WW1 Defense in Depth - Trench Tactic (Cross Section)

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Masterminded in the latter half of World War I, the German trench strategy called Defence in Depth proved to be a much more formidable and sustainable system than the earlier 'hold the front line even if it creates rivers of blood' tactic.
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Credit:
Show Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Narrator:
Chris Kane
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[@Simplehistory]

Install Raid for Free ✅ IOS/ANDROID/PC: clcr.me/SimpleHistory_May23 and get a special starter pack with an Epic champion ⚡Knight Errant⚡ Available only for new players.

[@kazi1]

Nice

[@user-ne8vd5tk3f]

cool video keep it up

[@davidspencer8373]

Like video

[@user-jl6oc1wk8w]

No

[@mikelofky587]

no

[@brainflash1]

Its honestly amazing that anyone made it out of the Western Front alive.

[@KurdGamerMC]

What about the eastern front ww2

[@TheRedHand101]

@@KurdGamerMC there no one made it out alive

[@magivkmeister6166]

Alive but not the same. It is said innocence died with WW1.

[@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401]

All Quiet on the Western Front

[@koiyujo1543]

​@@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401 that movie left me scared it's considered the greatest anti-war movie of all time rn

[@Wolfsong27FlyHalfFullHeart]

Captain darling:So blackadder would you like to know our plan for the front? Blackadder so is this where we slowly walk towards the enemy and get mowed down? Captain darling:How could you know that blackadder that’s classified information! Blackadder:it’s the last plan we used…and the sixteen times used before

[@joshuabessire9169]

Don't forget your stick, Lieutenant.

[@MrFlippybob]

Oh no, sir - wouldn’t want to face a machine gun without this!

[@zwojack7285]

Well they wont expect it a 17th time then

[@simonrice5748]

Baldrick: I have a plan, sir. Blackadder: Really, Baldrick? A cunning and subtle one? Baldrick: Yes, sir. Blackadder: As cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?

[@owenhammond1880]

​​​@@simonrice5748 Baldrick : Yes Sir! British Officer in the Background : "On the Signal! Company will advance!" Blackadder : ""Well I'm afraid it'll have to wait. Whatever it was it was probably better than my plan to get out of this by pretending to be mad. I mean who would notice another madman around here?"

[@kjaubrey4816]

He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front. He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come.

[@thomastheawesome4822]

I recently finished that book. It was without a doubt one of the greatest books I've ever read.

[@Tuinhulkvdb028]

1917 wwI movie

[@brokenrecord3523]

@@Tuinhulkvdb028 ?

[@IntrepidMilo]

I have always been fascinated by trench warfare.

[@happy_turtle1270]

Same

[@Hans69420]

Same people just assume that it was just a simple line but they where much more complex

[@Abav724]

Started in the civil war and quickly made its way to Europe, savagery

[@That_One_Barrel]

Same also

[@gabrielmora5092]

​@@Abav724I'm pretty sure trenches have been use even before the us civil war. Example during the medieval period trenches were use during long sieges

[@corymorimacori1059]

“I cut my teeth in the trenches if the Somme, you larped your Santa Claus butt to Vietnam!” JRR Tolkien

[@liamgavinwells]

Who was he talking to

[@corymorimacori1059]

@@THEROOKIE6666 he was an author. He was the guy who made lord of the rings.

[@corymorimacori1059]

@@liamgavinwells he was talking to George RR Martin. Not in real life but a depiction. It was from ERB

[@corymorimacori1059]

@@THEROOKIE6666 he did fought the war, he was an officer during the battle. He was in the 11th Battalion

[@liamgavinwells]

@@corymorimacori1059 Oh. That makes more sense. I was thinking this was an actual quote from him

[@HeisenbergFam]

Its wild to see Raid Shadow Legends ads still being prevalent across YT 3-4 years later

[@OLDMANWAFFLES]

Hello again Heisenberg, we watch the same videos! To reply to your original comment, yeah it’s pretty funny that even after all the memes & ytp’s, it’s still going hard! I’ve still never fucking played it but oh well.

[@Jaakkogc]

I remember a quote from Ernst Jünger "Storm of Steel" where he said that in 1916-17 German High Command limited to a few meters the depth of bunkers because they were getting so deep that in some occasions soldiers didn't notice the enemy attack. Also described how officers used to decorate their rooms with wallpaper and civilian forniture.

