250 likes | 360 Views
The Course of World War One. Some key Ideas ‘The lamps are going out all over Europe: we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime’. World War One- Course- Key Terms- TOTAL WAR. LIMITED WAR v TOTAL WAR
E N D
The Course of World War One Some key Ideas\ ‘The lamps are going out all over Europe: we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime’
World War One- Course- Key Terms- TOTAL WAR • LIMITED WAR v TOTAL WAR • ‘Limited wars’ of the 18th / 19th century- largely the business of rulers and their armies • Armies small in size- manoeuvre to avoid battle rather than engaging in it • Societies largely untouched by war- trade continued • TOTAL WAR- envelops the whole of society • Total mobilization of the nation’s resources for victory (war economy) • Social, economic (cultural) and political structure affected / undermined by involvement in war. • Psychological trauma (‘The lost generation’) • Wars had increased in intensity and impact in the 18th and 19th century
Key Phases of the War • STAGE 1- The battle for a quick victory 1914 • The breakdown of the war of movement / manoeuvre • The race to the sea • The development of the Western Front- trench warfare • Defeats for Russia- Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes
Phase 2- Deadlock- 1914-1917 • Attrition • Battle of the Somme • Battle of Verdun
Phase 3- The Tide Turns-1917 • Importance of US entry into the war • The Russian Revolution
Phase 4- 1918 the Final Collapse of Germany • Failure of the German offensive • Failure of Germany’s allies • Wilson’s Fourteen Points for Peace • The armistice
What were the Belligerents’ Aims and Resources? • To what extent did the Allies’ initial resources surpass those of the Central Powers? • How did the aims of the two sides change after the beginning of the war? • Why did Germany’s success depend on a short war and how did its aims and those of its enemies make this unlikely?
http://www.activehistory.co.uk/Miscellaneous/menus/GCSE/The_Great_War_Course.htmhttp://www.activehistory.co.uk/Miscellaneous/menus/GCSE/The_Great_War_Course.htm • Fordie • guardian
Wilfred Owen • What does ‘Exposure’ tell us about life on the Western Front?
Key Question • What factors enabled most soldiers to carry on fighting in spite of the appalling conditions they faced?
How did the war of manoeuvre turn into stalemate? • Schlieffen Plan ‘six week’ strategy- use of railway to return the German soldiers to the Eastern Front • Belgian fortifications. • Russia attack began sooner than expected. • German army was unable to capture Paris. • French govt. retreated to Bordeaux. • General Joffre ordered a counter attack- 1st battle of the Marne (Sept. 1914). • Germany forced to retreat- ‘digging in’ –creating the Western Front- Channel to the Swiss Border.
Stalemate • War of defence and the instruments of defence- trench, artillery, barbed wire and machine gun- proved more successful than instruments of attack- artillery, rifle and bayonet. • Surprise attack almost impossible- due to artillery barrage before an attack, aerial observation • War of attrition developed as no one side would succeed in attack- wear the other side down- exhaust supplies / will to continue- this transformed the conflict in TOTAL war.
What tactics were used to break the stalemate? • Chlorine gas • Phosgene gas • Mustard gas • The tank • Creeping barrage
The Eastern Front • August 1914- Battle of Tannenberg- surrender of 90000 Russian soldiers. • September- Battle of Masurian Lakes. • Poorly trained and equipped Russian soldiers ‘ten shots a day’. • Massive impact on internal stability of Russia. • 1915- Tsar takes over personal command of the army. • Russia kept in the war by the allies by the offer of Constantinople and control of the Straits. • The existence of the ‘second’ front was important to keep Austria / Germany tied down. • Impact of the Brusilov Offensive
Collapse of Russia • Internal economic problems. • The Tsarist system • Revolutionary movements • Soldier desertions in 1917. • Abdication of the Tsar.
Turkey and the Balkans • A front to relieve pressure on other fronts. • Also a way of ‘breaking the deadlock’ on the the Western Front. • Russians had appealed for support against Turkey. • Strategic importance of the Ottoman Empire (Black Sea). Seizure of the Dardanelles to open up supply routes to Russia / close the supply route to Central Europe.
Balkan Front • Entente tactic of offering ‘everything to everybody’ in order to gain allies- e.g. Bulgaria offered land in Macedonia. • Bulgaria joined the Central Powers in 1915- pressure on Serbia. • Greece tried to remain independent- British forces in Greece.
Italian Front • Treaty of London May 1915. • Irredenta. • Caporetto 1917
Why were the Central Powers defeated in World War One? (Higher Level style question- May 2008) • (20 Marks)
Why were the Central Powers defeated in World War One? • Concept of Total war needs to be emphasisedhere. War was about economic strength which produced military strength. • Military- Failure of the Schlieffen plan produced a war on two fronts. Failure of Germany’s allies- • Political- the response and nature of political systems- e.g. DORA in Britain helped mobilize the entire resources of the country. Were democratic nations better able to respond to events? • Economic- the combined economic resources of the Entente Powers were greater. USA / Britain’s Empire