Why did it take so long to break the stalemate on the Western Front?

By the end of 1914 a stalemate had developed on the Western front due to the failure of the Schlieffen Plan. Between 1915-1917 several large attempts were made to break the stalemate that ended in failure and massive loss of lives. After the failure of the battle of Passchendaele other tactics were thought about, which were then used in the Ludendorff Offensive, which finally broke the stalemate in March 1918. In 1915 the three main attempts to break the stalemate came from attacks on both the western and eastern fronts, and through the introduction of gas. Those who believed that an attack on the western front was the way the stalemate would be broken included Britains General Haig, Frances General Joffre and Germanys General Falkenhayne. Throughout 1915 this philosophy saw many French and British attacks with little planning, just men being sent over the top of their trenches. These attacks included battles such as Champagne, January-March 1915, that saw 145 000 French casualties, Neuve Chapelle, March-May 1915, that saw 13 000 British and 14 000 German casualties and Vimy Ridge, May 1915, 127 000 Allied casualties, and 75 000 German casualties.