Chapter 13

Section 2Europe Plunges in War

The Great War Begins• Austria declared war • The countries allied with each other followed

through with their pledges of support• Every major power in Europe was now at war• 8/1/14: Germany declared war on Russia• 8/3/14: Germany declared war on France• Soon Britain declared war on Germany

New Alliances

• Central Powers• Germany• Austria-Hungary• Named for their

location in Europe• Bulgaria & the Ottoman

Empire would join, hoping to regain lost lands

• Allies• England• Russia• France• Italy would join after

accusing their former allies of starting an unjust war

Happily to War• Millions of soldier left home headed to war• Most believed it would be a short war• Very few saw the horrors that would cover

Europe

The Bloody Stalemate• The Schlieffen Plan– Quick strike into France through Belgium– A quick defeat of France would allow Germany to

move their troops East to fight the Russians– The Russians would be slower to ready for war

because of the inadequate railroad system– As Germany neared Paris the plan appeared to be

working– Battle of the Marne River– After 4 days of fighting Germany retreated– The plan was ruined

Trench Warfare• By 1915, the French & Germans had dug miles of

trenches across France• Trenches– Dug for protection– Became the 24 hour home for the soldiers on the

Western Front• Conditions– Muddy, unsanitary– Rat infested, lice infested– Death traps

Trench Warfare• “No Man’s Land”– Area between the opposing trenches– Covered in barbed wire– Littered with craters– 500 miles of bombed out area from the North Sea

to the Swiss border

Trench Warfare• New weapons– Poison gas• Chlorine, could blind, burn, or kill

– Machine gun• Between 400-600 rounds per minute

– Tank• 1916, British used the 1st one• Could cross open terrain because of its armor

New Weapons con’t.• Airplane– Wright Brothers, 1903– Used for reconnaissance– Some air to air combat– Very dangerous to fly & land– Some aerial bombing– Baron von Richthofen• 80 aerial kills• Most famous German pilot

Fokker Dr 1

Sopwith Camel

New weapons con’t:– Submarine• Germans introduced them in 1914• Torpedoes were used to sink enemy ships• Called the Unterseeboot or U-boot, or U-boat in English

• These new weapons were devastating

• Officers were not trained in tactics to fight against the new weapons

• 19th century tactics vs. 20th century weapons

• WW1 is the first mechanized war

The Eastern Front• Austria-Hungary & Germany vs. Russia & Serbia– Millions of soldiers in battle– Germany drove the Russian out of the country • 30,000 deaths from one battle

– Russia did better against Austria• 1916– The Russian effort was near collapse– Short on all supplies– Supplies from the Allies had trouble reaching Russia– But Russia population kept them fighting• Millions of men would be used & die (10)

The Eastern Front• The Weather– Brutal cold made conditions in the east worse– 100s froze to death on a daily basis

• The conflict spreads– Africa becomes a key battle front– European colonies in Asia also become entangled

in the war– A true world war– In the Middle East, Arab nations fight against the

Ottoman Empire for their freedom

Images and Songs from WWI

• http://www.teacheroz.com/wwi.htm