Welcome To The Dirt – The Beginning of Trench Warfare I THE GREAT WAR - Week 8

Introduction

This week, we see the mobile and fast paced war of the past six weeks turning into something

never imagined that would prove more sinister and deadly than even the bloodiest battles

of the war’s beginning. This week began the war in the trenches.

I’m Indy Neidell. Welcome to the Great War.

At the beginning of the week, the Germans were retreating from the Marne River, having

been stopped by the French and the British, but they were far from beaten, while on the

eastern front the Austro-Hungarian army was in disarray, retreating from the advancing

Russians and seemingly on the verge of collapse.

Here’s what happened next: On September 13th, there was a meeting in

September 13th

France at General Joseph Joffre’s headquarters. Joffre had been in large part responsible

for the French disasters of August, but he was now getting a lot of credit for the success

of September. The meeting was full of optimism, and what was being discussed was how long

it would take to push the Germans back across the border. Some though four weeks, some thought

only three. Once again, people were talking of a war that would be over by Christmas.

However, in practical terms, the French were running low on ammunition and were not really

able to exploit the German retreat, and though the British were also advancing, they were

advancing very slowly. As for the Germans, their brand new Chief of Staff Erich Falkenhayn,

Prussian Minister of War was a shot in the arm after his predecessor’s nervous collapse.

And on September 13th, a bloody month of fighting began as the Germans stopped their retreat

on what is one of the best defensive positions in France- the Aisne River. The river itself

is about 30 meters wide, with flat low-lying ground stretching out for nearly 2km on either

side with no possibility of concealment. Then, there’s suddenly a ridge over 100m high

that levels off to a plateau.

The Germans dug in on the north side of the river, a couple of miles from the ridge in

a dense forest, but commanding a huge field of fire.

That night, the British crossed the river and advanced under a heavy fog, but in the

morning the fog cleared and they were raked with fire and suffered heavy losses. By that

morning of September 14th, though, they were established on the northern bank, but the

troops were in a terrible state. Many hadn’t eaten for days and they were soaked, exhausted,

and overlooked along the entire line by the German army. Not good. But for the next few

weeks they gamely struggled to mount the ridge while the Germans tried to drive them back

to the river. Despite thousands of casualties each day on both sides, neither succeeded.

Nobody was planning on retreating though, and on September 14th 1914, British Commander

John French gave the first orders for the British to entrench. The Germans were digging

in as well, and this was the beginning of trench warfare.

The Nature of Trench Warfare

See, the battle of the Aisne was the start of something different. The British troops

who fought there reported that it was far worse than the earlier battles at Mons or