[@lukaswilhelm9290]

Reminds me back to that young Indiana Jones episode when they assault German trenches that immediately push by huge German counter attack with gas attack, flamethrower and cavalry charge.

[@Darth_Traitorous]

Is that why the demands were so unrealistic in the armistice, because of how many casualties they were given because of this tactic.

[@randomname3109]

partially so, but not entirely so

[@derdude6214]

The harshness of the treaty of Versail can't be pinned down to one aspect alone. This is definitely one of them tho. The German army committed a lot of atrocities against the Belgiums and French and those the countries are the ones who are the most directly effected as most fighting took place on French and Belgium soil. Another reason is the rivalry between Germany and France. Germans hated the French due to the Napoleonic occupation and French hated the Germans due to the humiliating quick loss in the Franco-German war (or German unification war as it is called in Germany). Another big reason is the ideological side of things. The First world war was democracies against autocratisies. The proclamation of self determination was put at a display by the allies in form of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottom empires as well as territorial concessions by the Germans to a independent Polish state as well foreign majority boarder territories. So they basically tried to make an example out of Germany. The devastating nature of the western front was probably the reason for the incredibly harsh military restrictions so Germany couldn't inflict such horrors ever again. Wich didn't work that well. I think at the end it's most important that we never forget the horrors of the wars so that we can be better than the people back then. We are all Europeans after all and talking to each other is way more pleasant than murdering us over some people's empty promises of pride and glory. May Europe be united in peace one day 🇪🇺 Have a wonderful week my friend.

[@justalpha9138]

​@@derdude6214 May it be united? Isn't it already? Sure there are some scuffles and tensions, but at least nobody is killing each other in Europe anymore.

[@derdude6214]

@@justalpha9138 Albania, Serbia, Norway, Scotland, England, Wales, Russia, Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegowina, Turkey, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Belarus, Andorra, San Marino and Switzerland (and some more depending on how far you want to stretch the geographic term "Europe") are still missing. We have come a far way but we are not finished yet. Once Europe is united as a functioning democratic state (without crippling veto rights) then we are at the end. The Parliament finally needs real legislative powers so the Union is free to evolve. But you are right it is wonderful that we come to our senses in that we don't kill each other in the current EU states but the last year and a half have shown that unfortunately not everyone in Europe went through that change in mind.

[@justalpha9138]

@@derdude6214 The good news however is that nowadays the majority of people understand that war should be nothing but a last resort, because it amounts to practically nothing. Only the most foolhardy nowadays beg for it. Back during WW1 however, nobody understood what going to war really meant until the casualties came in.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

WW1, a classical siege, on a national level.

[@paleoph6168]

9:43 His hand joined his rifle

[@amelia31289]

they were tactical hands.

[@YubertTubert]

These cross section videos are definitely my favorite thing from this channel right now. Please keep doing them! :)

[@Captain23rdGaming]

As someone whos making a manga that has references to the first world war this has come in handy greatly 😄

[@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401]

1917

[@bosslikeryt651]

What's the name off the manga?

[@Captain23rdGaming]

@@bosslikeryt651 i dont have a settle name for it so for now i just call it Code Sino

[@bosslikeryt651]

@@Captain23rdGaming sounds really interesting

[@Captain23rdGaming]

@@bosslikeryt651 why thank you i greaty do appreciate it 😄 it does pick up even more so as this is a sort of Desilpunk art deco way im going about it 😄 Defently a high fantasy meets early Modern era

[@abdullahrizwan592]

Many people talk about how good the German defences were in WW1, however, can you make a video covering the other side? Allied tactics during the Hundred days offensive would make an interesting video. It will be cool to see what actually broke such impressive defences.

[@bingobongo1615]

The 100 days Offensive while in some places very innovative (mainly logistics and troop positioning) in the end succeeded by bruteforcing through the German lines which were very weakened by the Spanish Flu and the soldiers were demoralized after the German offensives of the spring failed.

[@enoppp167]

​@@bingobongo1615 did the entete armies adopted the german assault tactic?

[@nuguns92]

*modern Russian soldier frantically taking notes*

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

The only defrnsive depth for a Mobik is what he can scrape out with his hands and helmet.

[@OLDMANWAFFLES]

*The Ukrainian drone stalking him from above, with a grenade at the ready* : “HI SQUIDWARD”

[@babapeldiacono8523]

​​@@terraflow__bryanburdo4547 bruh, *looks at pillbox line in the eastern bank of the Dnipro* you sure about that?

