How was World War I fought? The war on the Western Front remained the most important for several reasons

War on land The feature that most affected the way war was fought was the development of the trench warfare. It began as just a hole to set up a defensive position and by the end of the war it developed into a complex defensive systems. It had little change in the position over the whole four years.

Technology development Machine guns Developed by the Germans Grenades Pineapple-shaped mills bomb by the British Potato mashers by the Germans Heavy artillery Took up permanent positions in strategically good locations Launched massive numbers of high-explosive shells Chemical warfare First poison gas used in Ypres by the Germans. Several types of gases were developed, for example, chlorine gas, phosgene gas and the lethal mustard gas. In addition, gas masks were quickly developed Tanks They were able to advance ahead crushing barbed wire fences and attacking the enemy ate the same time with a machine-gun and cannon fire. The armor plating was not strong to resist artillery.

War at sea The control of the sea was crucial to both sides. Britain needed to transport men and supplies to battlefields as well as foo and industrial supplies from other countries to the island. Germany did not need naval routes to supply and help any of its allies, but it need food and supplies from overseas. For both it was crucial to control trade routes.

Technology development Battlecruiser It had the speed of a cruiser and the power of a battleship. Battleship. Battleships were made to carry large naval guns. By the time the Dreadnought was created, in late 1906, battleships were obsolete. Cruiser Cruisers were first built around 1880, and were smaller but faster than battleships. The two main types of cruisers were armored cruisers and protected cruisers. Dreadnought This ship was the most heavily armed ship in history. It was the first major ship driven by steam turbines and could reach a speed of twenty-one knots with this new revolutionary propulsion system. Submarines After 1905 Germany began to develop submarines with real fighting abilities. In 1913 Germany created the first Unterseeboot, or U-boat. Torpedo Boats They were strategically important to ocean warfare, since even a non-direct hit could prove fatal in slowing a ship down to snail speed. Anti-sub weapons Placing many mines at many depths on busy sea routes proved to be very effective. Mines were also used to blockade submarine bases. Aircrafts carriers Aircraft carriers were prominently used by the British Royal Navy in WWI.

The Battle of Jutland In May 1916, both the British and German fleets sent out scout ships to find their enemy's fleet. They found each other, then went back to lead the rest of the fleet to their position. Admiral Sir David encountered a German fleet. They then began to open fire. Many ships were sunk during this battle. Then Beatty encountered the German High Seas Fleet, further complicating his situation. The British feared that Germans were leading them into a trap and turned south to intercept the Germans on his journey home. Many British ships were damaged before the British decided not to follow the retreating Germans again. The British lost 3 battle cruisers, 3 cruisers, 8 destroyers, and 6,100 total men. The Germans lost 1 battleship, 1 battle cruiser, 4 light cruisers, 3 destroyers, and 2,550 men.

War in the air Zeppelins Germans had a force of 30 Zeppelins They were potentially an easy target. Later they were replaced with bomber aircraft Airships, bombs and civilian targets Dog fights in the air Bombing inaccurate Romanticized the battlefields Paris and London bombed Pilots fired pistols and threw hand grenades The idea of attacking civilians from the air became a feature.