1. WORLD WAR I THREE MAJOR BATTLES THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE
THE BATTLE OF VERDUN
THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

2. GERMANY’S TWO FRONT PROBLEM
GERMANY HAD ALWAYS FEARED HAVING TO FIGHT A TWO FRONT WAR, ON BOTH ITS WESTERN BORDER WITH FRANCE AND ITS EASTERN BORDER WITH RUSSIA
TWO DEAL WITH THIS SCENARIO, FROM , THE GERMANY ARMY WORKED ON A PLAN.
THE PLAN BECAME KNOWN AS THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN

3. THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
WWI WAS THE EXACT SCENARIO THE GERMANS HAD FEARED – WAR WITH BOTH FRANCE AND RUSSIA AT THE SAME TIME.
THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN CALLED FOR THE GERMANS TO DEFEAT FRANCE FIRST, IN 42 DAYS, AND THEN TURN EVERYTHING AGAINST RUSSIA.

4. HOW THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN WOULD WORK
THE GERMANS WOULD ATTACK FRANCE ALONG A LONG EXTENDED FRONT RUNNING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH ALONG THE FRENCH AND GERMAN BORDER.
THE NORTHERN SECTION, OR RIGHT FLANK OF THE GERMAN ARMY, WOULD BE THE STRONGEST.
THE RIGHT FLANK WOULD CUT THROUGH NEUTRAL BELGIUM, WHICH WOULD NOT BE DEFENDED.

5. HOW THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN WOULD WORK
THE STRONG RIGHT FLANK WOULD HEAD WEST, TOWARD THE COAST, THEN TURN SOUTH, IN A GIANT WHEEL MOTION, AND ENVELOPE PARIS AND THE BULK OF THE FRENCH ARMY FROM BEHIND.

6. FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE
SEPT. 5 – SEPT. 12, 1914
FRENCH AND BRITISH FOUGHT THE GERMANS
2,000,000 MEN TOTAL ON BOTH SIDES
GERMANS WERE ONLY A DAY’S MARCH AWAY FROM PARIS, BUT DEVIATED FROM THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN.
THE GERMAN COMMANDER TURNED HIS RIGHT FLANK TO THE SOUTHEAST HOPING TO CAPTURE THE BULK OF THE RETREATING FRENCH ARMY.

7. FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE
WHEN THE GERMANS TURNED SOUTHEAST, THEY NOW EXPOSED THEIR RIGHT FLANK TO GERMAN COUNTER ATTACK.
FRENCH RESERVE TROOPS WERE RUSHED UP OVERNIGHT FROM PARIS IN TAXI CABS.
THE FRENCH COUNTER ATTACK AGAINST THE GERMANS DROVE THEM BACK, AND SAVED PARIS FROM GERMAN CAPTURE.

8. FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE

9. FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE

10. FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE

11. FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE

12. FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE
IT WAS A HUGE VICTORY AND GAVE MORAL SUPPORT TO THE FRENCH.
IT LEAD TO 4 YEARS OF STALEMATE AND TRENCH WARFARE.
250,000 FRENCH CASUALTIES
17,000 BRITISH CASUALTIES
220,000 GERMAN CASUALTIES

13. THE BATTLE OF VERDUN FEB. 21 – 18 DEC. 1916 BIGGEST BATTLE IN HISTORY
THE GERMAN PLAN WAS TO “BLEED THE FRENCH, WHITE.”
THE GERMANS ATTACKED THE FORTIFIED CITY OF VERDUN ON THE MEUSE RIVER.
VERDUN WAS SURROUNDED BY A SERIES OF LARGE AND SMALL UNDERGROUND FORTS.

14. THE BATTLE OF VERDUN
GERMANS TOOK MOST OF THE FORTS, BUT COULD NOT BREAK THE FRENCH LINE AND TAKE THE CITY.
THE FRENCH FINALLY TOOK BACK ALL THE GROUND THE GERMANS HAD SEIZED.
1,100,000 FRENCH SOLDIERS – 362,000 KILLED
1,200,000 GERMANS SOLDIERS – 336,000 KILLED
976,000 TOTAL CASUALTIES

15. THE BATTLE OF VERDUN

16. THE BATTLE OF VERDUN

17. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME JULY 1 TO NOV. 18 1916.
BIGGEST BATTLE IN BRITISH HISTORY
BRITISH ATTACKED GERMAN TRENCHES NEAR THE SOMME RIVER IN NORTHERN FRANCE
MORE THAN 60,000 BRITISH CASUALTIES ON THE FIRST DAY!

18. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME
15TH OF SEPT. THE DEBUT OF THE NEW BRITISH WEAPON – THE TANK
WHEN THE BATTLE WAS OVER, THE BRITISH HAD CAPTURED 7 MILES OF GROUND.
1,200,000 BRITISH SOLDIERS – 623,907 CASUALTIES
1,375,000 GERMANS SOLDIERS – 465,000 CASUALTIES
2 CASUALTIES FOR EVERY CENTIMETER OF GROUND TAKEN

19. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

20. THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

21. THE GREATEST WEAPON OF WWI
BRITISH RIFLE – SHORT MAGAZINE LEE ENFIELD
SMLE FOR SHORT – KNICKNAMED “SMELLY”