| Impact | Shaped international warfare and politics • Facilitated social and military changes |
| Context | |
| Decline | Late 20th century |
| Purpose | Provide cover for soldiers during battle |
| Designer | Unidentified military engineers |
| Invented | Early 20th century |
| Variations | Parapet trenches • defensive (towed) artillery shelters |
| Place of origin | |
| Construction materials | Soil • sandbags • wood |
| Successor technologies | Tank warfare • aerial warfare |
