Why was the war not over by Christmas? Stalemate LO’s *To be able to identify the causes of a stalemate *Evaluate the most significant cause of stalemate.

Starter What is in the picture? What is the message of the picture?

Stalemate What is a stalemate? Definition: A situation in which further action is blocked and neither side have a way to win.

Stalemate At the outset of the First World War people were excited. There was a wave of patriotism and most men wanted to join the fight for their country. Both sides thought that the war would be over quickly, and that their soldiers would be home in time for Christmas. But, things did not turn out this way. Why?

Causes of the Stalemate Questions to ask of each object: What is it? How could it have helped the war effort? How do you think it prolonged the war?

Machine Gun Machine Guns could shoot hundreds of rounds of ammunition a minute, and take out waves of men in seconds. But this meant that neither side could advance as they would be shot instantly. Generals made soldiers advance anyway but they were killed very quickly and so no gains were made.

Canned Food Canned Food provided soldiers with food at all times, so they did not have to worry about their supply lines being cut off. But this meant that they could remain in the same position for months and still have access to food. Thus neither side had to leave early, because they never ran out!

Telephone Telephones enabled Generals to direct and command troops without actually being in the battlefields themselves, so they could always give orders. This But this meant that units always had to wait for orders and could not take advantage of any strategic opportunities that arose. Also, because they generals were not actually there at the battlefield, they could not always judge the next best move effectively.

Artillery Artillery (large, long-ranging guns) could, from long distances behind the front line, fire missiles into the battlefield and surrounding area. But this meant that both sides were trapped in their trenches. The artillery fire left huge craters making it hard for either side to advance across the battlefield. More soldiers were killed by artillery fire than by any other cause.

Trenches Soldiers dug trenches so that they would have somewhere to shelter and hide from the fire of the guns. This became their home until they went over the top. But this meant that both sides became stuck – the land between the trenches on either side became known as ‘No-Man’s Land’ because it was incredibly hard for anyone to survive once they left their trench and entered it.

Which do you feel was the biggest factor in causing stalemate and why?