Characteristics & Technology World War I Characteristics & Technology

Essential Question How did technology change the way that war was fought in World War I?

Advantages Alliances Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Ottoman Empire Central Powers Allied Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Ottoman Empire Great Britain France Russia America (Eventually) Advantages Central Powers Allied Powers Geography – Controlled from North Sea to Middle East Quicker Action – Easier communication & troop movement Better Trained Armies – Germany had strongest army in world More Soldiers Greater Industrialization – Could produce weapons & ammo Controlled the Seas – British navy moved materials around the world

Innovations in Warfare Weapons were mass produced Many new weapons were used

U-Boats German Submarines Caused extensive losses to Allied ships Germans also used poison gas against infantry

Machine Guns As powerful as multiple rifles Made infantry attacks against heavily fortified positions costly Protective trenches were used to combat this tactic

Long-Range Artillery Killed in large numbers Could attack from long-distances Defensive weapons

Airplanes Primarily used to observe troop movement Slow & difficult to maneuver Sometimes used in air battles called dogfights Also used to drop bombs Aces were high skilled fighter pilots The Red Baron – Famous German fighter pilot

Tanks Introduced by Britain in 1916 Easily moved over rough terrain using treads Enabled troops to cut through barbed wire & enemy lines

Soldiers Previous wars in Europe fought by professional soldiers WWI soldiers were mostly drafted civilians Undrafted men & women worked at home to support the war effort Total War – A war in which nations use all their resources to help the war

Propaganda The use of selective bits of information, true or false, to get citizens to support the war Government set up agencies to control news Generally showed enemy as brutal while praising own soldiers

Early Years Germany attacked France, & advanced to Marne River, but was stopped by French & British troops – ended German hope of quick victory Western Front – Trenches stretched from Switzerland to English Channel & North Sea Eastern Front – Russia attacked to divert German forces from Western Front

Early Years Battle of Tannenberg – August 1914 Fighting on Gallipoli Russia defeated by Germany Half of Russian forces lost Germans attacked Poland after victory here Fighting on Gallipoli Russia lacked weapons to arm soldiers Britain & France tried to capture Constantinople to create route to get supplies to Russia Used naval bombardment & infantry but failed to capture Constantinople

Naval Warfare Britain blockaded North Sea to prevent Germany from obtaining supplies Germany blockaded Britain using U-Boats May 1915 – U-Boats sinks Lusitania 1,200 killed, including 128 Americans Germany reduced blockade after U.S. condemned the attack

The Stalemate By late 1915 the war came to a stalemate Military leaders on both sides wondered if they would ever break through enemy lines Many lives lost Became a war of attrition – slow wearing down process where each side tries to outlast the other

United States in World War I Tried to remain neutral Were most industrialized neutral nation, & supplied both sides British propaganda influenced Americans; they didn’t know it was exaggerated or false America was pushed to war by 3 things

America Pushed to War Germany offers to help Mexico regain Arizona, New Mexico, & Texas if they helped Germany. Message intercepted by British & given to U.S. Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare Russia became democracy, so America was more likely to fight for democratic ideals

Declaration of War President Woodrow Wilson told Congress, “the world must by made safe for democracy.” April 6, 1917 – Congress voted to declare war on Germany