WEAPONS AND TACTICS OF WORLD
WAR I
Notes - Causes
What started the War?
Direct Cause: See next slide!!!! Indirect Causes:Nationalism – Germany unites itself under their love of the fatherlandImperialism – Britain’s empire is causing other emperors to think of expanding their own countriesAlliances – Everyone had agreed to help someoneMilitarism – Due to new tech in weaponry, everyone was creating huge armies
Notes - Causes
Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian
teenager!
Austria-Hungary
declares war on Serbia
Russia promises to help Serbia
Germany joins AH and declares war
on France
Germany invades
Belgium who is friends
with Britain
German U-boats sink
the Lusitania
US declares war on
Germany after
Zimmerman Note
US Infantry
Flamethrowers
M1903 Springfield
M1917 Browning
MK 1 Grenade
Artillery
Stokes Mortar
BL Howitzer (8 inch)Range: 5 miles
Tanks
Mark V
Renault FT
Airplanes
Fokker DR 1 Triplane
Scout C
Navy
U boat
Aircraft Carriers
Destroyer
Trenches
A Soldier’s Life
Mark I Trench Knife 50% of the men who went into the
trenches made it out unscathed World War I soldiers were more likely to
die from artillery shell explosions than gunfire
99% of abdominal wounds were fatal No antibiotics yet: so disease killed just
as many as weapons
Shell Shock
56% of soldiers became casualties in the war!
10% of soldiers died in the trenches Many went crazy in the trenches Many just sat and stared “Thousand yard stare” Now it is called:
Combat Stress ReactionPost Traumatic Stress Syndrome
Notes – Big Battles
2nd Battle of the Marne When: July-August, 1918Where: Marne RiverWhy: Germany’s last big offensive pushWho: 58 Allied divisions vs. 52 Central divisionsLosses: 270,000 soldiersWinner: Allied troops hold and then start their offensive which leads to the end of the warNotables: Four countries came together to beat back the GermansThey used superior scouting and planning
Notes - Sides
Central Allied
Austria-HungaryGermanyOttoman EmpireBulgaria
FranceRussiaSerbiaBritainItalyUS
Notes – The Sinking of the Lusitania
The Reason the US joined WWI:
On May 1, 1915 she left New York for EnglandShe was loaded with regular passengers and … ammunition for the war!German citizens had been warned in the US not to sail on itA U-boat torpedoed it on May 7th 11 miles off the coast of IrelandIt sank in 18 minutes killing 1,198 peopleUS citizens were outraged since Germany did not follow the rulesGermany didn’t care because they claimed it was a war ship since it had ammunition
Notes – Big Battles
1st Battle of the Marne When: September, 1914Where: Marne River in France near ParisWhy: Germany was trying to conquer FranceWho: 2.5 million soldiersLosses: 483,000 soldiersWinner: Allied troops held off the Germans from taking over France and stalled their offensiveNotables: Taxis brought the French troops to the front linesCaused the Germans to end their dreams of a quick warAirplanes played a vital role in surveillance and counter attacking
Notes – Big Battles
Battle of Argonne Forest (Grand Offensive)
When: September – November, 1918Where: The entire western front into GermanyWhy: Germany was on its heels and the Allied troops pushed them back into submissionWho: Almost 750,000 soldiersLosses: Almost 300,000 soldiersNotables: It was very costly in US lives (117,000 men)Finished the war with the Allied forces winning
Notes – InnovationsThe new ways to kill in WWI: Aircraft – Red Baron and
others would fight in air and bombard soldiers on groundArtillery – Guns had such range that you didn’t need to see them to blow them upArtillery Shells – They were more powerful and could be filled with poisonous gasesComplete/Total War – With Airplanes and Artillery battles were not fought on just battlefields but now in cities and throughout entire countrySubmarines – German U-boats sank everything that floatedTanks – To beat trenches, they created armored vehicles that could destroy without being hurt by soldiers
Notes – Parallels with A Soldier’s Heart
A Soldier’s Heart All Quiet on the Western Front
Quickness of Victory:Illusion of Honor in War:Preparation for War:First Glimpse of Battle:Starvation and Lack of Everything:Madness of Killing:The Closeness of Killing:The Constant Danger:Going Crazy:The Impossibility of the Future for the Soldiers:Watching a friend die:The similarity of the enemy:The end and nature:
Nationalism – Here at home!
Overall Results of WWI
Total Allied Central
Military Deaths: 9.7 million 5.7 million 4 million
Civilian Deaths: 6.7 million 3.6 million 3.1 million
Wounded: 21.2 million 12.8 million 8.4 million
Total Casualties: 37.6 million 22.1 million 15.5 million
% of population killed:
2% 1% 5%
% of population hurt or killed:
5% 3% 11%
American Stats: 116,708 deaths 205,690 wounded
Outcomes of World War I