![Picture](/uploads/2/6/0/7/26072929/1861771.jpg)
Machine-Guns Firing several hundred bullets per minute, machine-guns were devastating weapons, especially when used against enemy troops on open ground.
Early doubtsMachine-guns pre-dated the First World War by half a century and were in widespread use by 1914, but doubts abut their role and effectiveness limited the use of machine-guns in most pre-war armies. Most early war machine-guns were heavy and relatively immobile, requiring a team of soldiers to use.
A Dominant WeaponAt first, only the Germans appreciated the power of machine-guns when used on the defence from prepared positions with overlapping fields of fire. All armies would soon learn this lesson, as the machine-gun, perhaps more than any other weapon, drove soldiers from the battlefield and into relatively safe trenches, dug-outs, and fortifications. Overcoming the stalemate created by the dominance of firepower would challenge armies for the rest of the war.
Early doubtsMachine-guns pre-dated the First World War by half a century and were in widespread use by 1914, but doubts abut their role and effectiveness limited the use of machine-guns in most pre-war armies. Most early war machine-guns were heavy and relatively immobile, requiring a team of soldiers to use.
A Dominant WeaponAt first, only the Germans appreciated the power of machine-guns when used on the defence from prepared positions with overlapping fields of fire. All armies would soon learn this lesson, as the machine-gun, perhaps more than any other weapon, drove soldiers from the battlefield and into relatively safe trenches, dug-outs, and fortifications. Overcoming the stalemate created by the dominance of firepower would challenge armies for the rest of the war.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/0/7/26072929/3667966.jpg?555)
Trench Warfare
During trench warfare, opposing armies conduct battle, at relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. Trench warfare becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other. Although trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on the Western Front during World War I.
During trench warfare, opposing armies conduct battle, at relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. Trench warfare becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other. Although trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on the Western Front during World War I.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/0/7/26072929/1658166.jpg)
Gas attacks were the most feared weapon in World War 1. They were very dangerous weapons causing over 1 million casualties and about 100,000 deaths during World War 1, mostly during the beginning stages of the war. They were first used by the French to attack the Germans using a gas that contained xylyl bromide. It was a very scary weapon because it didn't kill instantly. It took days or weeks of suffering until it finally killed. The most well known symptom was blindness. It also caused lung damage and breathing problems and eventually killed. The gas attacks had many advantages, but some disadvantages too.