1. German War Plan Schlieffen Plan
Germany was faced with a two front war in 1914, with Russia to the east and France to the west.
Russia
France

2. German War Plan
German army general Schlieffen organized a battle plan designed to take on both France and Russia.
Schlieffen
Plan
The idea was to quickly defeat France first, and then defeat the Russians.
Schlieffen

3. German War Plan
German generals predicted Russia would be slow to mobilize due to a lack of industrialization and a shortage of railroads.
Schlieffen
Plan
Czar Nicholas II

4. German War Plan Schlieffen Plan
In order for the Schlieffen Plan to work, German armies had to march through neutral Belgium, which was protected by Great Britain.
The Schlieffen Plan

5. German War Plan The Plan in Action
Once Germany invaded Belgium, Great Britain declared war.
Just as planned, Germany swept through Belgium. However, Russia mobilized much quicker than expected.

6. German War Plan
To fight the Russians, Germany had to divert some of its forces to the east, which weakened their forces on the western front.

7. German War Plan The Plan in Action
When British forces arrived in France the German drive to Paris stalled, and both sides dug in for winter.
Western
Front
The Schlieffen Plan

8. The Great War Central Powers Allied Powers
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire
Allied Powers
Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Italy, United States

9. The Human Cost of WWI Dead: over 8.5 million Wounded: over 17 million
Also, there was widespread disease, famine and destruction.

10. Total War WWI became the first war to use Total War tactics
-Governments committed all their nation’s resources and took over industry to win the war
-Soldiers were drafted, media censored, propaganda created to support the war
-Enemy became the other nation, not just their soldiers

11. No Man’s Land Soldiers ordered out of trenches to attack enemy
Sprinting across area known as “No Man’s Land”
Thousands died on both sides, cut down by enemy guns
Each side turned to weapons like poison gas, limited as gas masks developed
Rapid fire machine guns very destructive

12. Trench Foot
An infection caused by cold, wet, unsanitary conditions. Feet would go numb, the skin would turn red or blue, and eventually gangrenous. Amputations were common.
The Remedy
Change your socks and keep your feet dry.

13. Costly Battles
Russian soldiers were often sent into battle without rifles or gasmasks, and over a million Russians were killed.

14. Costly Battles
At the Somme River the British lost 60,000 soldiers in one day.
By the time the month-long battle was over a million soldiers had died, with the Allies only gaining around 10 miles.
The Somme, 1916

15. The Tide Turns Russian Revolution
Due to horrible military defeats, hunger and chaos within Russia, a communist revolution occurred against the Czar in 1917.

16. The Tide Turns Russian Revolution
Communist leader Vladimir Lenin pulled Russia out of the war, which greatly upset the other Allies.

17. The Tide Turns
Soon later in 1917, the neutral United States declared war on Germany for several reasons:
America Joins
Lusitania – The Germans sunk the large ocean liner, and did not halt unrestricted submarine warfare.

18. The Tide Turns
Cultural Ties – the US had more similarities with the Allies than with the Central Powers (language, traditions, and democracy).
America Joins
Britain
France

19. The Tide Turns
Zimmermann Note – the British intercepted a message from Arthur Zimmermann, the German foreign minister, to his ambassador in Mexico.
Zimmermann asked for Mexican support, and promised that in return Germany would help Mexico conquer New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.
Zimmermann

20. Germany Defeated Germany
Falls
In 1918 the Allies slowly pushed the Germans back, who were exhausted of men and materials.

21. Germany Defeated Germany Falls
The German people, hungry and without work, revolted against the Kaiser, who fled into exile.
Kaiser Wilhelm II
German Revolution, 1918

22. Germany Defeated
The new German government was democratic, and sought an armistice, or agreement to stop fighting. World War I was over.