There is no one person who can be credited with the idea of fighting World War 1 in trenches. The use of trenches in warfare had been around for centuries, and both the French and German armies had been developing their trench systems since the late 1800s. The French had been influenced by the success of the Russians in using trenches during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, and had begun building a series of fortifications along their border with Germany, known as the Maginot Line. The Germans had also been developing their own trench system, known as the Hindenburg Line, inspired by their field marshals Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff. Both sides believed that by digging in and creating a series of interconnected networks of trenches, they could create a defensive stalemate that would give them an advantage in the upcoming war.