First World War Western Front Catherine and Yukiha

1
The Western Front

• By Yukiha Noda and Catherine Waller

2
Schlieffen Plan

• German attack and miscalculations reoccurring
  theme throughout the war (failures and mass
  casualties)
• Based on false assumptions
• Brought stalemate to the western front because
  the Russian invasion was earlier than expected
  Germany needed to move its troops
• Brought on the German defeat of the battle of
  Marne

3
New Technologies

• Use of gas by the Germans
• Artillery and Machine gun
• Tanks
• Aircraft for observation and later dogfights
• Grenades
• Barbed wire
• Old Warfare tactics not compatible

4
Trench Warfare - Tactics

• Trenches were developed after the battle of the
  Marne
• Race to the Sea Germany and the allies trying
  to outflank each other
• They built trenches as they passed, creating
  complicated trench systems
• Generals not adapting to new weapons (cause of
  the massive casualties)
• Defensive war If an enemy dug itself in, and
  protected his front with barbed wire, it was
  almost impossible to defeat him One of the
  handouts

5
Trench Warfare - Conditions

• Trench foot, typhus and other conditions that
  developed (also lice, rats)
• Censorship of letters
• Soldiers were punished if they slept during duty
• Punishments Field Punishment 1

6
Battle of Ypres
Battle of the Somme
Battle of the Marne
7
Battle of the Marne

• Stopped the German advance in September 1914
• The defeat of Germany in this war became a
  stalemate
• Planes used for reconnaissance for the first time
• Germany dispersed its troops to other areas
• Separation of the German first and second army
  (gap)
• French attack and Germans unprepared were
  attacked on both sides

8
Battle of Ypres

• German offensive
• The first use of gas by the Germans spread
  panic in the allied trenches
• The British regular army was destroyed and
  needed to be replaced with a mass conscripted
  army
• End of the race to the sea
• Victory of the Allies

9
Battle of the Somme

• War of attrition
• Holds the one day record of the most deaths in
  history
• The battle with the most casualties of the war
  (623,907 Ally casualties and 465,000 German
  casualties)
• First use of machine gun
• First use of tanks not coordinated

10
End of the War

• Germanys goal defeat the allies before the US
  came
• Spring Offensive
• Germany could no longer win a war of attrition
• Armistice Day 11th of November 1918

11
Consequences/ Impact

• Casualties 1914-18 Allies 3,619,838 4,077,838
  German 2,948,389- 3,297,683
• Psychological consequences
• A generation of maimed soldiers and war widows
• Shell shock trauma
• Economic consequences
• Germany had to pay economic compensation to the
  Allies
• Britain became one of the biggest debtors
• The US became richer compared to Europe
• Territorial consequences
• The Border of Alsace-Lorraine was returned to
  France

12
Bibliography

• http//www.greatwar.co.uk/places/ww1-western-front
  .htmypressalient - map of the battles
• http//www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/shell
  shock_01.shtml - Shell Shock
• http//www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWtrench.htm
  - Life in the trenches
• http//www.greatwar.co.uk/places/ww1-western-front
  .htmypressalient - map of the battles
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Ypres
  - Battle of Ypres
• http//www.firstworldwar.com/battles/somme.htm -
  Battle of the Somme
• http//www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWfield.htm
  - field punishment 1