World war I in Europe 1915 - 1917
The western front, 1915-1917 Fighting on the Western Front was defined by Trench Warfare Even the defensive trenches were not safe, due to constant artillery fire The strips of land between the two sides’ trenches was called “No- Man’s Land” Soldiers were ordered “Over the Top!” before charges towards enemy lines Machine guns were the most effective—and feared—weapon; they practically turned charges into suicide missions Major Battles The Battle of Verdun February-August, 1916 German assault gains around 4 miles of ground 150,000 killed on each side The Battle of the Somme July-November, 1916 Allied (mainly British) assault gains around 5 miles of ground The British lost 20,000 soldiers on the FIRST DAY of battle
The western front
The battle of the somme
The eastern front, 1915-1917 Trench warfare predominated on the Eastern Front as well Soldiers’ misery was compounded by brutally cold weather This was especially brutal for Russian soldiers, due to shortages of clothing and food During these years, the Central Powers gradually pushed into Russian territory Russian morale deteriorated, as generals used their only advantage—numbers—to slow the German/Austrian advance
The eastern front
The war at sea Major Battles Battle of the Falklands December 8, 1914 The British hunted down the German fleet and destroyed it near the Falklands Islands in the South Atlantic Established British naval dominance for the rest of the war Battle of Jutland May 31 – June 1, 1916 Germans’ desperate attempt to break the British blockade The Germans inflicted heavy losses but failed to break the blockade U-Boats First time submarines were used extensively in warfare Germans’ most effective weapon in the naval war U-Boats terrorized Allied and American merchant vessels, in addition to naval vessels
The battle of jutland
German u-boats
1917: a decisive shift? (In 1915, Italy switched sides, from the Central Powers to the Allies) March, 1917: Czar Nicholas II of Russia is forced from power by a popular revolution Much of the anger towards the Czar stemmed from Russian losses in the war November, 1917: Russia signs a separate peace agreement with Germany and withdraws from the war Just as Russia dropped out of the war, the United States entered on the side of the Allies
World war I alliances: 1917 Allied Powers Central Powers Great Britain France Italy United States Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria