1. Europe Plunges Into War
Chapter 13
Section 2

2. Main Idea
One European nation after another was drawn into a large and industrialized war that resulted in many casualties.
Much of the technology of modern warfare, such as fighter planes and tanks, was introduced in World War I.

3. Introduction By 1914, Europe was divided into two rival camps.
The Triple Entente
Great Britain, France and Russia
The Triple Alliance
Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
Austria’s declaration of war against Serbia set off a chain reaction within the alliance system.
Pledged to support each other.

4. The Great War Begins
Russia began moving its army toward the Russian-Austrian border in response to Austria’s declaration of war against Serbia.
Russia expected Germany to join Austria, therefore, they also moved their troops to the German border.
Germany took this as a declaration of war.
Germany declared war on Russia on 8/1/1914

6. The Great War Begins (cont.)
Russia looked to France for help.
Before France could react, Germany declared war on them, too.
Great Britain declared war on Germany.

7. Nations Take Sides
By mid-August 1914, the battle lines were clearly drawn.
Germany and A-H were on one side.
Central Powers
Later joined by Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire
Britain, France and Russia on the other side.
Allied Powers or Allies
Japan soon joined
Italy joined later

8. I thought Italy was part of the Triple Alliance…
Italy had been a member of the Triple Alliance with Germany and A-H.
However, Italians felt that Germany and A-H unjustly started a war and changed sides.

9. A Bloody Stalemate Many people felt that the war would be short.
By fall of 1914, the war turned into a long and bloody stalemate.
This deadlocked region in northern France became known as the Western Front.

10. The Conflict Grinds Along
Germany was facing a war on two fronts.
Developed a battle strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan.
Called for attacking and defeating France in the west then rushing to fight Russia in the east.
Germans felt this plan would work because Russians lagged behind Europe in their railroad system.
This meant longer waits for supplies on the front line.

11. The First Battle of Marne
German leaders needed a quick victory over France.
Things looked good for Germany at first.
They entered the outskirts of Paris.
Allies, however, regrouped and attacked the Germans.
After four days of fighting, Germans gave the order to retreat.

12. Single Most Important Event of the War
The First Battle of Marne.
Defeat of the Germans left the Schlieffen Plan in ruins.
Russian forces had already invaded Germany in the east.
Germany was forced to fight a two front war.
Sent troops to the east.
Western Front remained in stalemate.

13. War in the Trenches
By 1915, the armies on the Western Front had dug miles of parallel trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire.
This set the stage for trench warfare.
Soldiers fought each other from the trenches.
Armies traded huge losses of life for small land gains.

14. Trench Life Life in trenches was pure misery. Mud Rats
Food – nonexistent
Sleep – nearly impossible

15. No Man’s Land Space between the trenches = no man’s land.
When ordered to attack, soldiers would enter this area.
Faced many rounds of gunfire
Stay in the trench?
Gunfire went right into the trenches, too. WWI - European Conflict.asx

16. New Tools Military strategists were at a loss.
The new tools of war had not delivered the fast moving war they expected.
Machine guns
Poison gas
Armored tanks
Larger artillery
Big Bertha
Technology killed
greater numbers of people
more effectively.

17. The Battle on the Eastern Front
War on the Western Front claimed thousands of lives.
Both sides were still sending millions more men to fight on the Eastern Front.
Stretch of battlefield along the German and Russian border.
Russians and Serbs were battling Germans and Austro-Hungarians.
More mobile than in the west.
Slaughter and stalemate were still common.

18. Early Fighting
Russian forces launched an attack into both Austria and Germany.
Germans counterattacked and crushed the Russian army, killing 30,000 Russians.
Russians drove deep into Austria after two wins.
Three months later (December 1914) Austrians defeated the Russians and pushed them out of their country.

19. Russia Struggles By 1916, Russia’s war effort was near collapse.
Russia was not industrialized like other European countries.
Short on food, guns, ammunition, clothes, boots and blankets.
Allied supply shipments were limited by German control of the Baltic Sea, extensive submarines in the North Sea and Ottoman control of the Black Sea.

20. Russia’s Asset Russian army’s one asset – it’s numbers.
The Russian army, due to it’s population, managed to hold up hundreds of thousands of German troops on the Eastern Front.
As a result, Germany could not fully attack the west.
Fighting soon spread to Africa, Southwest and Southeast Asia.