1. World War I: Part 1
Stalemate

2. Initial Expectations
Many leaders thought the war would be over quick & include quick, decisive victories
1st Battle of Marne – stops German advance
Germany – now fights on two fronts

3. Trench Warfare
Style of fighting that developed primarily along the western front
Western Front - ran from North Sea to Switzerland’s border
Eastern Front – more mobile

4. No-Man’s Land Thin strip of land between the two trenches
Contained barbed wire and land mines
Charging no-man’s-land called going over the top and considered suicide during the day

18. Two Offensives To Break The Stalemate 1. Battle of Verdun 2
Two Offensives To Break The Stalemate 1. Battle of Verdun Battle of the Somme

19. Battle of Verdun Germany Offensive – Feb 1916
French city of Verdun targeted
Surrounded by forts
Symbolic French town – they would defend it
German goal – bleed France white

20. Battle of Verdun
German’s launched a 21 hour artillery barrage then 1 mil. man attack
= French knew it was coming.
Battle raged for months with neither side winning
Over 1 million casualties / ½ Dead

21. Two Offensives To Break The Stalemate
2. Battle of Somme

22. Battle of Somme Main Allied Offensive of 1916
Goal: drain Germany’s reserves
Allies bombard Germans for 8 days then 750,000 men attack – “walk across no-man’s land”
British forces lost 60,000 soldiers in one day - record
Four month battle left 1 million dead and wounded – achieved nothing

23. Two Offensives To Break The Stalemate
Results:
Neither the Battle of Verdun or the Battle of Somme could break the stalemate and trench warfare would continue

24. New Weapons of the War

25. Machine Guns Fired 400-600 rounds per minute
Much more effective than rifles – one worth 75 rifles
Most are heavy
Portable at end of war
= Killing machine

28. Tanks Introduced by the Allies at Somme
Countered the effectiveness of the machine gun and barbwire in trench warfare
Broke down often
Slow – 2-5 mph

32. Poison Gas Uncivilized before WWI
Released as a cloud of mist to drift over trenches
Launched in exploding shells also
Without gas masks – certain death

37. Submarines
Effectively sank many commercial and military ships with no warning
Had little effect on outcome of the war

39. Airplanes Engaged in fights that became known as dogfights
Had little effect on outcome of the war