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List the 4 Causes of WWI

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Many Europeans were excited about war› “Defend yourself

against the aggressors”

› Domestic differences were put aside

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War would be over in a few weeks› Ignored the length

and brutality of the American Civil War(prototype to World War I)

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Belief that Modern industrial war could not be conducted for more than a few months

“Home by Christmas”

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“Fatal attraction of war”› Exhilarating release

from every day life› A glorious adventure› War would rid the

nations of selfishness

› Spark a national re-birth based on heroism

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simply put, is the manipulation of public opinion. It is generally carried out through media that is capable of reaching a large amount of people and effectively persuading them for or against a cause.

Propaganda

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Invade western front 1st

After defeating France concentrate on the Eastern front

Avoid fighting a 2 front war

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Germany made vast encircling movement through Belgium to enter Paris

Underestimated speed of the British mobilization› Quickly sent troops

to France

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Sept 6-10, 1914› Battle of Marne› Stopped the

Germans but French troops were exhausted

› Both sides dug trenches for shelter

STALEMATE

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Trenches dug from English Channel to Switzerland

6,250 miles 6 to 8 feet deep Immobilized both sides for 4 years

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Elaborate systems of defense› barbed wire› Concrete machine

gun nests› Mortar batteries› Troops lived in holes

underground “No Man’s Land”

› Land between trenches where soldiers were often mowed down.

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Boredom› Soldiers would read to

help pass the time.

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“We all had on us the stench of dead bodies.” Death numbed the soldier’s minds.

Shell shock Psychological

devastation

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Medical services were primitive and life-saving antibiotics had not yet been discovered. Relatively minor injuries could prove fatal through onset of infection and gangrene. The Germans recorded that 12% of leg wounds and 23% of arm wounds resulted in death, mainly through infection.

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Trench warfare baffled military leaders› Attempt a

breakthrough› Then return to a war

of movement› Millions of young men

sacrificed attempting the breakthrough

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“The rats were huge. They were so big they would eat a wounded man if he couldn't defend himself.“

“ If you left your food the rats would soon grab it. Those rats were fearless. Sometimes we would shoot the filthy swines. But you would be put on a charge for wasting ammo, if the sergeant caught you.”

“I can't sleep in my dugout, as it is over-run with rats. Pullman slept here one morning and woke up to find one sitting on his face. I can't face that, so I share Newbery's dug-out.”

“Rats. There are millions!! Some are huge fellows, nearly as big as cats. Several of our men were awakened to find a rat snuggling down under the blanket alongside them!”

“Rats came up from the canal, fed on the plentiful corpses, and multiplied exceedingly. While I stayed here with the Welch. a new officer joined the company and, in token of welcome, was given a dug-out containing a spring-bed. When he turned in that night he heard a scuffling, shone his torch on the bed, and found two rats on his blanket tussling for the possession of a severed hand.”

German soldiers after rat hunting in their trenches

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiyWP7EM0tg

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WWI was the first major war to use chemical weapons

Mustard Gas Chlorine Gas

The two most popular weapons: They caused suffocation, blindness, and death

Soldiers would protect themselves using Gas Masks

“The special shells the men call “shells on wheels” (shells filled with poison gas) are whizzing by continuously. They explode silently and have no smell but can be deadly. They killed several men yesterday. One of my men refused to put his mask on because he couldn’t smell anything. All of a sudden, he was dizzy, foaming at the mouth and his skin went black, then he went rigid and died”-Paul Truffaut March 5, 1917

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Mustard gas› Carried by the wind› Burned out soldier’s lungs› Deadly in the trenches

where it would sit at the bottom

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U-boat: submarines used by Germans in WWI and WWII› developed by Germans

unrestricted submarine warfare› any ship traveling in water around Great

Britain was subject to attack

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easy to attack without being seen

attack merchant ships› cut off (British)

supply lines

Great Britain developed convoys› helped against

threat of attack

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

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Uses of aircraft: observe enemy

positions armed with machine

guns & bombs attacked battlefields

& cities attacked enemy

planes (“dogfights”)

useful from beginning of war

Red BaronGerman “ace” (a person who shoots down 5 or more enemy planes)

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most countries had few planes at start of war

production of planes increased rapidly

planes had to be easy to fly› first, designed for stability› later, designed for

maneuverability

generals began including planes in planning

France had had 140 planes at the start of war ended with 4,500

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The Germans also used Zeppelins and by 1918 had over 100 of these airships capable of bombing missions

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aka: landships

armored vehicles could cross rough battlefield terrain

› such as no man’s land

first tank, “Little Willie”› 14 tons (weight) with 12-foot long track

frames› space for three men (cramped)› maximum speed of 2 mph (on rough terrain)

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first developed in Great Britain› France & the US

soon became interested

not very reliable or useful at first

used later in the war› November 1917,

Battle of Cambrai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgnZyRX5F0

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rapid-fire machine guns were used

early machine guns: were big & heavy needed a crew of four to six people to

operate lacked cooling

mechanisms shot 400-600 small

caliber rounds perminute

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later machine guns were lighter & more portable

lighter weight, but still too heavy

1918 guns for infantrymen now existed› lighter weight› lacked enough

ammuntion

by end of war, guns had been added to tanks, warships, & aircraft

Krupp’s “Big Bertha” GunKrupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun

43 ton howitzer could fire a 2,200 lb shell over 9 miles

It took its 200-man crew, over six hours to re-assemble it on the site.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/mrallsop#p/c/9DBE5F08B042293F/20/VDkhMn911ek

Definition:› A situation in which no progress can be made or no

advancement is possible; "reached an impasse on the negotiations"

› A situation in which further action is blocked; a deadlock.

New technologies allowed for both sides to have good defense but had not evolved their battle tactics to work with the new weapons.

The barbed wire in no mans land didn't help either. It made it impossible (along with the machine guns) to mount an attack on the other side's trenches to overpower them.

The war made it to where both sides had casualities and deaths everyday, but neither side were gaining any land, so there wasn't anybody really winning.