Thousands of anti-Yoon protesters cheered outside the National Assembly
Eating in the trenches followed a strict routine. In the mornings, assuming there'd been no assault, breakfast, usually bacon and tea, would follow an inspection of the troops.
The long, narrow trenches collected rainwater, which soon turned into a quagmire of mud. These conditions induced a medical condition known as trench foot where feet, immersed for long periods in the filthy concoction, would swell up and begin to decay. In the cold winter months, frostbite worsened symptoms. In extreme conditions, trench foot could lead to gangrene and amputation.
Troops carried out all sorts of daily chores while entrenched. A singular priority was to repair duckboards and fill sandbags.
Lice tormented troops day and night. These tiny blood-sucking insects infested clothing, irritated skin, and caused 'trench fever' and typhus. Pictured are soldiers picking cooties (an American slang term for the wingless parasites) from their uniforms.
Weary soldiers spent a good part of their downtime resting in dugouts. In fact, trench life often involved long periods of boredom. To alleviate the monotony, soldiers of all nations and militaries turned to a wide variety of entertainment.
As the conflict progressed, casualty numbers rose exponentially. Teams of female nurses were drafted in amongst the carnage to care for the wounded. The horrors faced by both soldiers and their caregivers were indescribable.
As much as was safe and practical, the morning routine included a wash and shave. The ranks often had a designated barber. It was his job to make sure his fellow infantrymen were clean shaven, though, for some, sporting a mustache was de rigueur.
The unsanitary conditions of trench life was further exacerbated by rats. They helped spread disease and were a constant irritant. Teams of rat catchers were deployed to exterminate the vermin.
If lack of munitions became an issue, it wasn't uncommon for soldiers to assemble makeshift mines and grenades using tin boxes as casings. This was a highly specialized skill usually undertaken by sappers.
Reading was a popular way of passing the time. Novels were devoured with passion. Completing a crossword, a relatively new game invented in 1913, was another method of taking the mind off the circumstances combatants found themselves in.
The threat of a gas attack was a fear everybody held. Here, an Australian front line soldier is using a wind direction indicator as an anti-gas precaution.
Privilege of rank meant that the officer class dined in considerable style and comfort, even on the front line. Note the bottle of wine accompanying this lunch. There's even a bouquet of flowers illuminating the occasion.
While personal photography was banned by all sides in order to control the "official view of war," sanctioned photographic units were established to capture a favorable perspective of the conflict. While this approach often presented a distorted view of the war, it did enable photographers to freely document daily activities in the trenches that otherwise might never have been recorded.
Above, however, lookouts were constantly on alert for enemy troop movements. In this image, a soldier from the British Expeditionary Force is using a trench periscope to observe German positions from the front line trenches of the Western Front.
The sense of camaraderie among the ranks was tangible, heightened by rounds of storytelling and merrymaking. Jokes and friendly put-downs elicited smiles and laughter—rare moments of amusement in the most desperate of times.
During daylight hours, work was undertaken for the most part underground to avoid a sniper's bullet. Enlarging and maintaining dugouts was a typical task.
Daily rations were meant to include fresh or frozen meat, cooked using mobile stoves. More likely it was bully beef (canned corned beef) with vegetables. Also handed out was bread and biscuits. Generally speaking, food was bland and monotonous, but no one ever starved.
Religious faith helped many soldiers cope with the horrors of war. Indeed, religion played a key role in the lives of most combatants. Military chaplains of several denominations provided spiritual comfort and solace throughout the conflict. Here, infantrymen are seen praying during a service before entering the trenches.
Music and song provided a welcome distraction. Sentimental ballads, folk songs, and irreverent ditties were often sung in the trenches, sometimes to the accompaniment of ad hoc musical instruments.
A game of cards always attracted a willing retinue of off-duty troops. By way of trying to earn a bit of extra money or tobacco, some indulged in a spot of gambling. In this image, a card game in a French trench is interrupted, presumably by a flypast by Allied aircraft.
In this 1915 photograph, a German officer is reading a copy of the British newspaper Daily Mail with a headline that reads: "Lord Kitchener calls for more men."
Along with letters, soldiers would also receive care packages of food, magazines, and clothes.
Nurses, in fact, faced the same risks as conscripts. Vulnerable to artillery barrage as well as gas attack, an estimated 1,500 nurses from a number of countries lost their lives serving on the front line.
Yet there was still time for black humor. In this photograph taken in 1914, French troops wearing enemy helmets stage a mock German surrender. That capitulation would only take place four years and 40 million casualties later.
Sources: (Canadian War Museum) (BBC) (History) (National WWI Museum and Memorial)
Maintaining morale in the trenches was vital. Regular deliveries of mail helped forge important links with loved ones back home.
In the Allied ranks, a rum ration was issued daily. A much looked forward to treat, the dash of alcohol served to lift spirits and further bolster morale.
Famously in 1914, an unofficial Christmas truce was held around a series of ceasefires along the Western Front. British and German troops met in the middle of "No Man's Land" to exchange banter and cigarettes (pictured).
The reality was that life in the trenches was also about dying in them. The regular death toll ensured the need for constant reinforcements, new recruits who had no idea what surviving on the front line meant.
The First World War is especially remembered for the fighting that took place on the Western Front. It's along these fortified lines set over France and Belgium that a new type of military tactic evolved, that of trench warfare. Created as long, deep ditches dug as protective defenses, these trenches became synonymous with the horrors of modern warfare, where "going over the top" meant serious injury or more likely sudden death. Yet between brief periods of terror, these warrens and dugouts served as a home away from home for thousands. And despite the poor living conditions, the occupants of these manmade burrows managed to maintain a modicum of civility and even humor. But what exactly was life like in a First World War trench?
Click through and relive the routine of trench life in the Great War.
Troops were also allowed to communicate with home about their life in the trenches. However, before being sent out, soldiers' letters were censored by their officers.
The military forces of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente made a special effort to celebrate Christmas, like these German troops singing around a Christmas tree in their trench on the Eastern Front.
What was trench life like during the First World War?
Survival on the front line during the Great War
LIFESTYLE History
The First World War is especially remembered for the fighting that took place on the Western Front. It's along these fortified lines set over France and Belgium that a new type of military tactic evolved, that of trench warfare. Created as long, deep ditches dug as protective defenses, these trenches became synonymous with the horrors of modern warfare, where "going over the top" meant serious injury or more likely sudden death. Yet between brief periods of terror, these warrens and dugouts served as a home away from home for thousands. And despite the poor living conditions, the occupants of these manmade burrows managed to maintain a modicum of civility and even humor. But what exactly was life like in a First World War trench?
Click through and relive the routine of trench life in the Great War.