Quick Write

1. Quick Write Do you think Triple Alliance countries should have gone to war? Why? What do you think might happen if our “heir” to throne got assassinated by a foreign country? What would you do if you were the leader in this situation?

3. Inevitability of war • June 28, 1914 Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria assassinated • July 5, 1914 Germany issues A-H “blank check” • pledging military assistance if A-H goes to war against Russia • July 23, 1914 Austria issues Serbia the July Ultimatum

4. 1914 – 1915 Illusions and Stalemate • At the beginning of the war, many Europeans were excited about war 1. Believed it would be a short war 2. “Defend yourself against the aggressors”

5. 1914 – 1915 Illusions and Stalemate • Belief that modernindustrial war could not be conducted for more than a few months • “Home by Christmas” What made this war modern?

6. Beginnings of the War • Italy and Britain still remained uncommitted to joining the war. • Britain had to decide whether to join or not, • Germans actions at the beginning of the war forced Britain into the war. (When they invaded Belgium)

7. War begins • What could be a potential problem for Germany? • Note their location?

8. The Central Powers’ Problem • Two Front War • Central Powers face enemies on both sides • French in the West • Russians in the East What does a Two Front War mean?

9. The Schlieffen Plan • Quickly attack France before the Russia troops can get mobilized. After they defeat France, focus their efforts in the East to fight the Russians. • Avoid fighting a 2 front war

10. The Schlieffen Plan • Schlieffen Plan: German plan that would get France out of the war early so they could focus on fighting Russia in the East • Encircling movement across Neutral Belgium into Northern France to enter Paris

11. The Schlieffen Plan Fails • Because they invaded neutral Belgium, it caused Britain to join the war. • Underestimated speed of the British mobilization • Quickly sent troops to France

12. The Battle of Marne • Sept. of 1914 • After 7 days of fighting a stalemate emerges • Germany defeated • forced to retreat in large part due to the British entry • Because Germany couldn’t defeat the French, it results in 4 years of trench warfare on the Western Front

13. Western Front Western Front • Western Front: Where much of the fighting between the allies of the West (GB, France, & USA) vs. the Germans was done in Western Europe. Western Front

14. Western Front • Stalemate: a deadlock where neither side gains much territory • Lasts 4 Years • Why? • 1.) Trench Warfare • 2.) Modern Technology • This leads to a War of Attrition where both sides try to wait the other side out.

15. The Trenches

18. Life in the Trenches • Horrible Conditions • Constant noise and fear • Trench rot-Trench Foot • No facilities • Rats routinely ate the dead • Swampy, disgusting conditions

19. Trench Foot

20. Trench Warfare • Most fighting was done from the trenches using new technology • machine guns • poison gas • flame-throwers • barbed wire fences • This caused 3 things: • WWI along the western front was mostly immobile. • Millions of soldiers died. • WWI became a stalemate for several years.

21. Quick Write • Pretend you were a young soldier fighting in WWI for the British Army. • Please describe some of the experiences that you are facing as a soldier. • Some things to possibly consider: • Who are you fighting against? • How/Why you are entering the War? • Where is most of the fighting being done? • What is life like for you in the trenches?

22. Otto Von Bismarck • 1st Chancellor of the German Empire • United Germanic states. • Created a “Balance of Power” throughout Europe that lasted until 1914

23. Kaiser (Emperor) Wilhelm II • Took over as chancellor of Germany after Von Bismarck in 1890 • As leader, encouraged Austria-Hungary to declare war. • Was an ineffective military leader • Abdicated (let go of the throne) and moved to exile in the Netherlands in 1918

24. Trench warfare “If you have never had trench foot described to you, I will explain. Your feet swell to two to three times their normal size and go completely dead. You can stick a bayonet into them and not feel a thing. If you are lucky enough not to lose your feet and the swelling starts to go down, it is then that the most indescribable agony begins. I have heard men cry and scream with pain and many have had to have their feet and legs amputated. I was one of the lucky ones, but one more day in that trench and it may have been too late.” 

27. Life in the Trenches • Trench warfare baffled military leaders • Attempt a breakthrough • Taking over your opponents trenches • Enemy fends off attack • Millions of young men sacrificed trying to breakthrough

28. Breaking through Trench Warfare • Each side would begin with heavy artillery & then send in thousands of troops. • The men who attacked were completely exposed to machine-gun fire. • Millions of young men died in these attacks & no breakthroughcame • This created a War of Attrition What does attrition mean?

29. The Western Front Battle of Verdun (1916) • 10 months long war • Significance: Goal by Germans to get France to surrender • But Germans fail to advance so French win…butnot really • 700,000 Deaths total on both sides Verdun became a symbol of French resistance

30. Battle of Verdun

32. Battle of SommeWestern French: 5 months long Somme River in France British/French try to push Germans back Push Germans only 6 miles so Germans win…but not really 1.5 million deaths total

33. The Eastern Front • Central Powers must fight Russia/Serbia in the East • Germans more successful here than in the West: • 1914 - Battle of Tannenberg (defeat Russia) • 1915 – Continue through Russia, and take Poland • 1916 – Victory in Romania • battle lines shifted back and forth, sometimes over large areas. How does this differ from the Western Front?

34. Battle of Tannenberg • Russian forces not ready (Little supplies, poor leadership) • Entire Russian 2nd army destroyed • Aug 23-31, 1914 • 125,000 Russians perish; only 13,000 Germans

35. Russia in WWI • As the least industrialized of the great powers, Russia was poorly equipped to fight a modern war. • Some troops even lacked rifles. • Still, Russian commanders continued to send masses of soldiers into combat. Russian Army surrendering

36. The Eastern Front • Much more mobile than the West • But loss of life still very high • 1915: 2.5 million Russians killed, captured, or wounded Why do you think this is?

37. “Death is everywhere” • “We all had on us the stench of dead bodies.” Death numbed the soldier’s minds. • “Shell shock” • Psychological devastation

38. The changes of war • New weapons crippled the • Poison gas (mustard gas) • Machine guns • Artillery • Hand grenades • Flame throwers • Tanks • Airplanes • Tanks • Subs

39. Activity • In groups of 3 (you may choose) you will complete the Weaponry of WWI chart. (discuss in groups—though everyone will need to write it) • though if you are off task or not working I will move you and you will do it individually. • Then you will write a paragraph about which weapon you would use in WWI if you had to choose one. • You need to explain why it is you chose that one.

40. Poison Gas • Chemical Warfare • 1.) Chlorine • 2.) Mustard Gas • 3.) Phosgene • Few deaths from the chemical warfare as opponents quickly invented gas masks.

41. “Death is everywhere” • Mustard Gas burn

42. Machine Guns Two significant new or improved weapons: 1.) rapid-fire machine gun 2.) the long-range artillery gun.

43. Artillery • Artillery allowed troops to shell the enemy from more than 10 miles away.

44. Flamethrowers

45. Tanks • Created as a means to move through “no man’s land” • 1st tanks were mechanically unreliable

46. Aviation during WWI Fighter planes Observation balloons German Zeppelin

47. Naval Warfare • Germans employed unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic Ocean against the British • The Germans sinking of the Lusitania helped convince USA to join the allies side • U-Boat

48. The Home Front • Censorship • Not told about high death toll • Romanticized the battlefields “soldiers have died a beautiful death, in noble battle, we shall rediscover poetry…epic and chivalrous”

49. The Home Front • Censorship “Newspapers described troops as itching to go over the top.” “Government reported to the press that life in the trenches promoted good health and clear air”

50. The Home Front • “On Leave” Troops would stay together so they could sympathize with each other