1. World War One

2.  German attack strategy developed before the war - 2 front strategy - Germany believed it could fend off Russia in the East while it defeated France in the West with a lightning speed attack - Believed Russia would take a while to assemble troops

3.  German officers pulled troops from the West to defend Eastern Boarder- Weakened the attack line in France  No fast victory for Germany  Now fighting a 2 front war

4.  Germans dug in a defensive line along the river Somme and into Belgium  British and French Soldiers dug a trench line to face Germans  Trenches stretched from Swiss Boarder to English Channel  By Christmas 1914 stalemate!

7.  The area between enemy trenches  Wasteland of bodies, barbed wire, mud, mines

8.  Flooded by rain and filth  Overrun by rats  Stinking cesspools  Trapped for weeks  Disease spread  Lice infestations  Mental exhaustion  Trench Foot

9.  Each side repeatedly attacking the other until one side completely exhausted and unable to continue  This old style cannot work due to new weapons  Old School Generals sent hundreds of thousands of men “over the top” into no man’s land to die by machine guns

10.  Changed the way war is fought  Fires 400-500 rounds per minute

11.  Germany 1 st to use poison gas in battle - Chlorine gas at Ypres 1915  Gas blinded soldiers and attacked respiratory systems  Early defense- rags soaked in water/urine  Later defense- gas masks

12.  The Scilent enemy  Used most by Germany - U-Boats - Attacked ships carrying supplies to Britain  Armed with torpedoes to sink ships

13.  Planes used to: - Scout enemy positions - Drop bombs on enemy planes or shoot with handguns  Later on planes had top mounted guns

14.  Called Dirigibles (inflatable airships)  Filled with light gases such as hydrogen and propelled by engine on bottom  Used for scouting and bombing