The major turning points were still more like battles from the Napoleonic Wars than WWI.

It's also much easier with hindsight to view them as precursors to the trench warfare of WWI. But I believe contemporaries viewed it more like classic siege warfare.

WWI occurred in a brief window where defensive technology/strategy was much more effective* than offensive technology/strategy.

*defense almost ways is easier, but it was much more than normal in that period.