World War One

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World War One
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WW1 Strategic Overview Contributing factors
conditions

• Growing populations, industry, transportation
• Road networks railroads
• Central Government control of above
• Enhanced power direction of population
• More efficient mobilization
• More resources available for larger armies
• Nationalism shapes attitudes of people
• Patriotism verging on jingoism

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Contributing factors conditions- 2

• WWI involved global participation 50 Million
  people
• Divided world into opposing alliance blocs
• Central Powers versus the Allies
• Plus 30 from Europe, Asia, Africa

VS.
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Contributing factors conditions- 3

• Initial Expectations assumptions?
• ?________________ again! (why?)
• Hugh ?________________ ?________________
  expected
• Therefore modern societies would force political
  leaders to end it
• Reality? (both right and wrong about above- how?)
• What did World War I soon evolve into?
  ?________________

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WW1 Total War

• Government dedicated all people resources to
  war
• Beyond Napoleonic or American Civil Wars
• Central economic planning extensive
• Total industrial mobilization
• Mass armies for battle
• Conscription of all eligible males
• Lethal weapons for more efficient killing
• WWI produced new Strategies
  innovative tactics
• Tactical Operational Aim motivation?
• Maneuver break-through of opponents defenses
  quickly
• Overcome the stalemate of the trench
• New weapons make debut
• Aircraft, SS, Tank others much improved (MG
  Arty)

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Europes Political Social Institutions

• Impact of WWI on Europes social institutions?
• Major Geo-political, strategic, military,
  changes
• Russia underwent major revolution
• Austria-Hungry ceased to exist
• US became a major power
• Hugh casualties
• 8.5M killed 20M wounded
• Entire generation of Europes best brightest
  lost
• Ultimately sew the seeds of even more destructive
  war

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Major War Plans Germany

• Background German Unification in 1871
• Victory of Franco-Prussian
  War annexation of Frances Alsace-Lorraine
• Prime focus of the French
• Key assumption short decisive war of maneuver
• German approach make detailed precise plans
• Plans architect Chief of General Staff
  (1891-1906)
• Count von ?________________

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Germanys Original strategy

• Original strategy for sequential 2
  front War
• Initially beginning with attack
  on Russia first
• What complicaton forced Germany to
  modify the plan?
• Complication 1894 - France
  ?_________ alliance
• Innovative but very risky strategy now
  was required
• Forced German planners to
  reverse sequence

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Revised Strategy

• Germany was forced to revise their strategic plan
• Numerous iterations made (The Count made
  49 as COS)
• What exactly was the major change made to the
  plan?
• Attack France first then Russia why?
• Time expected for Russias mobilization?
• ?_____ __________
• Operational Concept
• Sweep through Holland Belgium envelope Paris
• Key Assumption?
• Exploit French strategic aims to
  recapture what?
• ?________________

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Moltkes Modifications of the Plan

• Moltke (the Younger) took over General Staff in
  1906
• Made major changes to von Schlieffens basic plan
  result?
• Weaken compress German Right Flank (violate
  only Belgium neutrality)
• Modified mission of German Left Flank to hold,
  then attackgt impact?
• Moltke weakened the weight of the ?________ to
  strengthen his ?________________

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Friction Murphys Law

• Problem German shortfalls Murphys Law
• Not enough troops for 2 Front War
• France Russia have more troops
• Plans secrecy also impeded timely coordination
• Logistics transportation challenges
  significant
• Especially as LOCs are stretched gt attrition
• Compounded by Strategic consumption
• Inflexible deployment schedules (rigid RR time
  tables)
• Friction no margin for error or missed
  deadlines
• Result Murphys Law its many correlations
  intrude

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France Plan XVII- Offensive aoutrance

• French troops with Élan,
  courage the bayonet
• Assault entrenched positions
  against rifles, machine guns arty
• Problem with this plan Germans have
  similar capabilities determination
• French Strategy?
• Fight win decisive battle
  with Germans
• Big question how exactly?
• Great flexibility but short
  on details
• No clear strategic objective
• With one possible exception?
• Regain ?________________

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French Objectives Operational Concept

• Two pronged attack into Lorraine
• All forces attack on each side of Verdun-Toul
  line
• French Fourth Army held in reserve (to change
  later)
• (to strike NE into Belgium if required)
• Reason Halt possible German RF envelopment
• Result French will play into German hands
  how?
• Where is main attack axis?

