World War I - Notes III "The Fighting"

By the end of August 1914, what were the two allied powers of Europe?

Central and Allied Powers

Nations of the Central Powers

• Germany

• Austria-Hungary

• Ottoman Empire

• Bulgaria

Nations of the Allied Powers

• Russia

• Great Britain

• France

• Serbia

• Belgium

• Japan (←- imperialist interest)

Which nation remains neutral at the beginning of the war?

Italy

Involvement from which nation classifies the conflict as a “World War”?

Japan

When did most nations believe the war would be over?

Christmas of 1914, by the earliest

No one believed it would last any longer than 6 months.

Who developed the Schlieffen Plan?

Alfred von Schlieffen, a German general, in 1905

• Believed a 2-front war would be no problem for Germany

What was the Schlieffen Plan?

A plan to fight enemies on both sides of Germany (France and Russia) (a 2-front war):

• Germany would not have to address Russia until later in the war, because Russia was expected to be slow to mobilize

• Germany would focus its entire military on France, needing only 6 weeks to defeat them.

• Once France is defeated, Germany could then focus on and defeat Russia.

In WW1, what was the outcome of the Schlieffen Plan?

It failed

How did the Schlieffen Plan fail?

1.) Germany took longer than expected to pass through Belgium to get into France. (August 3rd - 20th)

2.) Russia mobilized too quickly. (Germany was forced to send troops to the east to fight Russia, weakening the German army)

3.) Great Britain slowed the German advance in Northern France and Belgium

4.) The French then attacked the Germans at Alsace-Lorraine. (France lost, but further delayed Germany’s advance. General Joseph Jacques Jeffre pulled his troops back to defend Paris from the Germans.)

5.) The Battle of the Mame. (4 days of fighting, French push the Germans back; 1st allied success, **Germany retreats**)

How could Russia’s manner of entering the war be described?

They entered quickly and were unprepared

Where did Russia invade on August 13, 1914?

Germany (German state of Prussia)

How did Germany respond to the first Russian invasion?

They were forced to send troops to the west to defend Germany, dividing the German military

What was the battle in which…

• German troops defeated the Russians

• 30,000 Russia casualties

• 92,000 Russians taken prisoner

• Only 13,000 Germans killed

Battle of Tannenberg

After the Battle of Marne, what did both sides of the war do?

Attempt to outflank the other side to gain advantage. (“Race to the Sea”)

What was the effort for the Race to the Sea?

Each side was trying to reach the North Sea first so they could turn on the enemy and push them back.

If the Germans won the race to the North Sea, what would they do?

Turn the French back and push the French army into Paris, take Paris and defeat France

If the French won the race to the North Sea, what would they do?

Turn the Germans back, push them back through Belgium and back into Germany

In which battle does the Race to the Sea culminate?

Battle of Ypres, Belgium

Who fought in the Battle of Ypres?

German vs. British troops

Outcome of the Battle of Ypres

• Germany lost the battle, losing 130,000 men

• Great Britain won the battle, but lost 60,000 men

• Both sides were locked in a stalemate

What type of warfare did the stalemate (result of Battle of Ypres) lead to?

Trench Warfare

Attrition

The attempt to kill more soldiers than they kill of the opposing side.

Trenches

Ditches

Where were the Western front trenches located?

500 miles from Switzerland to the North Sea

“No Man’s Land”

The area between the trenches. Included land mines, barbed wire, booby traps, etc. (planted at night)

How long did soldiers stay in trenches?

For weeks at a time

Trench Foot

Condition that soldiers contracted by the flooding of trenches

German-created, chlorine-based gas to combat trench warfare

Poison gas

What was poison gas also called?

“Mustard gas”

How did poison gas work?

It would settle in the trenches (force soldiers out of the trenches)

What conditions/symptoms did poison gas cause?

Blindness, choking, iron lungs, burned skin, death

Battle of Verdun

Battle where German troops attacked French at Verdun.

• January 1916

• Over 2 million soldiers fought

• Over 750,000 were killed in battle

What was the overall outcome from the Battle of Verdun?

Nothing was gained, stalemate continued

Battle of Somme

Battle where GB launched a counter-attack on the German troops in the Somme River Valley.

• Summer + fall of 1916

• Tank introduced by GB

How effective were the early tanks made by Great Britain?

Not very; they were slow and cumbersome

What new weapon did Germany begin producing in order to compete with the allies?

Tanks

How can the warfare in the Eastern front be described, in contrast to the Western?

Mobile warfare

In mid-1915, what negative effects was Russia facing?

• Lost many battles

• Lost lots of territory

• Lost many men

• Lost lots of money

What did the allies worry about, regarding Russia?

That Russia would drop out of the war

Why would the resignment of Russia from the war be especially advantageous to Germany?

Germany could focus its military on France in the West

What efforts did the allies make to keep Russia in the war?

