1. World war I in Europe

2. The western front,
Fighting on the Western Front was defined by Trench Warfare
Even the defensive trenches were not safe, due to constant artillery fire
The strips of land between the two sides’ trenches was called “No- Man’s Land”
Soldiers were ordered “Over the Top!” before charges towards enemy lines
Machine guns were the most effective—and feared—weapon; they practically turned charges into suicide missions
Major Battles
The Battle of Verdun
February-August, 1916
German assault gains around 4 miles of ground
150,000 killed on each side
The Battle of the Somme
July-November, 1916
Allied (mainly British) assault gains around 5 miles of ground
The British lost 20,000 soldiers on the FIRST DAY of battle

3. The western front

4. The battle of the somme

6. The eastern front,
Trench warfare predominated on the Eastern Front as well
Soldiers’ misery was compounded by brutally cold weather
This was especially brutal for Russian soldiers, due to shortages of clothing and food
During these years, the Central Powers gradually pushed into Russian territory
Russian morale deteriorated, as generals used their only advantage—numbers—to slow the German/Austrian advance

7. The eastern front

8. The war at sea
Major Battles
Battle of the Falklands
December 8, 1914
The British hunted down the German fleet and destroyed it near the Falklands Islands in the South Atlantic
Established British naval dominance for the rest of the war
Battle of Jutland
May 31 – June 1, 1916
Germans’ desperate attempt to break the British blockade
The Germans inflicted heavy losses but failed to break the blockade
U-Boats
First time submarines were used extensively in warfare
Germans’ most effective weapon in the naval war
U-Boats terrorized Allied and American merchant vessels, in addition to naval vessels

9. The battle of jutland

10. German u-boats

11. 1917: a decisive shift?
(In 1915, Italy switched sides, from the Central Powers to the Allies)
March, 1917: Czar Nicholas II of Russia is forced from power by a popular revolution
Much of the anger towards the Czar stemmed from Russian losses in the war
November, 1917: Russia signs a separate peace agreement with Germany and withdraws from the war
Just as Russia dropped out of the war, the United States entered on the side of the Allies

13. World war I alliances: 1917 Allied Powers Central Powers Great Britain
France
Italy
United States
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria