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Characteristics & Technology 1

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How did technology change the way that war was fought in World War I? 2

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Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Ottoman Empire Allied Powers Great Britain France Russia America (Eventually) Advantages Central Powers Allied Powers Geography Controlled from North Sea to Middle East Quicker Action Easier communication & troop movement Better Trained Armies Germany had strongest army in world More Soldiers Greater Industrialization Could produce weapons & ammo Controlled the Seas British navy moved materials around the world 3

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Weapons were mass produced Many new weapons were used 4

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German Submarines Caused extensive losses to Allied ships Germans also used poison gas against infantry 5

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As powerful as multiple rifles Made infantry attacks against heavily fortified positions costly Protective trenches were used to combat this tactic 6

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Killed in large numbers Could attack from long-distances Defensive weapons 7

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Primarily used to observe troop movement Slow & difficult to maneuver Sometimes used in air battles called dogfights Also used to drop bombs Aces were high skilled fighter pilots The Red Baron Famous German fighter pilot 8

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Introduced by Britain in 1916 Easily moved over rough terrain using treads Enabled troops to cut through barbed wire & enemy lines 9

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Previous wars in Europe fought by professional soldiers WWI soldiers were mostly drafted civilians Undrafted men & women worked at home to support the war effort Total War A war in which nations use all their resources to help the war 10

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The use of selective bits of information, true or false, to get citizens to support the war Government set up agencies to control news Generally showed enemy as brutal while praising own soldiers 11

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Germany attacked France, & advanced to Marne River, but was stopped by French & British troops ended German hope of quick victory Western Front Trenches stretched from Switzerland to English Channel & North Sea Eastern Front Russia attacked to divert German forces from Western Front 12

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Battle of Tannenberg August 1914 Russia defeated by Germany Half of Russian forces lost Germans attacked Poland after victory here Fighting on Gallipoli Russia lacked weapons to arm soldiers Britain & France tried to capture Constantinople to create route to get supplies to Russia Used naval bombardment & infantry but failed to capture Constantinople 13

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Britain blockaded North Sea to prevent Germany from obtaining supplies Germany blockaded Britain using U-Boats May 1915 U-Boats sinks Lusitania 1,200 killed, including 128 Americans Germany reduced blockade after U.S. condemned the attack 14

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By late 1915 the war came to a stalemate Military leaders on both sides wondered if they would ever break through enemy lines Many lives lost Became a war of attrition slow wearing down process where each side tries to outlast the other 15

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Tried to remain neutral Were most industrialized neutral nation, & supplied both sides British propaganda influenced Americans; they didnt know it was exaggerated or false America was pushed to war by 3 things 16

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Germany offers to help Mexico regain Arizona, New Mexico, & Texas if they helped Germany. Message intercepted by British & given to U.S. Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare Russia became democracy, so America was more likely to fight for democratic ideals 17

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President Woodrow Wilson told Congress, the world must by made safe for democracy. April 6, 1917 Congress voted to declare war on Germany 18