1. Europe Plunges into War
29.2

2. Great War Begins Russia’s mobilizes around Austrian border
Support Serbs
Germany sees this as a declaration of war
Germany declares war on Russia
Germany declares war on Russia’s ally – France
GB (Rus. and Fr. Ally) declares war on Germany
Central Powers = Germany and Aust.-Hung
Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire join to regain land
Allies = GB, France, & Russia
Italy joins

3. THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
The signing of the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892 gave Germany cause to fear an attack on two fronts.
Designed Alfred von Schlieffen
Why? Avoid a two-front war against France in the west and Russia in the east
To eliminate France as an ally of Russia during a war with Germany
The key to plan:
TIMING
France had to be defeated quickly so that Russia and Britain would be unwilling to continue.

4. Schlieffen Plan: What Happened?
German advance was held up by the Belgians
Russians mobilized in just 10 days, not six weeks
More troops had to be diverted from the attack on France to defend the eastern border (near Russia)
Britain entered the war on France's side due to an agreement with Belgium to defend her against German attack
British Forces reached France and Belgium far quicker than expected
The result
German troops dig in to defensive positions
Create a chain of trenches from Switzerland to the North Sea
Military stalemate that was to last for nearly four years.

5. TRENCH WARFARE
Warring armies dug into a system of trenches stretching from Switzerland to the English Channel
Between the armies lay “no man’s land”

6. Deadly Technology Man never faced weapons like this before Results
Machine guns
Poison Gas
Submarines
Tanks
Results
Lingering warfare
Mass casualties

7. Eastern Front
E.F. = area between Germany and its eastern neighbor Russia
Russians and Serbs vs. Germans and AHs
Germany defeats Russian forces
AHs eventually defeat Russia
Russia near collapse
No industrialization
Few guns, ammo, resources
Provisions cut off by Germans (Baltic Sea) and Ottomans (Mediterranean and Black Seas)
Only asset: population
Result of Russian’s participation:
Germany could not concentrate on its Western Front