The Western Front: A “War of Attrition”

Western Front – NW France Schlieffen Plan – Fight West then East Go through Belgium to attack France Russia would be slow to mobilize on other side Why? So they wouldn’t have to fight a 2-front war Battle of the Marne (1914) French push Germans back Gave Russia time to invade Significance – Left Schlieffen Plan in ruins, no quick victory

The Western Front

The Schlieffen Plan

German Atrocities in Belgium

A Multi-Front War

Western Front – NW France Verdun (1916) Germans attack French, French hold ground One of the bloodiest battles (700,000 each) Battle of the Somme (1916) British and French attack Germans 500,000 each; Debut of the tank! Stalemate No breakthroughs War of Attrition Each side tries to wear down the other with constant attacks To protect themselves – soldiers built trenches Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front – hell of trench warfare and how war broke the young men fighting – no idealism

We see men living with their skulls blown open; we see soldiers run with their two feet cut off…Still the little piece of convulsed earth in which we lie is held. We have yielded no more than a few hundred yards…But on every yard there lies a dead man. -Erich Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare “No Man’s Land”

Verdun – February, 1916 German offensive. Each side had 500,000 casualties.

The Somme – July, 1916 60,000 British soldiers killed in one day.

War Is HELL !!

Sacrifices in War

Krupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun (Howitzer)

The Eastern Front

Eastern Front Eastern Front – German & Russian border Eastern warfare was more mobile, heavy casualties Tannenburg Russians encircled and destroyed by Germans (Gen. Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff) Limanowa 17 day battle – Austria v. Russia Russia pushed out of Austria-Hungary Gallipoli – Goal: take Ottomans out of war Way to get supplies to Russia Stalemate

The Gallipoli Disaster, 1915

The Widening War October 1914 – Ottomans joined Central Powers – German pressure/alliance + they start bombing Russian ports Brought the war into the Middle East 1915 – Armenian Genocide - Ottoman govt ordered a genocidal mass deportation of the Armenians b/c they had welcomed Russians as liberators Bulgaria joined to settle old scores with Serbia (1st & 2nd Balkan Wars) May 1915 – Italy joined the Allies In return for Austrian territory

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians Districts & Vilayets of Western Armenia in Turkey 1914 1922 Erzerum 215,000 1,500 Van 197,000 500 Kharbert 204,000 35,000 Diarbekir 124,000 3,000 Bitlis 220,000 56,000 Sivas 225,000 16,800   Other Armenian-populated Sites in Turkey Western Anatolia 371,800 27,000 Cilicia and Northern Syria 309,000 70,000 European Turkey 194,000 163,000 Trapizond District 73,390 15,000 Total 2,133,190 387,800

The Widening War British had some success inciting Arab revolts against Turks Lawrence of Arabia, a British Colonel led an Arab revolt against Ottoman Empire Colonies in E. Asia and Africa support Allies Provided supplies and troops (1mil) Helped seize German colonies Japan helped grab German outposts in the Pacific Ocean and in China

T. E. Lawrence & the “Arab Revolt”, 1916-18

Sikh British Soldiers in India

Fighting in Africa Black Soldiers in the German Schutztruppen [German E. Africa] British Sikh Mountain Gunners

3rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade Fighting in Africa 3rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade

America Joins the Allies

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare German subs (U-boats) will sink w/o warning any ship in the waters around Britain Because GB blockaded German ports Germans sink British passenger liner Lusitania– 128 Americans killed Wilson issues ultimatum – stop sub warfare or war with US! U.S. enters war – April 2, 1917 Germans keep sinking ships Zimmerman (German) writes telegram to Mexico – in return for support, Germany will help them regain New Mexico, Texas, Arizona Significance – more supplies and soldiers, built up morale

The Sinking of the Lusitania

war zone

The Zimmerman Telegram

The Yanks Are Coming!

Recruitment Posters

A Young Australian Recruit

A German Boy Pretends to Be a Soldier

The Home Front

Women and the War Effort

Financing the War

For Recruitment

Munitions Workers

French Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

A Woman Ambulance Driver

Red Cross Nurses

Russian Women Soldiers

Spies “Mata Hari” Real Name: Margareetha Geertruide Zelle Dutch exotic dancer and a German Spy! Killed by firing squad

The War of the Industrial Revolution: New Technology

French Renault Tank

British Tank at Ypres

U-Boats

“Squadron Over the Brenta” Max Edler von Poosch, 1917 The Airplane “Squadron Over the Brenta” Max Edler von Poosch, 1917

The Flying Aces of World War I Eddie Rickenbacher, US Francesco Barraco, It. Eddie “Mick” Mannoch, Br. Manfred von Richtoffen, Ger. [The “Red Baron”] Rene Pauk Fonck, Fr. Willy Coppens de Holthust, Belg.

The Zeppelin

Flame Throwers Grenade Launchers

Poison Gas Machine Gun

Mobilizing for Total War Mass enthusiasm at first Due to high demand, govt must manage economies = total war effort War Raw Materials Board – rationed goods Walter Rathenau, German Jew Raw materials and food rations (<1000cal) Creation of synthetic rubber and nitrates for explosives

Mobilizing for Total War Military leaders, Hindenburg and Ludendorff, became rulers of Germany 1916 – Germany introduces Auxiliary Service Law – males 16-70 must work at jobs critical to war effort Total war in Germany = totalitarianism

Social and Political Impact War = full employment Greater social equality Increased power for labor unions Women work in industry, transport, offices, nurses, doctors – changes attitudes toward women More censorship and propaganda

Social and Political Impact Total war = led to strikes, mutinies, demonstrations, low morale (1916) Ireland uprising (Easter Rebellion)– smashed Italy – troops mutinied France – units refuse to fight; Gen Henri Philippe Petain restored order Austria – national dissatisfaction with the Empire grew Germany - Socialist uprising led by Karl Liebknecht – radical socialist Reichstag votes against war money Workers strike