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Disaster On All Fronts. The Western Front. The Western Front. The ‘Westerner’ generals had no shortage of men. The French had millions of conscripts . The British had millions of Volunteers. (Recruiting campaigns) The Allied generals were sure of victory. (sheer numbers).
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Disaster On All Fronts The Western Front
The Western Front • The ‘Westerner’ generals had no shortage of men. • The French had millions of conscripts. • The British had millions of Volunteers. (Recruiting campaigns) • The Allied generals were sure of victory. (sheer numbers)
Allies Attack the German Trenches (1915) • March – “ The Battle of Neuve Chapelle • April – “The Second Battle of Ypres” • May – “The Battle of Arras and Aubers” • September – “The Battle of Loos” • 300,000 soldiers were killed and very little land was gained from the Germans.
Neuve Chapelle • British General Haig, ordered that “The attacks are to be pressed regardless of loss” • 3 days -11,000 dead • 2 km gained
Second Battle of Ypres • April 1915, the Germans try to gain ground. • Germans use chlorine gas on 2 French brigades.
May • The French lose 120,000 men in an attack at Arras. • At Aubers, the British send men “over the top”. The German machine gunners were told to “fire until the barrels burst.”
Battle of Loos • The British send 6 divisions “over the top. • 11 days later 60,000 British soldiers dead. • Sheer numbers was not going to win the war.
Other Fronts • The Eastern Front was even worse for the Allies. • The Russian retreat back into their own country. • Italy joined the Allies in 1915 because they were promised land and money at the end of the war. • Italian soldiers are badly trained, led, and had poor equipment. (stalemate with Austria)