[@patriotenfield3276]

@@OLDMANWAFFLES Russian electronic warfare downing 330+ Ukrainian drones be like :- "He sure be underestimating me. let him be"

[@MissLadele]

perfect time to watch this video learning about this exact topic in history!!!!!

[@finaladvance5085]

Interestingly, a lot of “the Great War western front” players have taken on the defence in depth mindset for their play throughs.

[@n.w.4940]

Precisely what brought me here :D

[@GrafXohoo]

I waited so long for a good video about trench tactics, thank you so much for your amazing videos

[@oliversherman2414]

*Battlefield 1 flashbacks intensity*

[@ivandanilov1288]

Besides world war ll, world war l has to be the most underrated modern warfare conflicts of the 20th century. It was the peak of all military branches combined and technology. For the style of warfare was brutal, it costed more then enough dead on all sides. We won't ever see that again in such a scale. Chilling just imagining reliving that moment

[@MightyFineMan]

If you are talking about in the US about world war 2, I have to strongly disagree in terms of what is taught in grades 6-12 and part of the “National identity.” World War 2 is still part of living memory for a few and many Americans have family members that have served. It is so monumental to shaping the geopolitics of today that it is far from underrated or forgotten. WW1 from the American perspective is more understandable in terms of being forgotten. But it is a continuation of centuries of geopolitics starting from the start of colonialism up to 1914. In the US, I argue the Korean War is the most underrated. It isn’t taught well and its importance isn’t understood by many.

[@Folgeantrag]

As a German M.A. of History i must say that World War I was an absolute catastrophe for Europe. Millions of People died. Gargantuan ammounts of money and ressources were wasted. Four centuries old dynastic monarchies were beaten down. The Propaganda on all sites poisened the national political minds of many people for a generations with hate and disguste. Without WWI it would be absolut impossible that an unemployed austrian looser who voluntereed in the bavarian army 1914 could be became Dictator of Germany twenty years later. WWI is absolutly important for the course of european and world history but it was an unadmirable slaughter.

[@wax9079]

The Animation is amazing, great Video!!!!

[@kazaragi072]

I am a huge fan of your channel thank you for all the interesting content, I've honestly learned more from your channel than school

[@dev-pj9vi]

Awesome and informative video, thank you for posting it. Trench warfare is horribly fascinating even if it was not the majority of how fighting in WW1 was done. This idea of elastic defense in it's day was absolute brilliance just like many of the ideas created by the Prussian and German military commands. The understanding that firepower, not manpower, should be the focus is still critical war knowledge to this day. I love that you also explained where this idea stemmed from. It wasn't that they were just brilliant from the start or because of they're race as the Nazis would later claim. These men came up with elastic defense as a desperate idea to mitigate the appalling death rates they were experiencing. Germany and Prussia have always been decisive and inspirational militarily because they have had to be. They are surrounded on all sides by countries who have been at war with them at some point and unlike many of they're counterparts, they do not have the manpower or resources to not be brilliant on the battlefield.

[@doggydude2668]

YES I LOVE WWI VIDEOS PLEASE DO THEM MORE!!

[@russianhorde]

Suggestion: bring up text when you start your sentence rather than at the end. That allows us to read as you speak rather than focus on one over the other. Like the four doctrine moment.

[@dqy5439]

Recently I am reading

[@samuraisharp3]

WOAH, for years I've always wondered what the face behind the voice looked like... Glad to finally meet you good sir!

[@jackkevinbruemmer1956]

Allies tremches: Fremchies, Brits, Muricans, etc Central trenches: GERMANS

[@crbutd1114]

Because of the Somme, artillery is often presented as if it was obsolescent, or symbolic of the outmoded ideas of the generals. In reality, heavy artillery was generally used to brutal effect, and was responsible for the overwhelming majority of combat casualties on either side.

[@soldiermeyer2790]

Thats why some armies say that Artillery is the "King of the battle".

[@flip849]

80% of casualties. Who would consider it obsolete?

[@jorenprins5947]

Vids keep getting beter n beter

[@neofulcrum5013]

Still holding out for them to cover the history of guerrilla warfare tactics

[@theromanorder]

Can u do videos on more like this... maybe ofensives, or conflict in the estern front Or mabey talk of more defnses like how the trenches of golipoly or other conflicts compare

[@Baldwin-iv445]

Finally! A video that actually talks about the details of the Hindenburg line!"

[@SSabatino97391]

keep the ww1 content coming please!

