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Trench Warfare and New Machinery

World War One. Trench Warfare and New Machinery. The Schlieffen Plan. German attack strategy developed before the war 2 front strategy Germany believed it could fend off Russia in the East while it defeated France in the West with a lightning speed attack

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Trench Warfare and New Machinery

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  1. World War One Trench Warfare and New Machinery

  2. The Schlieffen Plan • German attack strategy developed before the war • 2 front strategy • Germany believed it could fend off Russia in the East while it defeated France in the West with a lightning speed attack • Believed Russia would take a while to assemble troops

  3. Schlieffen Failed! • German officers pulled troops from the West to defend Eastern Boarder- Weakened the attack line in France • No fast victory for Germany • Now fighting a 2 front war

  4. Germans dug in a defensive line along the river Somme and into Belgium British and French Soldiers dug a trench line to face Germans Trenches stretched from Swiss Boarder to English Channel By Christmas 1914 stalemate! Result : Trench Warfare

  5. No Man’s Land • The area between enemy trenches • Wasteland of bodies, barbed wire, mud, mines

  6. Life in the trenches • Flooded by rain and filth • Overrun by rats • Stinking cesspools • Trapped for weeks • Disease spread • Lice infestations • Mental exhaustion • Trench Foot

  7. Each side repeatedly attacking the other until one side completely exhausted and unable to continue This old style cannot work due to new weapons Old School Generals sent hundreds of thousands of men “over the top” into no man’s land to die by machine guns War of Attrition

  8. Machine Guns • Changed the way war is fought • Fires 400-500 rounds per minute

  9. Poison Gas • Germany 1st to use poison gas in battle • Chlorine gas at Ypres 1915 • Gas blinded soldiers and attacked respiratory systems • Early defense- rags soaked in water/urine • Later defense- gas masks

  10. Submarine Warfare • The Scilent enemy • Used most by Germany • U-Boats • Attacked ships carrying supplies to Britain • Armed with torpedoes to sink ships

  11. War in the Air • Planes used to: • Scout enemy positions • Drop bombs on enemy planes or shoot with handguns • Later on planes had top mounted guns

  12. The zeppelin • Called Dirigibles (inflatable airships) • Filled with light gases such as hydrogen and propelled by engine on bottom • Used for scouting and bombing

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