1. Trench warfare and deadly weapons
A new kind of war
Trench warfare and deadly weapons

2. Trench Warfare
WWI was fought primarily from Trenches. Long networks of dug out tunnels and bunkers.
The men would “Go Over the Top” into no man’s land trying to break through the enemies trenches
Trench warfare led to a Stalemate, where neither side was able to gain ground or an advantage over the other. The war would drag on for four years in the same trenches.

4. At Somme the British lost 60,000 troops in a single day.
Over the Top!!
At Verdun the Germans attempted to break French lines. Over 500,000 casualties on both sides
At Somme the British lost 60,000 troops in a single day.

5. Trench life
Life in the trenches was usually boring. Soldiers spent long hours standing in puddles of water, hunting rats, or picking lice from their bedding.
Many soldiers suffered from Trench Foot, an illness caused by the cold temperatures and wet conditions

6. Weapons
Machine gun
Gas
Tanks
Submarines
Artillery
grenades
planes

7. New Weapons Weapon Uses Machine guns
Few gunners can mow down waves of soldiers, especially in no man’s land
Tanks
Not very effective, but could protect troops with powerful artillery shells
Submarines
U-boats were used by Germany to sink Allied ships, both military and merchant
Airplanes
Dogfighting aces had little effect on the war but were morale boosters
Gas/ Gas mask
Gas was launched into enemy trenches, forcing troops “over the top” or killing on contact

8. Artillery
Germany’s Big Bertha was capable of shelling enemy trenches ten miles away. Flying shrapnel killed more than machine guns

9. Gas
Gas was a terrible weapon during WWI. The use of mustard gas resulted in painful deaths and killed by suffocation.
Some men would die 5 weeks after exposure

11. Submarines
The Germans tried to win the war by sinking the allied supply ships. Though the “rules of war” required them to surface and allow civilians to leave doomed ships, the Germans fired without revealing themselves.

12. You Tell me…
Which Weapon do you think was the most powerful? Why? How was it used? How is it used today?

13. Total War
World War I is the first time we see Total War- the resources of the entire nation are channeled into the war effort.
People rationed food, gasoline, and boots.
Drafts were also instituted in many warring nations to ensure a steady supply of fresh, young troops

14. It’s a crime to waste…

15. Propaganda
Total war also means controlling public opinion. Propaganda- spreading of ideas to promote a cause or damage an opposing cause

16. Women in the war
As millions of men left to fight, women took over their jobs and kept the economy running. Some women worked in factories, others worked in the fields to grow food.
Military nurses risked their lives treating casualties of the war.
Eventually, their work during the war earned women suffrage.

17. Russian Withdrawal
By 1917 morale was collapsing for troops and civilians everywhere. Germany was even sending 15 year old troops to the front lines.
The war hit Russia particularly hard. Stories of huge military defeats and corruption ruined public confidence. Civilians in St. Petersburg participated in bread riots. Men deserted the army in waves.
In March 1917 the Russian Czar was overthrown and Lenin came to power. He signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, ending Russian involvement in WWI.
What effect will Russia’s withdrawal have on the war?