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Great Britains War Plans

• British Navy to effect control of North Sea
• British to cover English Channel French North
  coast
• French to cover Mediterranean
• British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to cover
  French 5th Armys Left Flank
• Fill gap North to the Channel prevent German
  envelopment
• Also provided BEF with LOC to the English Channel
  Royal Navy
• But Britain also had no clear
  strategic objective

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Russias Military Plans

• Russia establish Eastern (2nd) Front
• Collaborate with French efforts in West
• Plan G
• Defend against East Prussia Austria-Hungary
• Mobilize counterattack
• Plan A
• Assumed France is attacked first
• Mobilize attack Austria-Hungary East Prussia
• Fulfill promised deployment of 800K troops by
  D15 attack ASAP

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Other War Plans

• Austria-Hungary address 3 contingencies
• Threats on 3 sides Italy, Russia, Serbia
• Case I, R, B
• Army divided into 3 major groups
• Main forces for either of cases I R
• Secondary force against Serbia
• Third force available to
  reinforce either of above
• Complication
• Nation has multi-ethnic peoples languages
• Common factor for all of above plans
• All mostly Offensive (over Defensive) Strategies
• Most fatally flawed why?
• Plan is only as good as worst ?________________
• No plan survives the 1st ?________________
• At best provides ?________________ to adjust to

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World War One- Strategic Overview (Map)

• Background
• Historical events
• Escalation of Terrorist act in Balkans to
• A Regional crisis and from there to a World War
• Significance of mobilization gt Act of War
• August 1-6 sequence of events- series of
  miscalculations reactions

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Western Front (Aug-Sept 1914)

• Execution Opening Battles- (Map)
• Initially according to plan
• Germans sweep around French Left Flank (LF)
• France attacks into Lorraine
• Russia attacks East Prussia Austria-Hungary
• Austria-Hungary attacks Serbia

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Friction The best laid plans

• Then friction intrudes (definition impact?)
• Bottleneck of 1st 2nd German
  Armies in Belgium
  (space!)
• Time Forces required
  to reduce
  fortifications
• Strategic consumption
• Impact on Moltke's rigid
  
  RR timetable gt delay
• Command, Control, Communications problems
• Timely HQ decisions OBE as they tend to chase
  events
• Rigid timetables impossible to keep- result in
  confusion
• Moltke in rear out of touch controlgt
  (indecision)
• Von Kluck placed under OPCON of Burlow (2nd Army)
  
• Attempt to retrain control outer belts freedom
  of movement
• 1st Army over extended its LOC
• Meanwhile the French labor under their own
  illusions

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French Offensive Belated Response to Real
Threat

• Joffre follows Plan XVII (ground truth?!)
• Concludes enemy activity to North is what?
• German ?________________
• German 6th 7th Armies invite attack IAW Plan
• French blunder heroically into Germans kill zone
• French infantry fail to coordinate arty support
• Ordered by Joffre to advance suffer heavy
  causalities as a result

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Better Late Than Never

• Joffre finally realizes his mistake quickly
  responds
• Relies on FM Frenchs BEF to cover extreme left
  flank of French Army (5th )
• Joffre shifts remaining available French troops
  north to confront German main attack
• Situation in doubt desperate actions required
  to salvage it

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Allied Retreat 24 Aug to 5 Sep 1914

• Germans continue to push Allies SW in retreat
• French 5th Army keeps retreating w/o informing
  BEF
• Result BEFs right flank exposed forcing their
  belated withdrawal under fire
• Any attempt to hold line results in heavy Brit
  casualties so entire Allied line must continue
  retreat
• FM French rapidly loses confidence in French Army
• Looks to protect his LOC for withdrawal as a
  contingency

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Miracle of the MarneThe German Advance

• Kluck is over-extended
• 1st Army outruns its logistics supplies
• Horse drawn guns fail to keep up with advance
• Moltke detaches 2 corps from 2nd 3rd Armies
• Sends East to reinforce 8th Army against Russia
  advance
• Messages from HQ delayed OBE
• Uncertainty, confusion, misunderstandings reign
• Result contradictory orders to Kluck from both
  Moltke Burlow
• Leave Kluck on own to decide which ones best to
  comply with
• Decision factor 1st Army almost a day ahead of
  2nd Army its logistics

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Klucks Turn

• Kluck complies with Burlows request of
  30 Aug to cover 2nd Armys
  Right Flank
• Concludes Moltke behind events now unfolding
  rapidly on the ground to Klucks front
• What exactly does Kluck decide to do?
• Turns to ?________ inside of ?________
  to close 2nd Armys exposed RF
• Result opportunity presents itself (what for
  who?)

