1. Lesson Three: War Unlike Any Before
World War I
Lesson Three: War Unlike Any Before

2. Germany’s War Strategy
Germany had been preparing and had many different plans.
One that military prepared and trained for called Schlieffen Plan.
Named after Alfred von Schlieffen, German strategist. Came with plan in 1895.
Knew would be caught in middle and fighting two front war. History showed difficult and many armies lost.
Plan relied on a few different things to happen.
1st: Russia’s inability to mobilize army quickly. As result, Germany thought it would have more time to defeat the French and focus on east.
2nd: Bet on notion that Great Britain wouldn’t enter conflict.
Plan called for quick invasion of France.
To accomplish this: Germany Army would go around border between France and Germany. Troops would go through Belgium and into Northern France by sea.
Moved quickly through Belgium and met French Army and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF)

3. War Strategy cont.
Germany advance slowed down on September 6, 1914 at the Battle of the Marne.
Brought halt to German advancement and lost German hope of quick victory in the west.
Halt allowed Russians to get ready for war and advance on Germans.
This opened a Two Front War, called the Western Front and the Eastern Front.
Fighting continued in east while western front came to a stop.

4. New Weapons: Machine Gun
Drastically changed way people fought.
To stop onslaught of bullets coming their way, troops dug trenches.
This was called Trench Warfare.
Left the two sides protected by trenches, staring down at one another, but unable to shoot them~ called a stalemate.
If one side rushed out, faced machine gun fire and barbed wire set out in middle of two trenches~ called no mans land.
Life very unsanitary in trenches; cramped spaces; in for days or weeks.
When it rained, everything turned to mud. Rats quickly captured any food left out.

5. New Weapons: Technology
Had to be developed to gain ground in this war.
Artillery improved by increasing power and range of large guns.
Chemical weapons first used in this war.
Could be shot at opposing side and gases able to penetrate trenches.
Caused great damage in war, killing troops and altering countryside.

6. New Weapons: Tanks
Very different from today’s armored units, and even from those in WWII.
Little more than people movers, but that was needed.
Allowed troops to move more protected that if the soldiers were running towards the machine gun fire.
Able to move across no mans land.

7. New Weapons: Airplanes
While used, impact not as great as during WWII.
More used for reconnaissance.
Had fights between airplanes, like famous Red Baron.
Didn’t have huge impact on what was happening on ground.

8. New Weapons: Submarine
Underwater boats used in previous wars, but not with same impact or devastation.
German U-Boats controlled seas once run by the Royal Navy of Great Britain.
U-Boats controlled Atlantic and made Britain prisoner on its own island.
Gave Germans upper hand at sea.
Germans able to eliminate supplies coming to Britain from its commonwealth nations and allies.

9. The Fighting Continues
Trenches dug and acreage came at high price in casualties and supplies.
Central Powers got a lift when the Ottoman Empire joined war on their side.
Empire falling apart and not huge threat to take over too much land.
Did control the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and could limit access to the Black Sea.
That posed problem for Allies because that’s how many supplies were sent to Russia.
Northern ports of Russian locked in due to ice for long periods of time.
Problem if going to make it through war.
British came up with plan to secure this passage and part of world.

10. Battle of Gallipoli
Young member of British Gov’t, Winston Churchill, planned invasion at Gallipoli.
On April 25, 1915 British forces attacked Turkish (Ottoman Empire) troops here.
Battle failure for troops, who were mostly British Commonwealth soldiers from Australia.
Unable to take area and had nearly 500,000 causalities.
Many members of army disagreed about # troops needed to complete mission; Greeks said needed more than sent.
Hurt Churchill’s reputation and resigned from gov’t.
Russians still in need of supplies and were hurt by loss.
One of most important losses for the Allies in the war.
Also in Turkey, Lawrence of Arabia, a Briton who helped many Turks rise up against fading gov’t.

11. Battle of Verdum
Battles in Europe slow moving pace over next few years.
Largest battle was outside town of Verdun in northeastern France.
Fortified town important militarily, but also for pride of French.
Battle began on February 21, 1916.
Germans launched greatest offensive the world had seen and forced French troops to retreat to their third line trench.
French brought in every available troop to hold the line and were able to hold back the Germans.
Battle lasted 10 months and ended December 18, 1916.
Between both sides 714,321 casualties, though today the estimate is at 976,000.
Ultimately was a French victory.

12. Battle of Somme
Germans forced to abandon new major attack because of counter attack by Allies at the Somme (this is a river in France.)
Major highlight for Allied troops, although only recaptured 8 miles of land.
Able to defeat German morale; however both sides remained entrenched in countryside.
Began July 1, 1916 and ended on November 18th.
Famous because British lost 58,000 troops (one third killed) on first day of battle.
Still record for most amount of troops lost in a single day.

13. Two Front War Comes to End
Fighting in Russia came to stop.
Czar Nicholas II led Russia into war, but now involved in own revolution.
New Bolshevik gov’t wanted nothing to do with far off “capitalist” war.
Germans and Russians met in town of Bret-Litovsk and agreed to terms of peace.
Terms greatly in favor of Germans, as Russia lost a lot of land and full of humiliation with defeat by Germans.
Germans only had to look to the West.