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The Widening War

The Widening War. The Western Front ” a jolly little war ” ” the boys will be home by Christmas ”. Schlieffen plan fails . Why ? More Belgian resistance than expected . Russian attacks in east earlier than expected Underestimated GB – Belgian alliance .

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The Widening War

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  1. The WideningWar

  2. The Western Front”a jollylittlewar” ”the boys will be home by Christmas” • Schlieffen plan fails. Why? • MoreBelgianresistancethanexpected. • Russian attacks in eastearlierthanexpected • Underestimated GB – Belgianalliance. • Frenchforcestransferredquickerthanexpected from Alsace-Lorraine. • Logistical problems – long supplylines • Diversion of German First Army to the southeast split herforces in two, increasingvulnerability.

  3. WarofAttrition • September 1914 - German advance is halted at Battleof the Marne, 40 miles from Paris. Stalemateensued. Taxicabs rush French and British forcestobattle. • Ypres, Belgium: four major battlesduring the ”race to the sea”. • February 1916 – Germans attemptto break stalemate at Battleof Verdun. No change in position. Nearly ½ million dead on both sides. • July 1916 – Battleof the Somme. A pyrrhicvictory for the allies. Only a fewsquare miles gained. 600,000 dead.

  4. The Eastern Front • Germanyinflicts major defeat on the Russians at BattleofTannenbergand BattleofMasurian Lakes in August and September 1914. • Battleof Galicia 1914: Earlyvictory for Russians over Austria-Hungary, but in May followingyeararepushedout by German offensive. • On Austrian front - Serbiahumiliates A-H twice. NeedGermany’shelpto push back Russians. • By 1915 Russian’sadvance is severelyweakened. 2.5 million Russiansarekilled, wounded or capturedin 1915. • Eastern Front is thereafterdetermined by the Germans. • May 1916 last Russian offensive against A-H; Russianarmycollapses in 1917 duetorevolution.

  5. Also in 1915 • Italychanges sides. Joins the Entente withhopestogainterritory from Austria. Italyremainsbogged down in South Tyrol for next 2½ years. Both sides sufferenormouslosses. Italy is finallydefeated in BattleofCaporetto1917. • Bulgariachoosestosidewith the Ottomans in order tosettle scores withSerbia. • Disaster for Serbia: German and A-H attack from the north. Bulgaria from the south-east. The Serbianarmy, itsmonarchy and manyofitspeopleflee over the mountainstoAlbania.

  6. Ottoman Turks joinwar 1914 • War is extendedto the MiddleEast. • AlliedwithGermany and A-H, theyhopetorestore empire. • Battlelinesseesaw back and forthbetween Turks and Russians. • Britain doesn’tregard the Ottoman Empire as a serious opponent. • 1915 British invasion ofGallipoli. Aim is totake the Dardenelles and Constantinople. • French, British, Irish and Anzac (Australia New Zealand Army Corp) contingentsaredealtseveredefeat. Evacuationoneyear later. • First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, wasdismissed.

  7. A two-front war for Britain • Second strugglebetween the British and the Turks takesplace in Mesopotamia. • Aim is tocontroloilfieldswhich GB accomplishesalready in 1914. • British advancesup the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers arehalted 20 miles from Baghdad where the Turks force themto retreat. British troops under siege for 5 months and theysurrender in April 1916. • Heavy blow for Great Britain.

  8. Global warfareduetocolonies • British hopetolead Arab revolts against the Turks. • British armieswithcontingents from Egypt, India, Australia and New Zealand fightthe Ottoman Turks. • Colonial subjectsof British and Frenchsupportedtheirforeign masters. HelpedtoseizeGermany’scolonies. • Japan seizes German colonies in the Pacific and on Chinesemainland. • Morethan 1 million Africansserved in the variousarmies. Here is a pictureoftwoAfricansoldiers in France.

  9. The war at sea • Ambitions tocontrol the world’swaterwaysweresignificantreasonsthat the warspread so quickly. • Mines, submarines, torpedoesmadegreatwarshipsvulnerable. • Naval powerusedtomaintaincontroloftrade routes around the globe.

  10. Submarine warfare • Britain and France naval blockade ofGermanyearly in war. No neutral shipallowedtosailtoGermanywithcargo. • Germanylaunchedcounter-blockade withits new weapon – the submarine. • 1915 sinkingof British passengership the Lusitania. USA, under Woodrow Wilson, protests. • Germanyrelaxesits submarine warfare.

  11. German domestic situation 1916 • Germanyrealizesthatmilitarysuccessalonecannotwin the war. Full mobilizationofhomefront. • 1916 Socialist opposition in Germanystarts to press for compromisepeace. • In November/December 1916 President Wilson triestobroker a diplomaticsolution. Germany positive butFrance and England rejectinitiative. • German highcommand under Generals von Hindenburg and Ludendorffaredeterminedtogainvictoriesbeforepeace. Wanthegemony in Europe.

  12. Unrestricted submarine warfaredraws US intowar • Germanylaunchesunrestricted submarine warfare at end of 1916. Sink all shipsprovidingaidto the Allies. • USA is neutral butsupplies GB and France. • Germanyhopesthattheycan knock out Britain and Francebefore the US canmobilize. • Zimmermann telegram February 1917 shifts public opinion away from isolationism. • USA declareswar on Germany in April 1917. Firstcombat in EuropewithAmericans starts in November.

  13. Beginningof the end • Warwearinessamongsoldiers and civilians. • Italian and Russianarmiescollapse in 1917. Strikes common in German cities. German moderates in Reichstag call for peacewithout territorial gains! • German HighCommand under Ludendorff push for one last great offensive in France. • March – July 1918 Second Battleof the Marne. Alliesholdfirm. • Submarine warfarefails. US troops and suppliescrossing Atlantic tip the scalesin favorofAlliedvictory

  14. Armistice(suspension ofhostilities) • August 1918 – Ludendorffapproaches Wilson for lenientarmistice terms. Rejected by the Allies. Demandcompletesurrender and overthrowofmonarchy. Negotiations over armistice drag on…. • German peopleriseup, armydisciplinecollapses. Revolutionarycouncilsofsoldiers and workersappear. Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates. A-H surrenders • November 9, 1918 A republic is proclaimed in Berlin and itsleadersagreetoarmistice terms. Goes intoeffect on November 11, 1918.

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