1. Bellringer Download today’s notes: WWI Warfare Notes
Turn in any makeup work.
Answer the following question:
What were the MAIN causes of WWI?

2. Beginning of War
Most nations seemed genuinely convinced that their nation’s cause was just –propaganda
Many were enthusiastic about war
Many believed that war would be over in a few weeks
The realities of trench warfare and new technology soon dashed these hopes…

3. Trench Warfare
Strategy of defending a position by fighting from deep, protected ditches.
2 Major front systems formed in Europe
Western Front- Stalemate of trench warfare across France
Both sides were kept in the virtually the same positions for four years
Eastern Front- marked by mobility
Russians knocked out fairly quickly
Austrians did poorly until Germany came to help (Italy turned on them!)
Together Germany and Austria defeated Serbia, focused back on the west

4. The Western Front

5. Life in the Trenches Cold, wet, dirty Unsanitary- disease spread
Trench Rats
Body Lice
Trench foot
Scarce Food Supply
Soldiers spent months in the trenches in these horrible conditions.

6. No- Man’s Land The area between opposing trenches
Most fighting took place in this area.

7. The Trench System
What do you think the purpose of having 3 lines of trenches could be? 

8. Stalemate
With each side “dug in” their trenches, a stalemate occurred along the Western Front.
Inability for either side to win a decisive victory.
The stalemate lasted for 4 long years.
Became a war of attrition
A war based on wearing the other side down by constant attacks and heavy losses.

9. Trench Warfare Video
Take out your worksheet and answer the questions as the video plays!

10. Weapons of World War 1
World War 1 saw the use of new weapons in combat that made war even more dangerous.
Industrialization made many new weapons technologies possible.
New Weapons included:
Machine Guns
Bolt Action Rifles
Artillery
Poison Gas
Tanks

11. Machine Guns & Bolt Action Rifles
Machine Guns fired 400 to 600 rounds per minute
Each side set up groups of machine guns along trenches to stop enemy advance
Machine Gun
Bolt Action rifles could be shot accurately up to 600 yards
Bolt Action Rifle

12. Machine Guns (cont.) Each had the firepower of approx. 100 rifles.
Dramatically increased the number of casualties during WWI

13. Artillery
Launched artillery shells nearly 10 that exploded into deadly fragments over enemy positions.
British Howitzer

14. **Most important piece of equipment was a soldiers gasmask.
Poison Gas
Used in artillery shells- explosion would release gas into trenches.
2 Main types used:
Chlorine Gas- destroyed the respiratory organs of its victims and this led to a slow death by asphyxiation.
Mustard Gas- caused internal and external bleeding and attacked the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane.
**Most important piece of equipment was a soldiers gasmask.

15. Tanks
Developed by the British to end the stalemate on the Western Front in 1915.
Could cause heavy damage to enemy lines
Had tough time crossing trenches- many early models got hung up in trenches.
British developed the Mark I- rhomboid shaped to get over trenches- made a significant contribution to the war.

16. Airplanes First time in history they were used on the battlefield
First used for spotting the enemy’s position, later used for ground targets
Pilots first fired at each other using pistols!
Later machine guns were mounted on planes
Germans experimented with zeppelins, but they were highly flammable

17. Connect! 1. How did the Eastern and Western Fronts differ?
2. What was life like in the trenches?
3. What new weapons and technologies were introduced and improved during WWI?

18. Letter Home from the Trenches!
Imagine you are a British soldier who has been serving in the trenches of the Western Front for two years. Write a letter home that discusses daily work, health, and living conditions.
You can read primary source letters from the link on the website.
Make sure you accurately touch on all the categories mentioned above!
Be creative! We may hang them up on the door 