WORLD WAR I THE WAR AT SEA, U.S. ENTRY & RUSSIAN EXIT

MASSIVE EXPANSION TO KEEP AHEAD OF EACH OTHER MASSIVE EXPANSION TO KEEP AHEAD OF EACH OTHER! HMSDreadnought1905 HMS Dreadnought, 1905 Long range & heavy caliber guns, steel armor, steam propulsion… GERMANY VSGREAT BRITAIN GERMANY VS. GREAT BRITAIN ARMSRACE DREADNOUGHTS ARMS RACE & DREADNOUGHTS

BRITISH BLOCKADE& STRATEGY BRITISH BLOCKADE & STRATEGY Aug HARBORS MINES Aug. 1914; HARBORS & MINES NORTH SEA, ATLANTIC & ENGLISH CHANNEL WAR-ZONESSTRATEGIC IMPORTANCE “WAR-ZONES” & STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE RESTRICT THE MARITIME SUPPLY OF RAW MATERIALS TO THE CENTRAL POWERS …by the Allied Powers during WWI in an effort to “ RESTRICT THE MARITIME SUPPLY OF RAW MATERIALS TO THE CENTRAL POWERS ” CONTRABAND “CONTRABAND” that basically prohibited American trade with the Central powers… Nov1914 GB declared NORTH SEA to be a WAR ZONE Nov – GB declared NORTH SEA to be a WAR ZONE (any ships entering at their own risk)

GERMAN BLOCKADE OF GREAT BRITAIN Feb. 1915U-BOAT CAMPAIGN Allied Merchant ships Feb. 1915; U-BOAT CAMPAIGN & Allied Merchant ships GERMANY UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFARE GERMANY & “UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFARE” in the WAR-ZONESFeb …in the “WAR-ZONES,” Feb Aug1914initial phase FOCUS WAS ON GB’S FLEET Aug. 1914, initial phase – FOCUS WAS ON GB’S FLEET! MERCHANT SHIPS CONTRABAND TRICKS CONTRABAND & TRICKS

RESUMES UNRESTRICTED …RESUMES “UNRESTRICTED SUBMARINE WARFARE Feb SUBMARINE WARFARE” Feb AMERICAN NEUTRALITY THE LUSITANIAGERMANY SUBMARINES May 1915 AMERICAN NEUTRALITY : THE LUSITANIA, GERMANY & SUBMARINES May 1915 went down off the coast of Irelandkilling 1198 …went down off the coast of Ireland – killing 1,198 (128 Americans) sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germanycontributed to the American entry into WWI became an iconic symbol in recruiting campaigns of why the war was being fought “…sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany, contributed to the American entry into WWI & became an iconic symbol in recruiting campaigns of why the war was being fought!” GERMANY STOPS GERMANY STOPS! (doesn’t want to antagonize U.S.)

Allies begin to use “ CONVOYS ”

ALLIES USE ‘ CONVOY SYSTEM ’ TO CROSS ATLANTIC June 1917

THE ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM Jan U.S. DECLARATION OF WAR April 6, 1917 WHY IMPORTANT IMPORTANT?

TREATY OF BREST-LITOVSK RUSSIAN EXIT – March 1918 RUSSIAN EXIT “Separate Peace”

STALEMATES By 1916, all of the initial fronts of WWI had reached STALEMATES, with both sides embedded in trenches and neither side gaining or losing much ground. All the while, soldiers were dying in massive numbers, simply for the sake of maintaining the status quo. THE WAR OF ATTRITION IN EUROPE WORLD WAR I WORLD WAR I WAR OF ATTRITIONA GRUESOME CONTEST TO SEE WHICH COUNTRY COULD AFFORD TO LOSE THE MOST SOLDIERS REPEATEDLY ATTACK HEAD ONTO GRIND THE OTHER DOWN WWI – on all fronts – was becoming a WAR OF ATTRITION, “A GRUESOME CONTEST TO SEE WHICH COUNTRY COULD AFFORD TO LOSE THE MOST SOLDIERS.” Both military forces found themselves in static defensive positions in trenches running from Switzerland to the English Channel. For years, without any opportunity for maneuvers, the only way the commanders thought they could defeat the enemy was to “REPEATEDLY ATTACK HEAD ON, TO GRIND THE OTHER DOWN.” WAR OF ATTRITION Machineguns entrenched long-range artilleryaerialbombs The primary reason that WWI became a WAR OF ATTRITION was the use of modern weapons. Machine guns made it easy to cut down large numbers of men quickly if they came out into the open to fight. Once opposing armies became entrenched, long-range artillery, aerial bombs & poison gas were used to try to force the other side to abandon its shelters and retreat. STALEMATE & ATTRITION Verdun, Somme, Messines Ridge, Ypres SCHLIEFFEN & MARNE “Race to the Sea” & Trenches