The Great War

Unexpected yet inevitable  Most early 20 th century Europeans believed an all out European war was unlikely.  Economic growth and interdependence in trade and finance brought European states and the entire world closer than ever before.  Communications, advances in travel and tourism allowed people to appreciate other nations and cultures.

Unexpected yet inevitable  Despite growing interdependence, no international organization existed to diffuse crises (each state was sovereign.)  Most European nations increased the size of their armies, navies, and armaments.  Nations planned for war an instituted mandatory service requirements.  With heightened nationalism, most people welcomed war in 1914 in euphoria and the belief in quick victory (and little knowledge of war’s effects).

A War on Two Fronts  The Germans faced a war on two fronts on opposite sides of their nation; against Britain and France in the west and Russia in the East.

The Schlieffen Plan  The German plan was developed by Alfred Graf von Schlieffen in 1905 in the event of a war against France and Russia.  It called for invasion of neutral Belgium and a defeat of France by taking Paris in 6 weeks.  The Russians would be slow to mobilize, so Germany could then move its troops to the east.

War in the West  Failure of the Schlieffen Plan – German General Helmuth von Moltke led his troops through a heavily defended area of Belgium, slowing their advance. – The British forces sent to help the French further slowed the German advance. – The Russians mobilized faster than expected, necessitating the move of two German divisions to the Eastern Front.

War in the West  Battle of the Marne (Sept. 1914) – The French reorganized and launched a counterattack against the Germans. – On Sept. 5, the German and French Armies met in northern France near the Marne River. – The French were able to push the Germans back 50 miles and saved Paris from attack.

War in the West  Stalemate – In late 1914, each army tried to outflank the other to gain ground without success. – Despite heavy losses on both sides there were no major breakthroughs. – In 1915, the war in the west settled into a stable front the stretched from the Swiss border to the North Sea coast.

Trench Warfare  With the stability of the front lines, the war moved into trenches dug by armies on both sides, stretching for over 500 miles.

Trench Warfare  Soldiers lived in the trenches for weeks faced with filth, rats, regular artillery attacks, and the danger of poison gas attacks.

Trench Warfare  A “no-man’s-land” existed between the trenches of the two armies.  Soldiers would go “over the top” of their trenches and attempt to storm the other line, often being cut down by machine gun fire.

Impact of New Technology Machine Gun  The introduction of the machine gun forced soldiers into the trenches to avoid being killed.  Many still were however when they attempted to charge enemy lines.

War in the West  Battle of Verdun – In Feb. 1916, Germany attempted an assault on the French stronghold at Verdun. – They failed, going on the defensive in July, but continuing the battle until December. – At Verdun, the French lost over 540,000 men, while the Germans lost over 430,000.

War in the West  Battle of the Somme – In July 1916, the British and French launched an assault along 38 miles of the Somme River. – By November, the Allies had only advanced 7 miles and the British lost 400,000 men while the French lost 200,000 (the Germans lost 650,000)

Impact of New Technology Poison Gas  The French were the first to use gas, but it was not poisonous.  The Germans first used poison gas at the Battle of Ypres in  All other nations soon followed in using gas in war.

Impact of New Technology Tanks  Tanks were first used by the British in the Battle of the Somme in  The early tanks were to slow and not well armed, but they foretold how tanks could be used as weapons in the future.

Impact of New Technology Airplane  The introduction of the airplane allowed for reconnaissance of enemy positions, bombing of enemy positions, and the first air- to-air combat known as “dog fighting.”

Air Ace - The Red Baron  Captain Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen was the greatest ace of World War I.  He had over 80 victories.  He was killed in combat on April 21, 1918, only months before the end of the war.

War in the East  Eastern Front – Battle of Tannenberg – On August 13 th, Russians invaded East Prussia (present day Poland) faster that the Germans expected. – The two armies met at Tannenberg and the Russian successes ended. – 30,000 Russian soldiers were killed and 92,000 were taken prisoner.

War in the East  Russia did have some success against Austria in taking Galicia.  But the Germans advanced into Russian Poland, taking Warsaw.  Russian offensives against the Austrians remained indecisive and they continued to lose territory to the Germans.

War in the East  Continued failures in the war forced Tsar Nicholas II to take direct command of the army in September  A Russian advance against Austria in June 1916 was halted with German assistance.  Rumania entered the war against Austria in August, but was defeated and Rumania was occupied by Austria.

War in the East  By the end of 1916, the Russian army began to crumble do to lack of supplies, men and effective leadership.  The revolutions of 1917 eventually ended any possibility of continued Russian fighting.  The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the war between Russian and the Central Powers in March 1918.

The Italian Front  Italy stayed out of the war at the beginning.  The allies convinced her to join them through the Treaty of London which promised Italy Austrian and Turkish territory and land in Africa.  In May 1915, Italy attacked Austria.  Italy was unsuccessful and Austria defeated her at Caporetto in  The British and French then rushed in troops to stabilize the front.

The Gallipoli Campaign  Nov the Ottomans entered the war supporting the Central Powers, closing the Turkish Straits to allied shipping.  Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, organized an amphibious campaign against the Gallipoli Peninsula in Feb  The force of British and ANZACs failed and they withdrew in January 1916.

War in the Middle East  Russians succeeded in turning back a Turkish offensive in the Caucasus in 1915, but the Turks massacred and deported the Armenians.  The British took Baghdad and Jerusalem in 1917, hoping to open a route to Russia.  The British were successful in pushing the Arabs to revolt with the help of British Colonel T.E. Lawrence. T.E. Lawrence

War at Sea  The Battle of Jutland – British and Germans were wary to use their fleets in battle. – On May 31, 1916 they finally met at Jutland. – There was no clear winner in the greatest battleship battle ever. – British blockade continued and Germany denied access to the Baltic.

War at Sea  Submarine Warfare – In Feb Germany began unrestricted submarine warfare to starve out Britain. – In May, the British liner Lusitania was sunk, killing 139 Americans, protests had the Germans put restrictions on their campaign. – German loses persuaded them to renew their campaign in Feb. 1917

Entry of the United States  Tensions between the U.S. and Germany had grown throughout the war, but most citizens and President Wilson were determined to remain neutral.  In March, 1917 the British intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram. – German foreign minister Zimmerman had proposed to Mexico to attack the United States, in which in would receive the U.S. Southwest and prevent U.S. entry in the European War. – This enraged public opinion, and in April, 1917 the U.S. declared war on Germany.