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Part I was an excellent overview of what caused the WW1 trench stalemate (TLDR: not as much to do with machine guns and bone headed generals as you might think)

Part I was an excellent overview of what caused the WW1 trench stalemate (TLDR: not as much to do with machine guns and bone headed generals as you might think).

inglor_cz 5y ago
All those elements have already coalesced into trench stalemate during the Battle of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese war, but even though most Western armies had their observers there, necessary lessons were either not taken, or taken in smaller extent than needed. One of those lessons, of course, being "do not start a war under such circumstances".
- enkid 5y ago
  Before that, trenches were extensively used in the last year of the American Civil War.
  - inglor_cz 5y ago
    Yes, but the rest of the conditions for a stalemate weren't met: the artillery was comparatively weak, barbed wire wasn't invented yet, there were no machine guns.
mcguire 5y ago
"The trench stalemate is the result of a fairly complicated interaction of weapons which created a novel tactical problem. The key technologies are ... artillery, machine guns, trenches, artillery, barbed wire, artillery, and artillery..."