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The Western Front
View detailed map of the Western Front
Soldiers waiting to take part in the battle of Fromelles, 'the worst 24 hours in Australian history', with 5053 casualties in a single night.
Image courtesy of Australian War Memorial, No. H16396.
The Western Front stretched from the North Sea on the Belgian coast to the Franco-German-Swiss border. Victory on the Western Front was essential in order to win the war.
After the unsuccessful campaign at Gallipoli during 1915, the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) regrouped and reorganised, with all troops progressively sent to France, beginning in March 1916. The centre of the war was in Western Europe, in France and Belgium on the Western Front.
Warfare on the Western Front was often at a stalemate, as the trench warfare and use of machine guns and artillery favoured defence over attack. There were many casualties, as troops "went over the top" to attack the opposing lines in the face of artillery, machine gun and rifle fire. This attack would be preceded by heavy artillery bombardments, followed by a wave of soldiers from the trenches, across no man's land to the enemy line. Often, this attack would be repelled by the enemy force who would then follow with a counter attack, with heavy casualties and very little gain made by either side.
Life in the trenches
The trench system along the Western Front ran from the North Sea to Switzerland. Trench warfare was extremely dangerous for the soldiers, as it meant living in an often waterlogged, muddy, lice and rat infested environment. The trenches were extremely cold in winter and under threat from enemy shell and weapon attack. There were also many health risks and severe medical problems that developed from living and fighting in this harsh environment.
Further information:
- View detailed map of the Western Front.
- World War 1 *
Detailed information on World War 1, including essays, articles, FAQs and Roll of Honour from the Australian War Memorial.
