World War I

Schlieffen Plan

• Germany’s plan for fighting France and Russia at the same time.

• First attack France by sweeping through Belgium. Knock France out of the war, then turn on the Russians (who would be slower to mobilize).

Two-Front War

• The Schlieffen Plan failed and Germany found itself battling enemies on both sides.

• Western Front – fighting against France and Britain (and eventually the U.S.) – This is the part of the war on which we will focus.

• Eastern Front – fighting against Russia

Trench Warfare/The Western Front

• The war between Britain/France and Germany became hundreds of miles and layers of trenches.

• They fought for years (with millions of casualties) over just a few hundred yards of territory. (stalemate)

Global War

• The war was fought in Africa, Asia Minor, the Far East, and on the seas.

• The Battle of Gallipoli in Turkey was an important battle between the British and the Ottomans.

• The British officer T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) united the Arab tribes to fight the Central Powers.

Global War

• Colonial subjects were brought to Europe to fight or otherwise help with the war effort.

• Twenty-three countries (plus their colonies) became involved in World War I.

Submarine Warfare

• The newest weapon of the war, the German submarine (U-Boat), attacked British and French shipping to cut off needed supplies.

• The rules of war stated that submarines were to surface, search the merchant ship for contraband, take the captain prisoner, allow the crew to get on lifeboats, and then sink the ship.

Submarine Warfare

• In unrestricted submarine warfare, submarines struck the ships without warning from below the surface using torpedoes.

• The Lusitania was a British passenger liner sunk by a German submarine. The uproar caused Germany to stop using unrestricted submarine warfare.

Postcard of a German U-boat sinking a British commercial steamer

War of Attrition

• As the war bogged down in the trenches it became a war of attrition.

• In the Battle of Verdun the objective was to kill twice as many of the enemy rather than capture a worthwhile geographic goal.

• The 11 month battle cost more than a half-million casualties on both sides.

Battle of Verdun: Troops Advancing Under Fire

Total War

• The entire country was devoted to the war effort:– Industries supplied military material– Propaganda used to sway masses– Rationing– Draft– Women entered the workforce– Colonies used for men and resources

Propaganda

America Enters the War

• The United States had maintained neutrality throughout the war.

• In February of 1917, three things happened that led to the end of American neutrality– 1. Russia overthrew the czar. Now all the

allied powers had democratic governments.– 2. Germany resumed unrestricted submarine

warfare.

America Enters the War

• 3. Zimmerman Note– The German foreign minister, Alfred Zimmermann,

suspected that the USA was about to enter the war on the British side.

– To counteract this Zimmermann sought an alliance with Mexico to attack the USA and, at the end of the war, reclaim Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

– The note was intercepted and translated by the British and given to the United States.

– This put American public opinion behind entering the war.

Zimmermann Note

End of the War

• Even as Russia dropped out of the war and the Germans could focus all their resources on the Western Front, the American Expeditionary Force began to land and shore up French and British lines.

• By 1918, the Americans were landing roughly one million soldiers per month.

End of the War

• With Germany in full retreat, the German Kaiser abdicated and fled to the Netherlands. The Germans created a republic and sued for peace.

• The war ended on November 11, 1918. Americans now celebrate this date as Veterans’ Day.