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Opportunity Knocks

• 1st Armys move to SE exposes its own RF to Paris
  the newly formed 6th Army
• Air recon sent by Gallieni verifies Klucks
  exposed right flank
• Gallieni urges Joffre to attack it immediately
• Gallieni rapidly deploys troops to front by all
  means, including Taxis of the Marne
• With BEFs support, Joffre orders 6th Army to
  deploy to threaten Klucks RF
• Move east prepare to counter-attack
• French troop redeployment alerts Moltke on 4
  Sept
• Realizes Klucks right flank is now vulnerable
• But Moltkes message warning arrives 11 hours
  later only serves to confuse Kluck

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Klucks Turn- 2

• Kluck is convinced Moltke uninformed
• Believes (wrongly) that French still not
  ready to attack
• Klucks 1st Army therefore continues
  its move South across the Marne
• But Kluck hedges his bets
  leaves 1
  corps in Reserve -positioned on
  the North side of the
  river to guard his RF
• French 6th moves East attracts
  Klucks Reserve corps attention
• Klucks Corps held in reserve attacks 6th Army
• Pre-emptive strike eliminates tactical surprise
  just in time
• Buys time for Kluck to realign to face west
  protect his RF
• But Realignment offers Joffre another
  opportunity
• What is this second very critical opportunity?
• What does Joffre do about it?

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French Response

• Klucks Realignment to protect his RF opens gap
  between 1st 2nd Army
• A 45 KM gap opens between the two armies near
  Chateau Thierry
• Burlows RF exposed is forced to withdraw
  toward North
• Kluck soon forced to follow to protect his Left
  Flank
• Joffre seizes opportunity to counterattack
• Pushes BEF left flank of French 5th in gap
  attacks gt Result?
• Germans must ?_______________

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Race to the Sea

• Germans are forced to retreat attempt to
  re-establish front on Aisne River
• Joffre saves Paris Moltke is relieved (too
  pessimistic)
• Falkenhayn replaces Moltke
• Rebuilds German right wing for another try at
  flanking Allies
• Allies in turn move North in attempt to out flank
  Germans
• Both sides counter the others movements to sea
• By winter (1914-15) 350 mile extended
  entrenched Front established from the Swiss
  border to the North Sea

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Eastern Front Aug-Dec 1914

• Contrast between Western vs. Eastern Front (Map)
• Geography distances to maneuver
• Impact on logistics support
• Transportation needs favor internal LOCs why?

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Key Factors Affecting Match Up

• Size of Russian Army (12M) vs. 11M of Germans
• French have 8.4 million troops
• Russian tactics
• Massive frontal assaults (Set piece, mindless
  brutal)
• Conscript Troops not trained or properly equipt
• No coordination between supporting arms
• Infantry, artillery, Calvary do their own thing
• Infighting petty jealousy at Russian high
  command levels
• Result Operational support between among
  Armies suffers
• Incompetent generalship poor leadership gt bad
  tactical Op. decisions
• German Factors Tactics
• Small but well led trained forces
• Better coordination developing
• Effective exploitation of internal LOCs
• Exploit lateral Railroad transport for
  redeployments concentration

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Eastern Front- Strategic Goals Map Overview

• Germanys strategic goal
• Avoid defeat in East
• Maintain stabilized Eastern Front
• Delay Russian advance
• Russian strategic goal
• Fulfill promise to France
• Establish 2nd Front in East
• Relieve pressure from Germans on France in West
• Attack East Prussia ASAP

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Battle of Tannenberg Order of Battle
Operational Plans

• Russia NW Army Group (Commanded by the
  incompetent Zhilinski) with two Armies
• 1st Army (Rennenkamph)
• 200K troops
• Marches West to the North of Masurian Lakes to
  attack German Army defending East Prussia
• 2nd Army- (Samsonov)
• 14.5 Infantry 4 Calvary Divisions with 1160
  guns
• Marches West around South of the Lakes then
  North
• Objective Join Rennenkamph in attack by
  enveloping German Army from the south in its rear
  trap it
• German 8th Army (Prittwitz)
• 135K Troops (11 undermanned Inf 1 Calvary divs)
• Plan Establish defense line to hold off Russian
  advance
• Concentrate to either North or South as required

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Battle of Tannenberg- Prelude

• Germans forced to engage Russian 1st Army in
  North
• 8th Army attacks 1st Army w/9
  
  Divisions at Gumbinen
• Indecisive tactical outcome- but
  Prittwitz withdraws to the
  West
• Intel reports indicate that 2 Russian Armies are
  to his south
• Prittwitz panics
• Fears his LOCs will be cut off
• Decides to retreat behind Vistula River abandon
  East Prussia!
• Informs Moltke who does what?
• Soon decides to relieve Prittwitz
• Replaced by whom?
• ?________________ ?________________

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Battle of Tannenberg- 8th Armys New Plan

