Western Front, World War I

Germany's strategy for its western front focused on having its imposing forces sweep through Belgium and then quickly outflank and destroy French forces. After faltering initially, France held the German troops, and battles along the western front degenerated into trench warfare. Between 1914 and 1918, German and French forces built a massive network of trenches along the front, which extended about 800 km (500 mi) from Switzerland to the North Sea. Battlelines remained virtually stationary throughout the period.