EUROPE PLUNGES INTO WAR

Introduction Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war

against Serbia set off a chain reaction within the alliance system. The countries of Europe followed through on their pledges to support one another. As a result, nearly all of Europe soon joined what would be the largest, most destructive war the world had yet seen.

Four Steps to WarJune-Aug 1914

• Austria Declares War• Russia Mobilizes• Schlieffen Plan – Guarantees War!• England Joins In!!!

Germany’s Plan to Avoid a “Zweifrontkrieg”

The Great War Begins

Nations Take SidesBy mid-August 1914, there are two sides at

war throughout Europe: Central Powers—Germany, Austria-Hungary; later

joined by Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire Allies—Great Britain, France, Russia; later joined

by Japan, Italy

1st Battle of the Marne – Sept. 5-12, 1914

• 2.5 Million engaged• Germans stopped

Results of Battle• Cost 80,000 French lives• Schlieffen Plan Fails• Russia attacks and is crushed at

Tannenberg Forest• Would lead to long bloody stalemate

on the Western Front

Formation of a Trench System

• The Germans began digging trenches to protect against advancing French and British troops.

• Race to the Sea!!!

The Western Front

Trench System

Waterlogged Trenches1. Many Trenches

were dug on land only a few feet above sea level.

Trench Foot• These gruesome pictures are examples

of "trench foot," a common side effect caused by cold, wet and unsanitary conditions while battling in the trenches.

Over the Top

“Over the top” was a term used when soldiers left their trench to attack opposing trenches.

Men fixing their bayonets before going “over the top”.

No Man’s Land• The territory between two opposing

trenches.

Weapons of World War I

Mechanized Warfare

Bolt Action Rifle

The main weapon used by British soldiers in the trenches was the bolt-action rifle. 15 rounds could be fired in a minute and a person 4,500 feet away could be killed.

Machine Gun1. Hiram Maxim invented the Machine Gun in

1885.2. By WWI a machine gun could fire 500 rounds

a minute.3. In the first 12 days of fighting the French lost

nearly 210,000 men, mostly through machine gun fire.

Vickers Machine Gun

Maxim Machine Gun Hiram Maxim

Early Machine Guns

Heavy ArtilleryBig Bertha:1. Built by the German

Gustav Krupp in 19142. Weight of Gun 43 tons3. 2000 pound Shells

(traveling 9 miles)4. Took up to 1000 men to

assemble

British Mark I Howitzer

Skoda 30.5

The Germans had the most powerful guns and most powerful army in WWI

TanksThe idea of an armored tracked vehicle

that would provide protection from machinegun fire was first built in 1914.

Fastest Tank was the “Whippet” with a maximum speed of 8mph.

Little Willie (the first tank)

Tracks: 12 feet longWeight: 14 tonsSpeed: 3 MPH

Could Not Cross The Trenches

British Tank Stuck in Mud

Powerful Navies1. The British had the most powerful navy during

World War I.2. The Germans were eager to compete against the

British for Naval superiority.

Dreadnoughts - the largest and fastest ship in WWI1. Ten 15 inch guns (fired shell 1920 lbs 35,000 yards)

2. 24 3 inch guns

3. 8 torpedo tubes below water

Britain - 19 Dreadnoughts (13 under construction)

Germany - 12 Dreadnoughts (7 under construction)

Submarines1. 1913 Germany produces the first

submarine.2. The Germany submarine was known

as an Unterseeboot (U-Boat).3. Britain soon developed the

submarine too.4. German U-Boats sank 3 million tons

of ships between February and June of 1917.

mask

Aircrafts

Airplanes were used for reconnaissance missions, small bomb raids, and dog fighting.

Zeppelin• Initially carried

machine guns and bombs but they were soon abandoned because they could be easily shot down.

Poison Gas1. The different types of gasses included

Mustard and Chlorine Gas.2. Effects of Mustard Gas include: blistering skin, vomiting,

sore eyes, internal and external bleeding. Death can take up to 5 weeks

An Inglorious War1. Weather2. Boredom3. Disease4. Trench Rats5. Death6. Amputation7. Shell Shock

The Futility of Warfare• Battle of Verdun – Feb. 1916

• Over 700,000 men lost

• Battle of the Somme• Over one million casualties

• Verdun – Germans gain 4 miles• Somme – British gain 5 miles

War on the Eastern Front• German/Russian Border• More mobile then the West• Just as deadly• Russia struggles because: