WWI Begins

A Europe Divided 1914 – 2 Rival Groups Triple Entente Triple Alliance Great Britain, France, Russia Triple Alliance Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

The Great War Begins Chain Reaction A-H declares war on Serbia Russia moves army toward border w/A-H Mobilizes toward Germany in anticipation of declaration of war Germans view this as declaration of war Aug 1 – Germany declares war on Russia Aug 3 – Germany declares war on France Aug 4 - GB declares war on Germany

Nations Take Sides Mid-August 1914, battle lines were drawn Central Powers At first, Germany and A-H Later, Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire Hoped to gain land

Allies GB, France, Russia, Japan Italy Accuses Germany and A-H of unjustly starting war Joins the allies

The Conflict Begins The Schlieffen Plan Gen. Alfred Graf von Schlieffen German army would race west to defeat France Then fight Russia in the east Speed vital Quickest route through Belgium Refuse to allow them to pass Germany invades

Schlieffen Plan works at first Aug 1914 Germans overran Belgium and moved into France Sept. 3 – Germans on edge of Paris

Battle of the Marne Sept 5 Allies attack Germans northeast of Paris 2000 taxis used to transport troops from Paris Sept. 9 – Germans order retreat

Single-most important event of the war Defeat of Germans left Schlieffen Plan in ruins Quick victory no longer possible Russians had invaded Germany 2-Front war

Bloody Stalemate Along the Western Front Fall 1914 War turned into long and bloody stalemate Western Front Deadlocked region in Northern France

War in the Trenches 1915 – Trench Warfare Miles of parallel trenches along Western Front Offer protection Huge losses for small land gains Miserable life Men slept in mud rats No fresh food Sleep nearly impossible

“No Man’s Land” Space between trenches Men go “over the top” to cross Met by machine-gun fire Many die Bombed trenches

New tools of war kill thousands Machine guns Poison gas Armored tanks Larger artillery

Feb. 1916 – German attack at Verdun 300,000 die on both sides Germans advance 4 miles July 1916 - Battle of the Somme 20,000 British die in one day 500,000 on both sides by November British gain 5 miles

Battle on the Eastern Front German and Russian Border Russians and Serbs vs. Germans, Austro-Hungarians, Turks More mobile than Western Front

Early Fighting Central Powers gain the advantage Aug. 1914 – Germans force Russian retreat 30,000 Russians killed Sept 1914 – Russians defeat Austrians Drive deep into Austria Dec 1914 – Austria turns the tide 17-day battle near Limanowa Defeat Russians and drive east Jan. 1915 – push Russians out of Austria

Russia Struggles 1916 - Russia’s war effort near collapse Russia not industrialized Short on food, guns, ammo, clothes, boots, blankets Allies unable to ship supplies to Russia Russia had only one asset Huge numbers prevent Germans from focusing on Western Front