WW1 Battle Notes

The Who, What & Why of WWIMANIA

THE ALLIED POWERS (Triple Entente)

Great BritainFranceRussia

Additions to the Allied PowersJapan joined within weeks Italy joined 9 months laterU.S. in 1917

THE CENTRAL POWERSGermanyAustria-Hungary

Additions to the Central Powers

Later Bulgaria Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

Causes of World War I: MANIAMilitarismAlliancesNationalismImperialismAssassination

MilitarismThe aggressive preparation for war.

European counties were building up their military forces in a bid to outdo each other. Conscription = Russia 1.3 million, French and German = 900k, British, Italian, Austro-Hungarian 250 to 500k.Generals planned how TO FIGHT not how to AVOID a war.

NationalismFeeling of devotion to your countryPeople under the control of an empire wanted to rule themselves.

ImperialismOne country dominates anotherThe CENTRAL and ALLIED powers fought over land and who would control the land

System of AlliancesCountries that:Share idealsTrade

AssassinationThe murder of a political figureArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated This sealed Austrias alliance with Germany

Recruitment

Schlieffen (SHLEE*fuhn) Plan 2 front war with France and Russia

Fast invasion into France by going through Belgium

Plan was to sweep around Paris and surround most of the French army

After Paris captured, German army go east against 6 million Russian troops

Germany Advances Q: Look at the physical map of Europe. Explain why the passage though Belgium was the best route for the Germans.A: It was not as heavily defended as the border by LuxembourgQ: Explain how the delay in marching through Belgium helped France survive.A: It allowed the French time to move troops closer to Paris and the Marne River

Q: Situated between France and Germany, Belgium chose a position of neutrality. Do you think they should have chose sides? Was Belgium in a sense choosing sides when she refused passage to the German army?A: Yes or No. You tell me

Q: Why was the world outraged when Germany marched into Belgium?A: Belgium was a neutral country

Q: Explore how a hasty attack by the Russians at Stalluponen, Gumbinnen, and Tannenberg helped to save Paris.A: It caught the Germans by surprise and they had to divert many troops to the eastQ: Explain the impact the taxicab drivers of Paris had on the Battle of the Marne.A: They were able to play an important role in defending Paris and thus the French people rallied behind the war cause

Parisian taxicabs

French military leaders loaded over 2,000 taxis and sent troops to the front line at the Marne

What creates animosity between people?Is it human nature to be violent? And is war really a choice?What is the difference between killing in war and murder?Who are the enemies of the U.S. today? Would you fight against them if the president asked you to?Is there a difference if a man, woman or child is killed? Should there be rules to war? Is it o.k. to kill using drones or should soldiers be forced to kill face to face?

Alsace and Lorraine

Franco-Prussian War of 18701871 France surrendersFrance burning for Revenge!

WW1 BattlesThe Western Front

Trench Warfare

Western Front:

From English Channel to Switzerland

Battle of Marne

Attrition = the enemy must be worn down to the point of collapse by continuous losses

Stalemate = a point where neither side can achieve victory

Ypres, Flanders, Belgium (1914)

First Battle at Ypres, Flanders, Belgium 1914

The most damaged area in all of Europe

Great Britain lost 86,000 men

One division lost 350 of 372 officers.

Fields of Flanders became infamous for loss of life

Fields of Poppies

Battle of Somme

Great Britain launches attack on German troops, July 1, 1916

Soldiers Prepare

70 pounds of gearRifleAmmunitionGrenadesShovelMess kitWater bottle

Great Britain Plan

15 miles of troops

Launch shells into German trenches

Germany fortified3 rows of trenchesbarbed wire

German guns fell silentGB attacked across No Mans Land

Battle of Verdun (France) 1916Symbolic of the new kind of war

French troops supplied by one truck every 14 seconds Day and Night!

War of Attrition

10 months of fighting

A few miles of land

Futile loss of life

Thousands of wounded soldiers left to die because not enough medical care

French and German700,000 deaths460,000 were French

TotalsMarne = 1,525,000 DEADYpres = 21,000 GB DEAD First Day AloneSomme = 1,100,000 DEADVerdun = 760,000 DEAD

WW1 BattlesEastern Front

Eastern FrontTannenberg (August 1915)Gallipoli (April 1915)Russians invaded Eastern GermanyRussians defeated No longer threat to Germans Poorly planned battle by British and Austrialian troopsDardanelles, near TurkeyUnsuccessfulCentral Powers victory

GallipoliArchy is a sprinter who just won a big race, and grew up on a ranch riding horses. He is eager to join the Light Horse- and Australian regiment- and fight in the war. He is too young to join up. And is going to Perth to try to sign up.His coach used to have him repeat What are your legs- steel springs, How fast will you run?- as fast as a leopard-then lets see you do it.

Frank Dunne (Mel Gibson) is also a sprinter and just lost a race and $ in the race Archy won. He is traveling w/ Archy, but does NOT support Australia's participation in Britain's war.He left a job he had w/ 3 friends, Barney, Snow,Bill