1. Icebreaker ~ How are we going to prevent peace GROUP PRESENTATION (2 – 3 minutes)

2.  The war (1914 – 1918) was largely fought on two fronts the Western Front & Eastern Front  Opened with intense activity of deployment of millions of men…however much of the war was restricted to both sides ‘digging in’  Other theatres of war included the Middle East, Balkans, Africa, & Italy  Neither side found it possible to achieve a decisive outcome on the battlefield  War at sea saw few decisive outcomes  Air warfare did not play a decisive role  War led to more advances in weaponry  Propaganda…soldier & civilian  Significant Revolutions – 2 in Russia – attempted Revolutions in Hungary & Germany  Growth of communist support in China

3.  Industrial Revolution, growth of modern science, technology, populations, transportation, mass communication, & nationalism revolutionized warfare ◦ Much larger armies ◦ Casualties were higher ◦ Entire population involved (TOTAL WAR) ◦ State controlled the people & resources ◦ Weapons were more destructive  Gas, flame throwers, aircraft, huge artillery, machine guns

4.  Concept ◦ Avoid a long war on two fronts ◦ War would be waged vs. Russia & France (both had large armies) ◦ Believed Russia would take a long time to mobilize due to size, inefficient military organization ◦ German railways were efficient and military planning well developed ◦ Germany needed to defeat France first…happened in 1870 could happen again

5. Western Front Eastern Front This front goes away after Lenin withdrew Russian troops. Which means that Germany can focus all of its resources on the Western Front.

7.  Called for large forces vs. French & smaller to defend the east ◦ Plan called for the following:  Attack France in the North under assumption France would attack Germany in Alsace – Lorraine  German right wing would encircle Paris  Hold off the French until ring wing forces attack from the rear  Then have soldiers use railways after defeat of France to move them to the east to defeat Russia

8.  Russian railways & organization had improved more then Germany anticipated  The long march into France cut off supply lines  Plan did not anticipate resistance from Belgium & did not have any provision for British forces stepping in  France used aircraft observations to track German movements  Modern weaponry – automatic weapons could stop the advance of large #’s of soldiers

9.  Victory only could be achieved by defeat of enemy’s will to win  Timetable breakdown ~ Germans faced unexpected resistance in Belgium  Russian forces in the east threw off plans  Confusion on attack point: changed to attack Paris from the east  The war movement – all advances were at a halt = fortified front line of trenches

10.  Example ~ July 1916 Battle of Somme ◦ British & French forces faced well established German forces at the Somme River in France ◦ Allies were anxious to relieve pressure on France  Artillery bombardment  No element of surprise  Time gap between bombardment & assault  Armies were not professional  No Man’s Land  No effective communication between commanders & their forces

11.  Generals used same tactics again and again even if they failed  Removed from battlefield, unaware of conditions  Too old = thinking of past wars  Military honor  Preferred grand strategies vs. more achievable aims  Refused to take advice ◦ On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, Norman F. Dixon …offers WWI theory of poor leadership led to reluctance of Allied powers participation in another war