The Course of the War

The Central and Allied Powers The Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungry, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. The Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Japan, and Montenegro. Similarities: both sides were using outdated military units (horse cavalry) and only had enough war materials and ammunition to last six months. Everyone thought the war would be over by Christmas.

Belgium and the Schlieffen Plan Germany’s main problem was that it had enemies in both the east and the west. German General Alfred von Schlieffen developed this Plan in 1905 as a war strategy on how to effectively conduct a two front war. Schlieffen assumed that Russia would be slow to mobilize thereby allowing Germany to attack France and reach Paris in six weeks.

Belgium and the Schlieffen Plan Germany launched the Schlieffen Plan with the invasion of Belgium August 3, 1914. However, the Plan ran into problems as soon as it started: 1st: German Commander Helmuth von Moltke invaded Belgium in a heavily fortified area.

Belgium and the Schlieffen Plan 2nd: Moltke encountered far stronger resistance than Germany expected; advance was delayed until August 20. 3rd: the Russian army mobilized much more quickly than expected, creating the need for two German divisions to be deployed to the Eastern Front.

The Western Front, 1914

The Eastern Front, 1914

More German Delays The Schlieffen Plan was frustrated even more through British and French efforts. Germans met British forces in the North of France, and although the British were forced to retreat, they inflicted heavy losses. British entered the War when Germany violated Belgium’s neutrality. The French attacked the German forces in Alsace-Lorraine; the French attack collapsed, however, they delayed the Germans even more.

Why Did the Germans Fight the War? Was Germany only initially supporting its ally and got pulled into a larger war, or were there deeper motivations? “Weltpolitik” (world politics): Germans were thwarted in expansion (countries on both sides), and were angered that other countries were able to. Other countries were stopping Germany from taking its rightful place in the world. The German race with Britain to have a larger navy.

The Battle of Tannenberg Although Russia’s military was not fully mobilized, it sent troops to aid their ally the French. By August 13, 1914 the Russians invaded East Prussia. This attack diverted German troops from the attack against the French and British during the first critical weeks of the war.

The Battle of Tannenberg

The Battle of Tannenberg However, despite initial success by the Russian troops, the German troops met with the Russians at Tannenberg (present-day Poland). It was at this battle that Russia suffered such a disastrous defeat that it was never able to fully recover. The Germans were able to encircle and destroy the Russian army killing more than 30,000 and taking 92,000 prisoners. German casualties were only 13,000.

The Battle of Tannenberg

The Battle of the Marne

The Battle of the Marne After Alsace-Lorraine, the French General Joseph Jacques Joffre pulled back the French troops to protect Paris. While the Parisians fled the city, General Joseph Simon Gallieni strengthened the French army to launch a counterattack. The French army requisitioned several hundred Parisian taxis to speed troops into position.

The Taxis of Paris

The Battle of the Marne September 5, 1914: French and German forces met in northeastern France: over 2 million fought, over 500,000 were killed or wounded. After 4 days of shelling, the French succeeded in forcing the Germans about 50 miles back from Paris. The attack saved Paris, boosted French morale, and although the Germans continued to hold France’s heavily industrialized areas, the German’s were forced to abandon the Schlieffen Plan.

After Marne: the Folly of the Schlieffen Plan After the Battle of the Marne, the Germans and the allies began a series of battles known as “the race to the sea.” Both sides were attempting to reach the North Sea first and outflank the other. Despite frequent clashes and high casualties for both sides, there were no breakthroughs.

The Race to the Sea

After Marne: the Folly of the Schlieffen Plan At this point the war in the west settled into a stable front from the Swiss border to the North Sea coast. By November 1914 the war had already reached a stalemate. Once the stalemate developed, countries had to have an enormous amount of the public enter the war effort in order to produce the needed war supplies. Governments also began using propaganda to gain support for the troops, demonize the enemies, etc. thereby making peace with the enemies unthinkable.

The Western Front, 1914

One last effort and we will get them.