Final answer:
Between the trenches, barbed wire was deployed in no-man's-land to slow down enemy troops, making them vulnerable to machine gun and artillery fire. This created a stalemate along nearly five hundred miles of the Western Front in World War I.
Step-by-step explanation:
The materials placed between opposing trenches to impair enemy movement and ensure a defensive advantage were many and varied. Predominantly, the no-man's-land was the land between the trenches, designed to snag and catch troops, slowing them down as they tried to advance. Soldiers would need wire cutters to break through barbed wire entanglements which made them easy targets for machine gun nests and artillery fire from the other side.
The trench warfare during World War I resulted in a complex infrastructure with both sides trying to outmaneuver one another. The Western Front saw an evolved trench system that included defensive trenches, secondary trenches, machine-gun nests, and artillery emplacements, stretching nearly five hundred miles after both sides failed to outflank each other in 'The Race to the Sea'. As a result, a stalemate ensued, characterized by the futility of offensive strategies in the face of improved defensive capabilities including the extensive use of trenches, machine guns, and modern rifles.