Section 4: BattleFRONTS

Support for War

1. There was a “fatal attraction for war”

a. Exhilarating release from everyday life

b. A glorious adventurec. War would rid the

nations of selfishnessd. Spark a national re-

birth based on heroism

Support for War

2. Feeling was war would be over in a few weeks

a. Ignored the length and brutality of the American Civil War (prototype to World War I)

b. Belief that modern industrial war could not be conducted for more than a few months

c. They would be “Home by Christmas”

France Germany Russia Britain0

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Soldiers MobilizedM

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on

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The Schlieffen Plan - Germany

1. Plan: Avoid fighting a two front war

2. Invade Western Front first

3. After defeating France concentrate on the Eastern Front

“Belgium is a country, not a road”

1. August 2, 1914 Germany declared war on France– Why??? – The Schlieffen Plan!

2. King Albert I of Belgium denied permission

3. August 4,1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany for violating Belgian’s neutrality

The Schlieffen Plan’s His Destructive Nature

The Western

Front

The Western

Front

8 min

Battle of Verdun1. Germans planned

offensive assault on French fortress, Verdun

2. Believed French would defend fortress at all costs

3. Battle of Verdun meant to kill, injure as many French soldiers as possible

4. Result: 700,000 casualties in 10 months of fighting

1. British (General Haig) launched attack in Somme River area to pull German troops away from Verdun

2. Main assault during 1916, but no major breakthrough

3. Both sides lost a great number of troops British suffered nearly

60,000 casualties on the 1st day of fighting

The Battle of the SommeJuly 1916

The Somme – July, 1916The Somme – July, 1916

TheEastern

Front

TheEastern

Front

The Eastern Front

1. Eastern Front was much more mobile than the Western Front

2. Germany & Austria-Hungary were joined by Bulgaria in Sept. 1915

3. Success: Central Powers attacked & eliminated Serbia from war

4. Loss of life very high 1915: 2.5 million Russians

killed, captured, or wounded

Turkish Cavalry in PalestineTurkish Cavalry in Palestine

Ottoman Empire Enters WWI

Ottomans entered the war in 1915 on the side of the Central Powers

1. Wanted to acquire Russian territory

2. Turks slaughtered millions of Armenians to get their land

3. Britain wanted to protect trade routes to India Arabs promised their own

country if they would join with Britain against the Ottomans

The“Colonia

l”Fronts

The“Colonia

l”Fronts

4 min

The Colonial Front

1. Africa is the forgotten front of World War I2. World War I started in Africa in 19143. Largest war of its times on African soil4. French trading post in West Central Africa

found itself at odds with a formerly peaceful German post® For no other reason than their parent countries

were at war

5. The Allied failed in their attempt to defeat Central Powers on the Colonial Front

6. Conflict on the Colonial Front ended in 1918

Sikh British Soldiers in IndiaSikh British Soldiers in India

Fighting in AfricaFighting in Africa

British Sikh Mountain Gunners

British Sikh Mountain Gunners

Black Soldiers in the German

Schutztruppen[German E. Africa]

Black Soldiers in the German

Schutztruppen[German E. Africa]

Fighting in AfricaFighting in Africa

3rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade3rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade

French colonial marine infantry fromCochin, China - 1916

French colonial marine infantry fromCochin, China - 1916

1. Sought to control public opinion

2. Censored newspaper reports about fighting to keep from discouraging public

3. Created propaganda, information to influence opinions & encourage volunteers

Posters, pamphlets, articles about enemy’s brutal actions

Government Control

1. Winning new type of war required use of all society’s resources

2. Total war - governments took stronger control of citizens’ lives

a. New controls changed nations’ industries & economies

b. Factories produced military equipment, citizens conserved food & other goods

Government Actions

War on the Home Fronts

7 min 2.5 min

War on the Home FrontWomen during WWI1. Millions of men were at battle

2. Work on home front was done by women

a. Some worked in factories producing war supplies

b. Others served as nurses to the wounded

3. The contributions of women to the war effort:

a. Transformed public views of women

b. Helped women win right to vote7.5 min

The War at Sea1. The U-Boat threat

to Britain meant that vital supplies were not arriving, leaving people in Britain losing faith in the war and illness increased

2. A British Blockade meant German supplies were not arriving as well.

3. People still at home, as well as those fighting, were suffering because of the war at sea

If a boat was bombed at sea, troops & supplies would not arrive for those fighting and also the people in Britain would be starved for supplies.

3.75 min

Russian Revolution

1. Russian people were unhappy with the success of the war® Germany/Austria beating

Russians2. Changes in Russian gov’t

a. Lenin transported to powerb. Mensheviks (moderates)

victorious3. Bolshevik counter revolution

began4. Russia withdrew from war

® Germany ready to have a single front war

10 min

10 min

War around the World1. WWI was also fought in Asia & Africa2. Japan declared war on Germany

a. Part of military agreement with Great Britainb. Japanese captured German colonies in China

3. British & French attacked German colonies in Africa

4. Allied Colonies scattered around world made contributions to war

a. Some colonists worked as laborers to keep armies supplied

b. Others fought in battles in hopes of winning independence - Hopes were in vain

5. Over 30 nations officially took sides in WWI

A Multi-Front WarA Multi-Front War