First World War.com - Vintage Video - German Troops Preparing Trenches, 1914

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Vintage Video: German Troops Preparing Trenches, 1914
Updated - Saturday, 24 January, 2004

With the Allied victory at the Marne in early September 1914 and the consequent German retreat, it appeared that Allied forces would soon march their way into Germany.

In the event the German retreat halted on the Chemin des Dames ridge, at which point trenches were hastily prepared; the Allies quickly followed suit. With the opposing forces apparently deadlocked facing each other the so-called 'Race to the Sea' ensued, in which each side attempted to (unsuccessfully) outflank the other in an extended manoeuvre which only ended when both forces reached the North Sea coast.

Click here to view brief film footage of German soldiers preparing trench positions in 1914 (Windows Media, 7 seconds, 315KB).

An Adrian Helmet was a French regulation helmet named after its designer.