lost thousands of lives in the process, accomplishing essentially nothing. In the last 100 days of the war, concentrated groups of Allied forces' tanks, considerably increased in number and effectiveness since their inception, attacked the German lines and broke through with relative ease.

An individual soldier's time in the trenches was generally limited to about two weeks at a time, to be repeated again and again after a few weeks spent as a support or reserve unit (where they might at any time become actively engaged in warfare) or on a brief leave. In some units, however, soldiers spent as much as 6 months on the front line without break.

About 10% of the soldiers serving in the front lines were killed, more than twice the rate of death of soldiers in World War II. Another 45% were injured.

This is more than you asked for, but World War I trench warfare is such an extraordinary example of military stupidity that I can't stop ranting about it once I start.

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How many people were in trenches during World War 1?

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Related Questions

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Soldiers in World War I spent much of their time in the trenches dealing with harsh conditions, including mud, vermin, and limited sanitation. When not on the front lines, they engaged in various activities to alleviate boredom, such as writing letters, playing cards, and sharing stories. Some soldiers also participated in training exercises or maintained their equipment. Despite these distractions, the constant threat of enemy fire and the toll of trench warfare weighed heavily on their morale.


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During WWI, there were long periods where neither side gained any ground. While this was happening, the soldiers spent their time in the trenches with not much to do.


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