Mechanization

Quick Write “Necessity is the mother of invention.” What do you think this saying means?

War in the Trenches Conflict descends into trench warfare—armies fighting from trenches. Battles result in many deaths and very small land gains. Life in trenches is miserable, difficult, unsanitary. The slaughter reached a peak in February 1916: Battle of Verdun—Each side lost more than 300,000. July-November 1916: The Somme—Each side suffered more than 500,000 casualties. Only a few miles were gained in each of these battles. New battle tactics and weapons are employed to break the deadlock. WWI was the first war to use chemical weapons, tanks and airplanes.

Around half a million men died at Verdun in The Germans proved incapable of inflicting casualties on the French without suffering similar losses themselves.

Battle of the Somme: July 1-November 18, 1916)

New Weapons of the War Poison Gas chlorine and phosgene—both toxic substances that caused suffocation mustard gas—a blistering agent that caused severe burns and blisters on the skin and stripped severely damaged the lungs. It sometimes took five weeks to die from mustard gas exposure. Tank Tracked armored vehicle with artillery and machinegun capabilities. Designed to smash through barbed wire and trenches. Used as infantry support but proved to be of limited strategic importance. Submarine Submergible naval vessel capable of firing torpedo's. Airplanes Flying aircraft that were used originally for reconnaissance but soon adapted to support ground forces by dropping bombs.

Australian troops in the trenches equipped with gas masks, Battle of Ypres, 1917

Mustard gas burns

The British Vickers machine gun required a multiple man team to operate. One to fire, one to feed the ammunition, and one to help carry the weapon and supplies.

British Mark I tank on September 26, 1916

Submarines: German U-Boat U-14

Flying Aces Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918) was a German fighter pilot known as the "Red Baron". He was the most successful flying ace of World War I, being officially credited with 80 confirmed air combat victories. He was killed in combat with Canadian pilots near the Somme River.

Trench Warfare Problems All Quiet on the Western Front, excerpt “We must look out for our bread. The rats have become much more numerous lately because the trenches are no longer in good condition. Detering says it is a sure sign of a coming bombardment. “The rats here are particularly repulsive, they are so fat—the kind we call corpse rats. They have shocking, evil naked faces, and it is nauseating to see their long, nude tails.

Trench Foot Trench foot is a medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary, and cold conditions. Affected feet become numb and then turn red or blue. As the condition worsens, they may swell. Advanced immersion foot often involves blisters and open sores, which lead to fungal infections; this is sometimes called tropical ulcer (jungle rot). If left untreated, immersion foot usually results in gangrene, which can require amputation. If immersion foot is treated properly, complete recovery is normal, though it is marked by severe short-term pain when feeling returns. Like other cold injuries, immersion foot leaves sufferers more susceptible to it in the future.

CAUSE EFFECT

The Battle on the Eastern Front Early Fighting Eastern Front—site of main fighting along the German- Russian border. Russians push into Austria and Germany, but soon forced to retreat. Russia Struggles Russia’s war effort was suffering by 1916; many casualties and few supplies. The huge size of Russian army keeps it a formidable force and prevents Germany from sending more troops to the Western Front.