2. Weapons and Strategies of World War I

3. The Schlieffen Plan ► Germany planned to beat France first then concentrate on Russia ► Was to be fast & fatal – completed in 6 weeks ► Place main army to the North and concentrate on pushing through France and around Paris

4. ► Place small army to the South to draw the bulk of the French army into the Alps ► Burst through Belgium and roll past Paris trapping the French army into defeat against the Alps ► Based on the idea that victory goes to the one who attacks first

6. Failure of the Plan ► German generals misunderstood the plan and placed the bulk of their army to the South ► This caused the German army to be successful at pushing the French back in towards Paris and not into the ‘trap’ of the Alps

7. ► Germany did not expect Britain to protect Belgium’s neutrality and was not prepared to engage the British & French in combined warfare ► Stalemate occurred, losing the effect of speed and surprise

9. Trench Warfare ► The machine gun made it impossible to stand and charge at the enemy ► 100s of soldiers were killed in wave attacks, mowed down as they charged the lines ► The only way to avoid the gunfire was to ‘dig in’

10. ► Trench warfare began in Autumn of 1914 ► Contributed to the stalemate --- tens of thousands of soldiers would be killed attempting to gain only meters of land at a time ► Caused the destruction of European land

12. Digging in – Belgium troops waiting for German attack

13. German trenches

15. German trench in Russia

16. Russian trenches

17. Home Sweet Home?

18. Wet & Muddy

19. Trench Foot

21. Australian Medical Troops

23. Sleeping in the trenches

24. Going over the top

26. No Man’s Land

28. New Weapons of War ► The Machine Gun was introduced allowing for the rapid firing of bullets without having to reload (2 machine guns = 60 to 100 rifles) ► Made it impossible to stand in front of each other and fight – forced a new style of warfare ► Were able to kill hundreds of enemy troops at a time – most casualties ever recorded in single battles

29. Vicker’s Machine Gun

31. Tanks ► Tanks were first successfully used in an organized attack in France at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 by the British ► Largely ineffective but imposing – intimidated the opposition ► Were well-used as shields for advancing troops and for knocking out barbed wire

33. Follow the leader!

34. ► Very slow & inaccurate  much unlike tanks today ► Would often sink and get stuck in the muddy fields of ‘No Man’s Land’

35. Crossing a trench!

36. Stuck in the Mud!

37. ► Grenades used to clear paths through ‘No Man’s Land’

38. Bayonets ► Knives attached to the front of guns ► Used in close combat when storming enemy troops

40. Mortar Fire - Artillery

42. Gas Attacks

43. Gas attacks from above

44. Gas Masks

46. Flame Throwers

47. ► Used to secure land in front of trenches ► Used to clear paths through ‘No Man’s Land’ ► Could be very dangerous to carry for soldiers (explosive!)

48. Convoy Systems ► Naval tactic where battleships accompanied cargo ships from colonial ports ► Protection from submarines

49. WWI Dreadnought

50. U-boats ► Unterseeboot (Submarine) ► Used to attack boats attempting to bring supplies to Britain (Canada key in this role) ► Initially only attacked warships but eventually attacked any allied ship in the channel ► Sinking of the Lusitania (1915) – Passenger ship with American civilians on board

51. U-boats

52. Submarines

53. Airplanes ► Invented in 1903 ► First time used in war ► In 1915 they were armed with machine guns and bombs ► shoot down 5 enemy planes = ACE  Billy Bishop (Famous Canadian ACE)  Pilots = short life expectancy

54. Airplanes

56. The Results of War