Transcript of The First Battle of the Marne The Aftermath The French paid a heavy price, as countless red- coated...
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- The First Battle of the Marne The Aftermath The French paid a
heavy price, as countless red- coated French troops had fallen in
the battle. Despite the loss of life, it helped the Allies by
giving Russia more time to mobilize for war. Once Russia mobilized,
Germany had to pull some of its troops out of France and send them
to fight Russia on the Eastern Front, which stretched from the
Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. The German army quickly advanced
through northern France and after only one month of fighting were
barely 25 miles from Paris. The French, however, would not give up.
The Battle The French launched a counterattack along the Marne
River east of Paris on September 7, 1914. This battle became known
as the First Battle of the Marne. 2 million men fought on a
battle-front that stretched 125 miles. After five days and 250,000
deaths, the French had rallied and pushed the Germans back some 40
miles.
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- The Second Battle of Ypres involved four battles around Ypres.
The first of these four battles began on 22 April 1915 as a
surprise offensive by the German 4th Army on the Allied front line.
This attack saw the first use of a new German weapon on the Western
Front: poisonous gas. A breeze moving towards French troops carried
the deadly gas. It had a devastating effect on the French and the
German infantry made a significant advance into Allied territory.
During the next four weeks the Allied Forces of Belgium, France and
Britain fought to hold off the successful German advance and to
regain the ground that had been lost north of Ypres. The fourth
battle ended on 25 May 1915.
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- Ypres
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- The Allies had planned to launch a joint French and British
assault in the region of the Somme. The target date was the middle
of 1916. However, in February the Allied plan was upset when the
Germans began an assault on the fortress-ringed city of Verdun. The
belief was that Verdun was essential to the French that France
would fight to the death. On February 21, the German artillery
barrage began and, for the next several months both sides unleashed
soldiers and shells at each By Christmas, when the battle finally
ended, 800,000 men had lost their lives. One hundred and
twenty-five miles northwest of Verdun, the British and French
armies joined at the Somme river. A French-British offensive was
planned here for 1916 to relieve pressure on the French at
Verdun.
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- Verdun, at beginning of Battle
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- French troops awaiting order to advance
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- Verdun, 1916
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- Verdun
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- Before and after-Verdon
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- Before and After
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- During this horrendous fighting, the French sent frantic
appeals to Sir Douglas Haig, the new British commander, to hasten
the Somme offensive and to take the pressure off Verdun.
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- Crater at beginning of Somme caused by 27 tons of
explosive
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- Left: These are typical battlefield scenes. Right: This
photograph is a before and after look at Menin Road, located at
Ypres. The top picture was taken in 1914, and the bottom was taken
in 1918 after the "Battle of Ypres". Photos: Courtesy Queens
University Archives
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- Approximately 620,000 Canadians served in the Canadian
Expeditionary Force, including 425,000 who served overseas; more
than 60,000 were killed and 172,000 wounded, an enormous number for
a small nation. Canadian military cemeteries overseas, carefully
maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, graphically
convey the scale of this loss. Canada was still a colony in 1914,
but battlefield successes stimulated a desire among Canadians for
greater national autonomy and international recognition. In 1919,
Canada signed the Treaty of Versailles, which formally ended the
war, and joined the newly-created League of Nations as a member
state in its own right. Canada had come of age.
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- The Eastern Front Russian army moved into Eastern Germany on
August 30, 1914 Defeated
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- The Eastern Front Much more mobile more than the West But loss
of life still very high 1915: 2.5 million Russians killed,
captured, or wounded
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- The Eastern Front Germany and Austria Hungary joined by
Bulgaria in Sept. 1915 Attacked and eliminated Serbia from war
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- The Gallipoli Disaster, 1915 Battlefield Detectives
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- T. E. Lawrence & the Arab Revolt, 1916-18 Liaison officer
to join the Great Arab Revolt, led by Prince Feisal. He took money
and guns and helped keep the Revolt alive. Arabs won even Turkish
soldiers of the Ottoman Empire were more technologically
advanced
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- The Tsar with General Brusilov Brusilv Offense As a counter to
the Battle of Verdun. France persuaded Russia to launch a dual-wing
attack. 20,000 German losses 70-100,000 Russian losses Lowered an
already hampered Russian morale. Famine across Russia as resources
were being sent to the war effort. However weakened the Central
Powers and destroyed Austria-Hungary. Unable to cope with loss of
life and funds.
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- Fighting in Africa British Sikh Mountain Gunners Black Soldiers
in the German Schutztruppen [German E. Africa]
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- Fighting in Africa 3 rd British Battalion, Nigerian
Brigade
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- Fighting in Salonika, Greece French colonial marine infantry
from Cochin, China - 1916 In Greece, the situation was rather
complicated. The prime minister, Eleftherios Venizelos, argued that
Greece should enter the war on the side of the Triple Entente. King
Constantine, whose wife was German, insisted that Greece should
stay neutral and avoid entering the war, something that would help
the Central Powers. On 11th June 1917 Constantine abdicated and
left the country. The throne was taken by his son Alexander, who
agreed to work with Venizelos. Eleftherios Venizelos, returned to
Athens to form a government and on 29th June 1917, declared war
against the Central Powers. By July 1918 the Greek Army had 250,000
men fighting in Macedonia.