Why did the Trenches develop?

In France, the war began with French, Belgian and British troops fighting against Germany. Trenches began as very simple defences against enemy fire. Throughout the Autumn of 1914, both sides tried to outflank each other (attack from the sides and rear to cut them off). This led to the Race to the Sea, as both armies extended the trenches sideways to prevent the enemy outflanking them.

By Christmas 1914, the front line of trenches extended 473 miles, from the North Sea in Belgium to the Swiss border. Over time, the trenches were made deeper and more elaborate by each side. They varied according to the geology of the area and the climate: some were quite dry, others were regularly flooded. The German trenches were particularly developed, with deep concrete bunkers in many places.

Why did Stalemate develop?

Stalemate means that neither side can win. For the first 3 years of World War I, the front line moved very little on the Western Front. The main reason for this stalemate was that the defensive tactics were much stronger than those of attack. The machine gun was capapble of firing up to 600 rounds per minute and it made "going over the top" (attacking) incredibly dangerous. Barbed wire, mud and artillery shell-holes also made "No Man's Land" treacherous.

There were frequent attacks, by both sides, (e.g. the Battle of the Somme in 1916) but these either failed or gained only a few kilometres - all at the cost of several million casualties.

Year 9 Challenges and Change

Why did Stalemate develop on the Western Front?