Offering land; specifically, the Dardanelles

What was the problem with the Allies offering Dardanelles to Russia?

It was currently controlled by the central powers

What was the OUTCOME of the Allies’ offer to Russia?

Russia accepted and persisted in the war, rebuilding its military

Russia’s efforts against the Central Powers (after rebuilding military)

• Attacked Germany in March 1916, lost

• Attacked Austria-Hungary a few months later, won

• Lost one million men in both battles

• Efforts still took pressure off of Western Allies (Germany still had to send troops East to fight the Russians)

The Gallipoli Plan

Plan developed by Great Britain (Winston Churchill) to end the stalemate in the war.

• Invade Constantinople and the Ottoman Empire at the Gallipoli Peninsula

• Allies get supplies to Russia to help in their eastern fight

• Idea: to take Ottomans, then A-H, and then finally Germany

Outcome of the Gallipoli Plan

Massive failure

Which nation dominated the seas?

Great Britain with its Navy

Why did the British Navy begin blockading German ports?

To keep any war materials from reaching Germany and to keep the German ships from leaving their ports. (They wanted to ensure Germany would NOT invade the British Isles)

Was the British Blockade effective?

Yes

How did Germany combat the British blockades?

Creating the U-Boat

• At first, U-Boats were only used enemy warships

• 1915: Germany began sinking commercial + civilian ships

• Attempt to shock Allies into ending the war

What happened on May 7, 1915: The Sinking of the Lusitania?

German U-Boat U-20 sank a British Cruise Liner, the Lusitania.

• 1,000 civilians killed in the attack (Some were American citizens)

What was Germany’s justification for the Lusitania attack?

They believed the ship was carrying explosives from America to help the Allies

What year does the United States enter WW1?

1917

Why had the United States remained neutral for the start of the war, until 1917?

• They were too diverse to choose a side

• The president (Woodrow Wilson) did not want involvement in a European conflict

Why didn’t Germany want the U.S. to enter the war?

They knew the U.S. would side with the allies.

What did Germany begin to use on February 1, 1917?

Unrestricted submarine warfare

• They would attack any ship in the Atlantic of any nation, including ships belonging to the United States

How did the United States (Woodrow Wilson) respond to Germany’s announcement in 1917?

Broke off all diplomatic relations with Germany (1 step closer to going to war with Germany)

Zimmermann Telegram

A telegram sent from Germany to Mexico in March 1917, urging Mexico to start a war with the U.S. so the U.S. could not become involved with Europe.

• Intercepted and decoded by British intelligence

• Message promised Mexico that it would get a lot of U.S. land if Mexico helped to keep the U.S. out of World War 1.

Prior to Woodrow Wilson’s declaration of war on Germany, how many U.S. merchant ships did Germany sink?

9

April 2, 1917

Woodrow Wilson requested Congress to declare war on Germany

As the United States enters the war, which nation drops out?

Russia

Why does Russia drop out of the war?

Political revolution

What did the United States initially send to the allies?

Much needed resources: food, ammunition, weapons

What system did the United States begin using to ensure supplies were being sent to the Allies?

Convoy system

What is a convoy system?

Grouped-together merchant ships escorted by U.S. naval vessels.

• If a German U-boat attack was imminent, the vessels would close in on it and attack.

• Unfortunately, a merchant ship had to be sacrificed to get the U-Boat to the surface.

Wilson’s 14 Points

Woodrow Wilson’s peace plan for the end of the war

What was the main point of Wilson’s 14 Points?

The creation of a League of Nations (early United Nations)

League of Nations

An organization of the World’s nations that would come together to discuss problems and issues with the hope of avoiding war

In Spring 1918, who do the Allies join under and why?

French General Ferdinand Foch

• Having one person to make decisions would be more effective than having the different Allied nations having to agree before actions were taken.

What was Germany’s restricted conscription?

They could only draft old men and young boys

How many soldiers did the Allies gain from America every month?

250,000

What did General Foch order in the Summer of 1918?

A counter-attack on German troops within France, trying to push them back into Germany. (While the Allies united under the General, Germany had moved 37 miles into Paris.)

What did the Allies promise to the Arabs in the Middle East? (if they helped defeat the Ottomans)

Independence and freedom

Who surrenders on October 30, 1918?

The Ottoman Turks

Who surrendered one week after the Ottoman Turks did?

Austria-Hungary

What did German Emperor Wilhelm II do on November 9, 1918?

Flee to the Netherlands

November 11, 1918

Germany signs an armistice ending World War I

Overall, how many soldiers were killed from World War I?

9 million

Overall, how many soldiers were wounded from World War I?

21 million

Overall, how many civilians were killed from World War I?

13 million

What were the main causes of death in WW1, other than combat?

Starvation and disease

Which 4 major empires were erased after WW1?

• Ottoman Empire

• German Empire

• Austro-Hungarian Empire

• Russian Empire

By the end, many nations were near __________.

Revolution