1. World War I: The Great War
Battles to 1917

2. The Trenches

3. TRENCH WARFARE Trench Warfare: Terrible Living conditions Trench foot
Over the top
No Man’s Land

10. New Weapons
Bayonet
Barbed Wire
Flamethrower
Mortars

11. New Weapons
Machine Gun
Poison Gas
Tanks
Zeppelins
Airplanes

13. The Schlieffen Plan The Schlieffen Plan:
Germany’s plan to deal with a TWO-FRONT war
The German army DID NOT want to fight the war on BOTH fronts at the SAME time

14. The Schlieffen Plan Germany believed that the Russian army was slow
Believed they could defeat FR on the Western Front in 5 to weeks

15. The Schlieffen Plan Planned to invade Belgium & encircle Paris
They would then be able to fight Russia on the Eastern Front

16. Expectations
Both sides thought that the war would be a quick ordeal…

17. Expectations
“You’ll be home before the leaves have fallen from the trees…”
Both sides underestimated the role that industrialization would play during World War I

18. Why did the Schlieffen Plan Fail?
Belgium did NOT give up!
Stopped the German advance for 3 weeks
Russia attacked Germany before it was ready; Germany was forced to send troops east…

19. Why did the Schlieffen Plan Fail?
The German army was unable to encircle Paris
French and British troops regrouped & met German troops Northeast of Paris
Result? Stalemate on both fronts!!

20. Western Front 1st Battle of the Marne (1914):
Trenches from the North Sea to Switzerland
Battle of attrition
Allied victory
GR abandons the Schlieffen Plan

21. Western Front Battle of Verdun (1916): Longest & bloodiest battle
Battle of attrition
Stalemate; no clear winner

22. At Sea GB immediately blockaded the North Sea with ships & mines
Blocked the German navy in…
Engaged in minor skirmishes until 1916

23. At Sea Battle of Jutland (1916):
British “victory” even though Great Britain lost the greatest # of ships
William II withdrew the German fleet to Baltic sea for the rest of the war

24. At Sea Germany depended on submarines
Targeted ships coming from the US
President Wilson  NO!

25. Eastern Front Russia entered the war before it was ready
Battle of Tannenberg (1914):
Russia lost to German troops under General Hindenberg

26. Eastern Front
Russian Commander Samsonov committed suicide when he realized that his army had been surrounded

27. Eastern Front Battle of Gallipoli:
Western Allied powers attacked at the Dardanelles
Wanted to get communications & aid to Russia
The Great War . Maps & Battles . Gallipoli | PBS
Australians and New Zealanders

28. Eastern Front Conditions worsened for Russia
Injured soldiers returned from the frontlines & discussed the truths of the war

29. Eastern Front Unrest increased at home, especially in St. Petersburg
Czar Nicholas was blamed for the problems

30. Until 1917 – Stalemate on all fronts
Then….1917