Japan, Belgium, Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, Czechoslovak legions The Sides Allied Powers Central Powers Britain Germany France Austria-Hungary Russia (1917 exit) Ottoman Empire United States (1917 entry) Bulgaria Italy Japan, Belgium, Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, Czechoslovak legions

The Fronts WWI is fought on two main fronts (contested area where the two sides are fighting) – the Eastern Front and the Western Front.

Trench Warfare The soldiers live in holes in the ground, separated by “no-man’s-land.” The trenches include barbed wire, machinegun nests, gun batteries and heavy artillery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq7KrXffLIo

Trench Warfare Unfortunately, military leaders had never fought this way before – they were used to mobile battles. The only plan they could come up with was to order masses of soldiers into a frontal assault to try to break through the enemy trenches. Begin with heavy artillery (bombing/shelling) and then send thousands of troops across no-man’s-land while completely exposed to machine-gun fire. Thousands of men could be mown down in minutes and the few that made it to the other side then had to face the enemy in their trenches.

“Going over the top”

Downton Abbey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJ13qnULRQ

Responses to trench warfare stalemate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM

Warning: next image is very graphic (shows trench foot) I like to talk about how warfare evolved during WWI; if you don’t like to talk about it, just show them the pictures! Warning: next image is very graphic (shows trench foot)

Trenches are bad bc bacteria and waste and things

Tanks can (sometimes) go over trenches

Also in response to trenches: artillery shells

And gas! Mustard gas, among other things.

And in response to gas, gas masks!

Warning: next image is fairly graphic (shows effects of poison gas) Even for dogs! Warning: next image is fairly graphic (shows effects of poison gas)

— Giulio Douhet (Italian staff officer), 1909 “The sky is about to become another battlefield no less important than the battlefields on land and sea....In order to conquer the air, it is necessary to deprive the enemy of all means of flying, by striking at him in the air, at his bases of operation, or at his production centers. We had better get accustomed to this idea, and prepare ourselves.” — Giulio Douhet (Italian staff officer), 1909 And airplanes!

The Red Baron German fighter pilot Top “ace” of WWI with 80 air combat victories Shot down and killed on April 21, 1918

Zeppelin ZEPPELINS ARE SO COOL

And propaganda!

Zeppelins became unused bc they could be bombed

1917 Russia leaves the war U.S. enters the war Why? Why? Russian Revolution (more on that next time) Why? German U-boats sank the Lustania, carrying American citizens Zimmerman Telegram

The Last Push The stalemate had dragged on from 1914-1917. But when the U.S. entered the war, the Germans decided to gamble and launch an all-out offensive on the Western Front (hoping to win before the U.S. could send too many troops over). They came within 50 miles of Paris, but were stopped at the Second Battle of the Marne by French, Moroccan, and American troops.

The End of the War With 2 million American troops, the Allies were able to push Germany back. 11:11 AM, 11/11/1918 – armistice ends the fighting

WWI 65 million soldiers involved in the war 37 million casualties (dead or wounded) ALLIED POWERS Country Killed Total Casualties Russia 1,700,000 9,150,000 Britain 908,371 3,190,235 France 1,357,800 6,160,800 Italy 650,000 2,197,000 United States 116,516 323,018 TOTAL 5,142,631 22,062,427 CENTRAL POWERS Country Killed Total Casualties Germany 1,773,700 7,142,558 Austria-Hungary 1,200,000 7,020,000 Turkey 325,000 975,000 TOTAL 3,386,200 15,404,477