World War IWorld War I
The Great War Continues…
Quick Recap… Allied Powers: Britain, France, Russia,
Serbia, Romania, and Greece Central Powers: Germany, Austria-
Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria
Germany’s Von Schlieffen plan has collapsed due to:– a loss at the Battle of the Marne on the
Western Front – quick Russian mobilization on the Eastern
Front
The Eastern Front: The Battle of Tannenberg
August 26-30,1914 Russians kept their word to France and
attacked before they were fully ready Disastrous defeat for the Russians. Germany’s greatest victory in the war. Russia never fully recovers.
The War Continues…
Italy remains neutral until May of 1915
The Allies promise Italy land in return for support, and the Italians become part of the Allied powers
Allied Powers: Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Romania, and Greece
Trench Warfare After the Battle of the
Marne, both sides settle into their trenches, and the war becomes a stalemate
2 main trenches, 500 miles long, each protected by barbed wire and land mines
Men were in trenches for weeks
Attacks were made in the middle, which was “no man’s land”
Trench Warfare
War of Attrition The war becomes a war of attrition, both
sides continually try to wear the other side down through constant attack
WW I is now a TOTAL WAR- the countries are putting ALL of their resources into the war effort– Women take the place of men in factories,
farms, shops, etc– Propaganda is used to elicit harsh feelings
against the enemy. Rumors, posters, and ideas are spread that portray the enemy as a beast.
Battle at Gallipoli
The Allies wanted the Ottomans out of the war
Churchill opens 3rd front
Allies wanted control of Constantinople and the Dardanelles to supply Serbia and Russia
British Defeat at Gallipoli Allies attack the Gallipoli
peninsula Turks outnumber the
Allies ( mostly Aussies) Turks win one of the
bloodiest battles of World War I
Campaign is a disaster for the Allies and they withdrew in Jan. 1916
(Actual trenches in Gallipoli)
Battle of Verdun: February 1916
Germans make a surprise attack on the French Fortress Verdun
Attack lasts for 5 months, each side loses 300,000 men
The French are led by General Henri-Philippe Petain: “They shall not pass.”
Germany gained 4 miles, and then abandoned the attack.
Battle of the Somme: July 1916
British attack Germans 400,000 British die, 500,000 Germans,
and 200,000 French Britain gained 5 miles
– Introduced tanks into warfare– Tanks were slow and clumsy; make very little
difference– Generals did not know how to best use this
new weapon
American Entrance into WWI• American opinion was divided
• Wilson urges neutrality (isolationism)
• Germany resumes unrestricted sub warfare; attack civilian ships
• Remember:1915-Germans attacked Lusitania, a British trade ship, 128 Americans die
“The Yanks are coming…” The Zimmerman Note Feb. of 1917- Britain
intercepts a telegram from Germany to Mexico– Germans promise to help
Mexico regain territory in the U.S. if Mexico helps the Germans
– Result: April 2, 1917- Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war
Why US entered into the War on the Allied side
Public outrage from the very beginning against Germany for violating Belgian neutrality
The sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania
Propaganda campaign by Allied sympathizers showing the “Horrible Hun”, “Poor little Belgium” etc.
Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare
The Zimmerman Telegram
Allied Propaganda from WWI
Significance of American Entrance into WW I
Turned the tide of battle in favor of the Allies Broke traditional isolationist policy America emerged as a world power