Thesis statement: Overarching statement responding to the question> nature of their experiences and what shaped them.
Context: Explain the war’s scale (1914–1918), the widespread enlistment, and the dominance of trench warfare.
Thesis Statement: Soldiers in WWI endured harsh physical conditions, intense psychological trauma, which profoundly shaped their perception of war and humanity. The nature of WWI warfare involved trench systems (defensive warfare), war of attrition, and evolving military tactics and technology. The battle of Somme exemplifies the difficulty of achieving victory when using trench warfare. (more than 1 million died) The Battle of Hamel (4 July 1918) showcased a shift towards more coordinated, efficient, and strategically innovative warfare, demonstrating lessons learned from years of costly stalemates. Explain fighting conditions in battles and trenches.
Topic sentence: Soldiers spent months in muddy, rat-infested trenches, facing brutal living conditions. Explain conditions and structure of trenches. Typical roster system, daily life in trenches.
New Technology weapons> machine guns, poison gas, tanks, submarines and aircraft. Examples> chlorine gas at Ypres caused horrific injuries, while tanks helped break through enemy lines later in the war. Ideal strategy combined co-ordinated use of tanks, planes and artillery in a co-ordinated manner>example Hamel. Give details. Technological advancements were a feature of the war, planes, tanks, machine guns Give details about experiences of soldiers fighting new style of warfare. What times were most dangerous> what could happen> gas, shelling, attack over no man's land, tunneling and bombing. How did their experiences change after the invention of tanks> breaking out of trenches>
Evidence: Letters and diaries describe extreme cold, lack of sanitation, and constant threat of disease (like trench foot or dysentery).
Explanation: The trenches became symbols of suffering, where survival often depended as much on enduring the elements as evading enemy bullets.
Topic sentence: Soldiers experienced relentless artillery bombardments, deadly gas attacks, and terrifying charges across No Man’s Land.
Evidence: Battles like the Somme resulted in staggering casualties (more than 1 million), while the introduction of chemical weapons added new horrors to warfare. Overall casulty numbers (60,000 Australians died, many more wounded)
Explanation: The brutality of combat, combined with witnessing friends die, left many soldiers with what was then called “shell shock” (now PTSD), forever altering their mental well-being.
Body paragraph 3.
Changing nature of experiences for pilots and aerial combat> also for navy, threats of submarine attack> more technological advancements to attack submarines
Restate thesis: The experiences of WWI soldiers were defined by extreme hardship, psychological trauma, and powerful camaraderie.
Final thought: These experiences shattered illusions of war as glorious, leaving many veterans as lasting witnesses to the true cost of global conflict.
3 examples of thesis statements for the question above:
The introduction of new technologies during World War One, such as machine guns, tanks, poison gas, and aircraft, fundamentally impacted the experiences of soldiers by increasing the scale of destruction, prolonging battles through trench warfare and evolving military strategies and weapons.
The experiences of soldiers on WWI were shaped by ongoing technological advancements, including machine guns, tanks, poison gas, and aircraft, which revolutionized warfare by making battles more destructive, shifting military tactics towards defensive trench warfare, and developing tactics to break the stalemate in the trenches.
The rapid technological advancements of World War One, such as machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and aircraft, drastically altered the nature of warfare by increasing firepower, transforming battlefield strategies, and leading to prolonged, high-casualty conflicts that shaped the experiences of soldiers in WWI.
Which thesis statement do you like better and why? If you had to change one to improve it, which one would you choose and why?
What would you do with it?
Question: Explain the nature of Warfare in WWI
Start with a striking fact or image — e.g., “World War I was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with over 16 million deaths, (60,000 Australians) shaped by brutal trench warfare and revolutionary military technology.”
Context: Briefly outline the war’s timeline (1914–1918) and the major alliances (Allies vs. Central Powers).
Thesis Statement: Warfare in WWI was defined by trench warfare, new military technology, and the use of total war tactics, which together created a deadly and prolonged conflict.
Topic sentence: Trench warfare became a defining feature of WWI, leading to prolonged stalemates and immense human suffering. Provide details about trench warfare.
Evidence: Soldiers fought from deep trenches, separated by “No Man’s Land,” under constant artillery fire. Battles like the Somme exemplify the grinding nature of trench warfare. Trenches provided protection but made offensives difficult, resulting in massive casualties for minimal territorial gains and a war of attrition.
Topic sentence: New military technologies transformed the battlefield, making combat deadlier than ever before.
Evidence: The war saw the introduction of machine guns, poison gas, tanks, submarines and aircraft. Examples> chlorine gas at Ypres caused horrific injuries, while tanks helped break through enemy lines later in the war. Ideal strategy combined co-ordinated use of tanks, planes and artillery in a co-ordinated manner>example Hamel. Give details. Technological advancements were a feature of the war, planes, tanks.... Give details
Topic sentence: WWI was a “total war,” affecting not just soldiers but entire continents> world war as it broke out in colonies of European nations in Africa and Asia. USA entered towards the end of the war bringing in much needed support> men, supplies and military equipment. Australians fought in many locations such as the Middle East, Turkey and on the Western Front which saw the heaviest battles and loss of life.
