The Major Battles of WWI (The Battle of Tannenberg)

1. The Major Battles of WWI • (The Battle of Tannenberg) • August 26-30th 1914 on the EASTERN FRONT (East Prussia) • Germans, originally in retreat, replace their old leader and install Commander Paul Von Hindenburg and go on attack instead…..Russian general was unaware of the change of plans • Germans intercept un-coded message that indicated Russian general in charge was in no hurry to attack as Germans were “retreating”... • Germans that were “retreating” doubled back around and circled Russian troops from right side while another unit attacked from the left, encircling them and capturing 92,000 men, killing countless more, and in all having Russians lose 250,000 men • COMPLETE DISASTER FOR RUSSIA ON EASTERN FRONT!

2. The Major Battles of WWI • (The First Battle of the Marne) • September 6-10th 1914 on the WESTERN FRONT • Marks the beginning of Trench Warfare and beginning/end of The Schlieffen plan (as Germans are defeated) • French General Joseph Jacque Joffre is the hero, as he had halted a French retreat and, instead, went on the offensive with reinforcements to defeat wary German troops • Was a wholly French operation, as British forces did not arrive until September 11th, by which time the Germans were already in retreat • Defeat forces Germans to the Aisne River, where Trench Warfare really begins

3. The Major Battles of WWI • (The First Battle of Ypres) • October 19th – late November (disputed dates) 1914 on the WESTERN FRONT (Ypres, Belgium) • Also known as the Battle of Flanders • First use of poison gas in the war (by Germans) • Germans suffered 130,000 casualties, British suffered 60,000 • First time Army of India and the British Territorial was used in WWI

4. The Major Battles of WWI • (The Battle of Gallipoli) • April 25th 1915- January 9th 1916 on Gallipoli Peninsula in TURKEY • Turkey entered war in October 1914 by bombing Russian ports on the Black Sea • British and French launched attack on Turkey to try to capture Constantinople (Ottoman capital) and secure a waterway to Russia • First involvement of ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) • Admiral Winston Churchill of England acted on erroneous information from T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) about Turkish troop strength • Ottomans prevailed, aided by Bulgaria’s joining of Central Powers: victory rekindles Ottoman Empire

5. The Major Battles of WWI • (The Battle of Verdun) • February 21st – July of 1916 on the WESTERN FRONT • One of the costliest and bloodiest of all the battles in the War • German strategy was to inflict maximum casualties and force the French from the city: roughly 400,000 French are killed, about 350,000 Germans (750,000 total) • French General Henri-Philippe Petain is the hero of the war, as he prevents Germans from taking Verdun (the city in which the battle took place) • French efforts helped by the fact that British allies launched an offensive at the Somme River, forcing Germans to leave to reinforce their forces there.

6. The Major Battles of WWI • (The Battle of the Somme) • July 1-November 13th, 1916 on the WESTERN FRONT • The British initiated the fight against the Germans as a counter offensive for Verdun: 60,000 casualties for the British on the first day of the battle, 20,000 killed • A futile/indecisive battle: only 5 miles of ground gained the entire time • British suffered 420,000 casualties, the French 195,000, the Germans 650,000 • Only real success of the battle was that it relieved the French troops at Verdun by forcing German troops to come to aid of their forces at the Somme: TANKS WERE USED FOR THE FIRST TIME!