Could You Survive as a WWI Soldier?

The trenches of World War I didn’t just punish bad luck, they punished ordinary human instincts.

When shells fell, when poison gas drifted in, or when the battlefield suddenly went quiet, the obvious decision was often the wrong one. The soldiers who survived weren’t necessarily the strongest or the bravest. They were the ones who learned to think like veterans, replacing natural reactions with habits forged through bitter experience.

This quiz isn’t about dates, generals, or memorizing historical facts. It’s about judgment. Each scenario is based on the kinds of split-second decisions British, French, and German soldiers faced on the Western Front. Choose the option you think gives you the best chance of making it home—and see whether your instincts would have helped you survive one of history’s deadliest battlefields.

WW1 Trench

1 of 10

A greenish-yellow cloud drifts toward your trench and the gas alarm sounds. You have a few seconds. Where do you put yourself?

Down in the dugout, behind the gas curtain
Pressed low against the trench wall, out of the wind
Up onto the fire step, as high as you can get
Moving down the trench, away from the cloud

2 of 10

A shell lands a few feet away in the mud and doesn't go off. What's the right move?

Lift it carefully and set it over the parapet
Leave it but carry on working around it
Give it a tap to see whether the fuse is dead
Keep well clear and warn everyone nearby

3 of 10

Hours of relentless artillery fire suddenly stop. The trench goes quiet. What's your first assumption?

The enemy has run low on shells
An infantry assault is about to come across
The barrage has lifted and it's safe to move
Your own side has called a halt

4 of 10

You need to check on the wire in No Man's Land after the night's repairs. It's a quiet morning. How do you look?

Use a trench periscope from below the parapet
Raise up for a glance too quick to be ranged
Look through a loophole plate set in the parapet
Wait for the sun behind you to dazzle their snipers

5 of 10

Your boots have been soaked for days. You finally get a few hours' rest and have one dry pair of socks. What's the priority?

Sleep now, deal with your feet when you rotate out
Wear both pairs at once for warmth
Keep the dry socks saved for the rest billet
Dry and tend your feet now, then put the dry socks on

6 of 10

Your officer orders the barbed wire repaired after dark. Why wait for night, when it's harder to see?

Because the enemy stand down and sleep at night
Because daylight work in the open is cut down by snipers and machine guns
Because the wire is cooler and safer to handle
Because artillery never fires in darkness

7 of 10

A man in your section spots an abandoned enemy rifle out in No Man's Land and wants to crawl out for it. What do you tell him?

Grab it quickly before anyone else does
Take just the ammunition and leave the rifle
Leave it where it lies
Fire it first to check it works, then bring it in

8 of 10

You're exhausted and not hungry, but a veteran tells you to eat your full ration now anyway. Why?

Because you can't count on the next meal arriving
Because officers inspect for clean plates
Because the food spoils within the hour
Because a full stomach blunts poison gas

9 of 10

A barrage is falling and a soldier near you panics and starts running blindly down the trench. What's the safest thing to do?

Follow him, he may know a safer spot
Climb out and run across the open to escape the shells
Fire your rifle to steady everyone's nerves
Stay under cover and hold your position

10 of 10

Between the big set-piece battles, what should you actually expect day to day at the front?

Long stretches of genuine calm and real safety
A steady daily trickle of losses from shells and snipers
Informal truces with the enemy that mostly hold
Safety, as long as you're not in the very front trench

WW1 Trench

About Nick Lee