Primitive weapons in modern warfare
The confines of a First World War trench often rendered the heavy machine guns and long rifles unwieldy, and made the use of grenades and other explosives as dangerous for their users as they were for the enemy. A club, however, could be deployed easily, and the silent death it brought conferred the advantage of surprise during a trench raid.
The view into a German trench captured by British soldiers clearly shows the cramped conditions Photography, France, July 1916 (Source: John Warwick Brooke, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Trench clubs were easy to make using readily available materials. Soldiers fashioned these weapons from wood, nails and metal objects. Each trench club is unique and there was no standardized, mass-produced version. In addition to using trench clubs, soldiers often sharpened the edges of the spades issued to dig trenches and used them as an offensive weapon.
The trench club in the Deutschlandmuseum
The trench club on display in the Deutschlandmuseum is representative in form and size of the many other such weapons fashioned at the time. 46 cm in length, its conical wooden shaft presents a broad front section. Soldiers often drove nails into the sides of the shaft to reinforce the wood and increase the striking power of the club. The nail protruding from the tip of this club meant that it could also be used as a thrusting weapon. The handle of the club features simple ribbing, which made for a better grip.
The trench club in the exhibition of the Deutschlandmuseum is displayed alongside more cutting-edge weaponry from the First World War. The ensuing contrast between the primitive nature of the club and the advanced military engineering of the early 20th century serves to underscore the brutal nature of war.
Property information
Designation
- Date 1914-1918
- Gallery Imperial Germany
- Category Weapons
- Origin Germany/France
- Dimensions 4 x 46 x 4 cm
- Material metal, wood
Property information
Designation
- Datierung 1914-1918
- Epochenraum Imperial Germany
- Kategorie Weapons
- Herkunft Germany/France
- Dimensionen 4 x 46 x 4 cm
- Material metal, wood
About the Deutschlandmuseum
An immersive and innovative experience museum about 2000 years of German history
Reading tips and links
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Lifesaver? The German Steel Helmet in the First World War
German Tank Museum Munster
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2000 Jahre
12 Epochen
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