Evidence: Governments mobilized economies, enforced conscription, and used propaganda to maintain morale. Civilians endured food shortages, air raids, and blockades, as seen in Britain and Germany.
Explanation: The war blurred the line between the home front and the battlefield, turning entire nations into instruments of war. Provide details.
Restate thesis: The nature of warfare in WWI combined the horrors of trench combat, deadly technological innovations (thanks to the Industrial revolution) , and the all-encompassing impact of total war.
Final thought: This brutal combination reshaped military strategy, devastated populations, and left a lasting legacy on global history.
"Explain the nature of warfare in WWI with reference to the Battle of Hamel and the Battle of the Somme" Use source A and your own knowledge.
Source A
"The success of the operation was the result of careful preparation and the coordinated use of all arms—infantry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft."
General John Monash
Context: World War I was defined by brutal trench warfare, large-scale battles, and new military technologies (machine guns, gas, planes, tanks, submarines) that led to enormous casualties.
Thesis statement: The nature of WWI warfare involved trench systems, attritional fighting, and evolving military tactics. The battle of Somme exemplifies the difficulty of achieving victory when using trench warfare. The Battle of Hamel (4 July 1918) showcased a shift towards more coordinated, efficient, and strategically innovative warfare, demonstrating lessons learned from years of costly stalemates.
Trench systems: Defensive networks protected by barbed wire, machine guns, and artillery made direct assaults deadly.
Stalemate: Armies were often locked in place for months, unable to break through enemy lines without massive losses.
Example: Before Hamel, battles like the Somme (1916) showed how outdated tactics (like mass infantry charges) led to catastrophic casualties.
Link to Hamel: The failures of earlier battles influenced commanders to adopt more flexible and coordinated strategies at Hamel.
Date & forces: 4 July 1918 — led by General John Monash, Australian and American forces attacked German positions near the village of Hamel.
Coordinated strategy: Monash planned an attack that lasted just 93 minutes (far shorter than typical WWI battles).
Combined arms approach: Infantry, artillery, tanks, and aircraft worked together. REFER TO SOURCE!!!!!
Creeping barrage: Artillery fire advanced in stages, protecting infantry as they moved forward.
Tank support: 60 tanks helped clear machine-gun positions and cut through barbed wire.
Outcome: The battle was a decisive Allied victory with relatively low casualties, showing that careful planning and technology could break the deadlock of trench warfare.
Technology and coordination: The use of tanks and planes alongside infantry showed how warfare was shifting towards combined operations.
Learning from failure: Hamel proved that smaller, well-planned attacks could achieve success without the massive losses of earlier battles.
Psychological impact: The victory boosted Allied morale and demonstrated the growing effectiveness of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as an elite fighting force.
Restate thesis: The Battle of Hamel exemplified how WWI warfare evolved from static trench battles to more dynamic, coordinated operations.
Final reflection: Hamel was a turning point, proving that new tactics, technology, and leadership could overcome the brutal realities of trench warfare — lessons that helped shape the Allied victories later in 1918.
Using source A and your own knowledge, answer the following question:
"How did new technologies and the conditions of trench warfare shape the experience of soldiers on the Western Front during World War I?"
Context: Briefly explain the Western Front and trench warfare.
Thesis statement: State how new technology and trench conditions influenced soldiers' physical, emotional, and tactical experiences.
Key weapons: Machine guns, artillery, poison gas, tanks, and airplanes.
Impact on soldiers:
High casualty rates from rapid-fire and long-range weapons.
Terrifying injuries from gas and heavy bombardments.
Evidence/examples: Battle of the Somme or the first use of chlorine gas at Ypres.
Analysis: How these technologies made war more brutal and survival less likely.
Living conditions: Mud, rats, lice, cold, and disease (trench foot, dysentery).
Psychological strain: Constant shelling, fear of attacks, and the trauma of seeing friends die.
Evidence/examples: Soldiers' letters and diary entries (e.g., from Wilfred Owen’s poems).
Analysis: How these conditions crushed morale and left lasting mental scars (shell shock).
Total impact: How technology and trench life together made war feel relentless.
Loss of hope: Soldiers felt like pawns in a machine-driven war with little chance of victory.
Historical significance: How this shaped post-war views (e.g., the "Lost Generation" and disillusionment with war).
Restate thesis: The experience of soldiers was defined by the lethal combination of advanced technology and horrific trench conditions.
Final reflection: How understanding soldiers' suffering helps us grasp the true cost of WWI