Which factor made it most difficult for soldiers to cross the area between the trenches?

Which factor made it most difficult for soldiers to cross the area between the trenches?

A. The land was too wide to be crossed.

B. The land was not claimed by either side, so access to it was impossible.

C. The land was defended by civilians who prohibited fighting.

D. The land was mined territory and was subject to artillery, shelling, and gunfire.

Answer: D. The land was mined territory and was subject to artillery, shelling, and gunfire.

No Man’s Land during and after the First World War was highly dangerous and highly challenging for troops to traverse first of all because of the density of defensive constructions and the permanent danger of being targeted by the adversary’s fire. The territory that was often only a few yards to a mile broad, was very carefully converted into a slaughterhouse by both the Europeans and the natives. The enemies of soldiers across the No Man’s Land were several. Soldiers had to endure a barrage of impacts while crossing this green area. Over time the ground was frequently littered with shell craters and was packed with land mines and booby traps whereby what seemed to be a safe step could easily be deadly. Tangles of barbed wire were constructed in areas likely to cause delays to charging troops, thus making them vulnerable to defender attacks for a longer period. Arguably, and quite crucially, this area was also vocally observed, aurally bombarded with artillery fire, Gatling gun fire and sniper fire, from the opposing trench. For instance, back in the Great War especially at the Battle of Somme in 1916, British forces trying to cross the no man’s land encountered a severe disaster and many of them were killed on the first day, 59,000 to be precise, by nothing but the hail of German machine gun and artillery fire. That is why, crossing no man’s land has remained one of the most dangerous initiatives for the forces in trench warfare, as it inevitably entailed huge losses of lives and played an important role in turning the Great War into a tragic dead-end fight on the Western Front.