[@chadlongnecker630]

Best channel on KZbin hands down

[@theromanorder]

I remember your first video on these trenches... i still tell people about that video to this dsy

[@2Asspie]

wow today's animation feels more energetic and smooth

[@paleoph6168]

Horay, another video that isn't a compilation of previous ones!

[@quartermaine6543]

Hey simple finally u let urself be part of your awesome video and great voice..i never have that in mind this is how u look like..u look like big bikers yah..

[@Unfassbarer]

Danke!

[@agenthappypotato868]

4:19 to skip the RAID ad

[@alanroberson9749]

Very good job fellows throughout the 3rd century felicitous and very educational week of said May!! Congratulations. Its honestly amazing that anyone made it out of the Western Front alive and very safe and sound too!

[@levibarns7576]

Oh how I love history

[@SpilledMug]

I don't know why, but I always find WW1 more interesting than WW2, keep uo the WW1 content, love it

[@schlieffenman957]

You guys should do allied trench tactics next.

[@goglecohrme]

10:00 literally all quiet in the western front 2022, they begin the movie in a fortified trench and then after all of that, in the end they were all back in the beginning

[@daejavue69]

Recommended viewing Film of 1st WW from the German point of view . " All quiet on the Western Front " will give an understanding of the experiences both side went through , the Black & White original version still holds its own today & recommended viewing .

[@ssgss4iammacabeefu_]

Excellent animation! Superb.

[@guy4036]

So that’s what he looks like. Great video as always guys

[@SK-yh5ls]

No way that's what the simple history guy looks like! Astounded

[@Greenmachine305]

Insane.

[@l.ross.6400]

In other hand, the french developped Railway gun in number, to push theyr assault with heavy fire at long range. Maybe an topic for a vidéo.

[@Scarface1983]

All quiet in western front

[@loszhor]

YES! MOAR ENGINEERING VIDEOS! MOAR!

[@Cormac131]

How did the outpost troops retreat was their tunnels or trenches to connect them

[@TheProphetMonk]

Please do one on Tsar Nicholas II, and his family.

[@luisemoralesfalcon4716]

ONWARD!!!!!!

[@SVASH-hz5ji]

There's a new WW1 RTS game called "The Great War: Western Front". It's amazing!

[@flakzuludeusex2365]

Ok simple history this is an amazing tactical documentary and this is a good tactic for static warfare but only good now today either miniaturized or on country borders or mostly outdated as ways to fight a war changes.

[@dbach1025]

Brilliant! Loved this one. Can't understand why any one would start a war and send their greatest natural resources(young people), to certain annihilation. I also can't fathom how so many survived this. Maybe that is a stat we should focus on.

[@ofirgal733]

Can you do a video about the guys thet watch the enemy and report to the trench sound interesting

[@fawzigramajo]

Stormtroopers?

[@theconqueringram5295]

This is interesting.

[@bishalgurung4356]

5:36 ahh yes MG08/15 with spade grips

[@izzfitri6888]

Imagine their 40k counterparts if they find out real doctrine behind trench warfare tactic. The Krieger: No! That is cowardice!

[@jamesborb4255]

I want this man to narrate my daily life

[@TigerBaron]

The epitome of fighting smarter, not harder.

[@meinkek7896]

i still remember when this channel still have 3000 subscribers

[@gaston01000]

Man, you made a mistake: those bandoliers would not enter service until the second war at the hands of the German paratroopers.

[@asianinvasian9022]

I can assure you, those bandoliers were originally for 5 round stripper clips of 8mm mauser ammo and multiple nations used them in the ww1 era. A copy of the design, redesigned to fit 20 round magazines for the fg-42 was the one that didn't come until ww2

[@H-No114]

Just got a bud light ad…. Gotta go listen to some Freikorp music. I’ll be back

[@NicoEl119]

You need to make a whole movie or series with these cartoons.

[@holextv5595]

I need video about battle between czechoslovaks and Germans in Czjánek Barrack's in 1939

[@DuckAllMighty]

Dug in deep, equipped for attack Outnumbered, determined to win Double trench lines that won't give in

[@junghoonlee2469]

I love history

[@chariskreeger3501]

I see you have some goat guns.

[@kibbeystovall7546]

The animator apparently did not remember that no one was allowed to have full beards in an war where you needed your gas mask to seal properly to your face to prevent you from being incapacitated from poison gas. The short "Hitler mustache" was acceptable because it didn't interfere with the mask's seal against the face.