• Meantime 8th Army HQ staff (LTC Hoffman) comes
  up with good plan
• Hold static Russian 1st Army in place in North
• One Calvary Division to screen 1st Army
• Bulk of 8th Army to deploy South via internal
  lateral LOC
• Tactical Objective Lure trap vulnerable 2nd
  Army into the weak center of an arc
• Then hit both of Samsonovs right left flanks
• Pincer Envelopment
• Unfortunately Prittwitz failed to inform Moltke
  of this revised plan so he was relieved
• Hindenburg Ludendorff arrive take over
• Concur with Hoffmans revised plan
• Ludendorff deploys 4 corps South to attack
• (Intel windfall Russian plan C3 intercepts)
• Samsonov 2nd Army completely unaware of danger
  until too late

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Battle of Tannenberg- Samsonovs Blunder

• Samsonov blunders into 8th Armys trap
• Presses into soft German center
• Ignores serious reservations of his subordinate
  commanders
• Pressured by Zhilinski to continue 2nd Armys
  advance (Wont let Samsonov play coward)
• Aug 26-27 2 German corps attack 2nd Army RF
• Another German Corps hits his Left Flank soon
  after
• Aug 28 2nd Army then attacks soft center is
  trapped as planned
• At same time Russian 2nd Armys LOC
  has been seriously overextended
• Troops horses begin to starve
  (3 days w/o rations or winter clothes)
• Samsonovs appeals for help relief,
  but his pleas go unheeded
• Zhilinski Rennenkamph simply
  abandon Samsonov his army

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Battle of Tannenberg- Results

• Disaster follows Samsonov shoots himself in
  forest
• Russias 2nd Army destroyed
• Russian loss 92K POWs 50K casualties
• Tactical short lived operational victory for
  Germans
• Certainly not a strategic victory why?
• Russian losses easily ?________________ (37
  corps)
• Hindenburg Ludendorff re-deploy forces to
  North
• Objective Attack Russian 1st Army
• Rennenkamph withdraws across Russian border
• By 20 Sept Russian Army would return w/stronger
  force
• Push Germans West to East Prussian frontier
• By 25 Sept strategic situation in East is
  unchanged

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Operations in Galicia Poland

• Austria-Hungary vs. Russia
• Superior Russian numbers ultimately overcome
  initial Austrian successes
• Russian victories preclude exploitation of
  Tannenburg
• Poland Germans forced to come to
  Austria-Hungarys rescue
• Enables Austria-Hungary to push Russians back to
  start of Offensive
• Both Germans Austria-Hungary exhausted
• Unable to exploit short lived tactical victories
  for strategic or Op success
• Serbia
• Austrians fail to sustain earlier limited success
• By 15 Dec Serbs drive Austrians out of Serbia
• Remains under Serbian control until late 1915

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Assessment

• Central Powers fail to achieve quick, decisive
  tactical strategic victory- why?
• Joffre Miracle of the Marne
• Firm decisive action leadership at critical
  moment
• Last minute adjustment to reality of ground truth
• Seized opportunity retrieved initiative from
  Germans
• Eastern Front
• German tactical operational victory
• Battle of Tannenburg
• But Germans fail to achieve strategic victory -
  why?
• Major limitation limited ?______ ?______
  ?______ !

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Assessment- Longer Term Perspective

• From longer term perspective Germanys future
  grim
• Austria-Hungary ally more of a liability than
  credit
• Von Schlieffen Plan (as modified) failed in
  execution
• HQ (Moltke) leadership poor indecisive
• Command, control, communications problems
  severe
• Overextended lines of communication (Klucks
  1st Army)
• No quick victory possible (key German assumption
  for war)
• Western Front long static defensive stalemate
  ensues
• Numerous attempts by both sides to break
  stalemate
• Result in costly unsuccessful frontal assaults
• Focus now sustain logistics needs of Army - top
  priority
• While both sides desparately search for new
  strategy tactics to break the stalemate

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Back-up Slides
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The World at War 1914-1918
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Battle of Tannenberg- Samsonovs Blunder

• Samsonov blunders into 8th Armys trap
• Presses into soft German center
• Ignores reservations of subordinate commanders
• Pressured by Zhilinski to continue 2nd Armys
  advance (coward)
• Aug 26-27 2 German corps attack 2nd Army RF
• Another German Corps hits his Left Flank soon
  after
• Aug 28 2nd Army then attacks soft center is
  trapped as planned
• At same time Russian 2nd Armys LOC seriously
  overextended
• Troops horses begin to starve (3 days w/o
  rations or winter clothes)
• Samsonovs appeals for help relief unheeded
• Zhilinski Rennenkamph abandon Samsonov