WWITrenchWarfare:

ExplorationinTechnology,EncounterwithDesperation,andExchangeofHumanity

ChristineDoan,AdaZhu
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WordCount[493]

Trenchwarfarehasbeenahauntingtopicforussincefreshmanyear.OurWorldHistory
teacher,Mr.Ingels,dedicatedtwodaystothehorrorsoftrenchwarfare.Hepassionatelylectured
onitsenduringeffectsandhowitwasasignaturepartoftheGreatWar.UponreadingtheNHD
themebook,wecametotheconclusionthatexplorationdidnothavetobeonlandorthat
encountershadtobewithpeople.Wechosethetopicoftrenchwarfarebecausewebelieved
thatitwouldbefascinatingtoapproachthethemefromdifferentperspectives.Thus,the
productionofTrenchwarfare:ExplorationinTechnology,EncounterwithDesperation,and
ExchangeofHumanitywascreated.
Aftersolidifyingourtopic,westartedjottingdownnotesfromwhatweremembered
fromMr.Ingelslecture.Followingthecreationofanoutlineforeachcategory,aGoogleDocs
pagewascreatedsowecouldcompileallofthenoteswetookfromourresearchforeasyaccess
andorganization.WefirstusedGoogleScholar,Google,ScrippsDatabase,andtheGale
Databasetoacquireonlinearticles.TheWarNeurosesvideowassignificantbecauseactually
seeingthedamagedonetothesoldiershittedusemotionally.Afterbecomingwellacquainted
withourtopic,weemailedseveralexperts
inordertogetnewinsightregardingtrenchwarfares
impact.WefoundtheinterviewwithDr.Liuleviciustobeextremelyhelpfulwithour
understandingofhowtheexplorationintechnologywasnotnecessarilybeneficial,butinstead
monstrous.WealsoexhaustedwrittenresourcesattheUpland,Ontario,Scripps,andCalState
SanBernardinolibraries.Aftersynthesizingourdata,webrokeupthenotesintosectionsand
selectedquotes.
Asforthepresentationofourproject,wechosetodoawebsitebecauseonewastakinga
multimediaclassandtheotherhadaninterestfordesign.Weusedthecolorredtorepresent

bloodshed.Thewebsitewasdividedintofivemainsections:historicalcontext,exploration,
encounter,exchange,andimpact.InsertingcodesintotheHTMLhadbeenoneofthemost
challenginghurdlesthatwehadtoovercome.
Trenchwarfarewasacalamity.Theconsequencesofthisdisasterservedasignificant
roleinthemodernworld.Phraseslikeshellshockedandinatrencharestillusedas
metaphorsinthetwentyfirstcentury.Trenchwarfarefitsthisyearsthemebecauseitexhibitsan
explorationintechnology,encounterwithdesperation,andexchangeofhumanity.Thesekey
ideasarestillcontroversialtoday.Debateswhethertheexplorationintechnologyisunethicalor
notstillpersists.Thesoldiersencounterwithdesperationsetaprecedentforfuturewarsthatthe
natureofwarisnottobeglorified,effectivelydestroyingthepreviousromanticnotions.The
opposingsidesexchangeofhumanityemphasizesourequalityandlikeness.Theirexchange
keptitfromprogressingintowhatwesawinWorldWarII:dehumanizationandgenocide.
Trenchwarfaresexplorationintechnology,encounterwithdesperation,andexchangeof
humanitygivestheworldavaluablelessontolookbackon.