[@westtex3675]

I think this leaves out some of the details. This strategy came with drawbacks. While it did make full-blown breakthroughs by the enemy much more difficult, it did sacrifice smaller, ‘easy’ gains of territory. The allies eventually realized this flaw and began enacting smaller ‘nibbling’ attacks & gradually creeping the lines & artillery forward. They would take the easy ground that Germany fell back from and then just stop advancing & immediately begin digging & reinforcing their positions. Then the Germans could not easily regain the lost bits and would have to shift their lines back again away from artillery & eventually lose their pillboxes & well-prepared defensive trenches/structures to the enemy, etc. After the Germans realized that their strategy had been countered, they did revert to their previous doctrines of less elastic resistance.

[@Sergeant_Arthur]

SimpleHistory could you make a video about Outpost Rock in Afghanistan

[@jinglejangle3287]

Wow Germany was always ahead in war tactics.

[@Deridus]

Tactics and doctrine, yes. Grand Strategy and logistics? No.

[@jinglejangle3287]

@@Deridus exactly. They weren't made for an attrition war.

[@Deridus]

@@jinglejangle3287 Speaking as a former soldier I would say no one really is...

[@jinglejangle3287]

@Deridus indeed, not really. But the Allies had a lot of industrial and manpower compared to Germany, so they obviously had the upper hand in this kind of conflict.

[@Deridus]

@@jinglejangle3287 I remember reading a report by the BEF in 1917 that stated it was going to take at least until 1921 to actually defeat the Germans, but the Spring Offensive of 1918 completely upended that assessment. If the Kaisarschlacht hadn't run out of steam and taken Paris, they still would have lost. 50 fresh American divisions, each around 20k strong, would land by w's end. Some estimates I saw detailed the Germans only had enough actual combat effective troops to fill out 75 at wars end. Good luck finding anything close to the actual troop numbers.

[@christopherdempsey3878]

Can you please make a video on the Spanish Civil War?

[@timmy6890]

Trenches are interesting

[@easymagic100]

4:32 why are they firing from underground? Can they see the enemies? Can someone tell me?

[@user-er5vo3gv1m]

この光景どっかで見たなぁ…w 今やってるファミコンウォーズがこの状態😂消耗戦😂

[@agussonjaya7635]

Now I want play BATTLEFIELD 1 again

[@andywillems2259]

Belgium has no access to the North Sea 😂

[@huntersleepybrown2988]

I wish coh great war had more updates

[@ColonelMetus]

The germans bravely defended their land from the invaders

[@iron4517]

10:19 you made it sound like they survived the war lmao, but in all honesty these tactics were very well made, if it werent for the fact that the allies had more resources the germans would have likely won the war

[@LordBigOoof]

Russians are going to be shown this in training

[@sajedzaraket8153]

What is the name of this program

[@brianmeen2158]

I don’t know but I get the feeling I wouldn’t enjoy being in a war. It seems very violent and dangerous

[@tiagomonteiro130]

The 12 year old redditor who thinks School and Working is hard says he can handle war, which billions of people in every Generation couldn't take, ah yes have fun getting ptsd, shellshock, seing you're friends who are as dumb as you die, and Children getting blown off together with you're house historic architecture, culture and never be able to live a normal life again in the ruins of the dump that used to be you're city.

[@NovaAge]

It infuriates me how the sequel is considered more interesting.

[@kobe51]

What was the name of the explosive club- type device they threw?

[@fayhay8011]

The stick grenade

[@dakotamiller816]

I'm a whore for your ww1 videos. Keep them up

[@Sleepingfishie]

Trench warfare is crazy. Like like keep attacking til it works

[@doraemon61377]

Every war is like that. Not just trench

[@Pwn3dbyth3n00b]

Putin is here taking notes

[@bishalgurung4356]

The thing I find odd is that the artillery would stop firing then the attackers would charge, even through heavy bombardment, replacement could have been sent. So why did not co ordinate the artillery to keep firing for a little while and the infantry to charge across no mans land while the bombardment is close to finishing off.

[@tiagomonteiro130]

Becouse friendly fire that's why, 155 shells have 50 to 100 meter casualtie radius ww1 shells were way bigger and more powerful, good luck having anyone surviving that.

[@surajgc7481]

Can you make a 1883 Krakatoa eruption please

[@alechennings4774]

Showing the Hindenburg line was kinda weird, it didn’t have to do with the subject material at all. The Hindenburg line was a strategic decision not a tactical maneuver to not get shelled.