Notes On WW1

Resource Description

– The historical context, including: – The influence of nationalism, imperialism, militarism and alliances on Great Power rivalry by the end of the 19th century Nationalism = The feeling of pride to one\’s country, achievements, loyalty to one\’s nation Helped to convince men to go to war for there country Militarism= The belief that a country should have a strong military force Militarism plays a major role in the development of public policy Between 1870-1914, military spending increased by 300% Imperialism = One large nation controls many little nation Imperialism affected Germanys and Britain\’s relationship Used To – Gain Materials , more territories and army, and to give national pride Alliances Central powers are Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria and the ottoman empire. Allied powers are Sebira, Russia, France, and the UK. Italy, Belgium and the USA Stages of the Triple Entente – France – Russia Alliance 1892 prospect of being affected by the triple alliance0 – Entente Cordiale (1904): Britain and France -Triple Entente (1907): Britain, France, Russia – The nature of World War I, including: – The outbreak of war in 1914, the Western and Eastern fronts, and why it became the world’s first global conflict Tension between countries caused by Militarism, Imperialism, and Nationalism July Crisis = Assasination of Frans Ferdinan ( 28th of June ) Germany: The Schlieffen Plan Aim to encircle Paris Response to encirclement -Fighting fear -Avoiding war on two fronts Underlying assumptions held by Germans: That would be downfall • Russia would be slow to mobilize • That Belgium would let them march through unimpeded • That movement into France would be quick (trains) • That the British wouldn’t get involved Lack of communication due to limited technological advancements – Inefficient use of running messengers and military telephone delayed and confused communication between infantry and command – The varying experiences of soldiers in key battles, eg Verdun, the Somme, Passchendaele, Tannenberg, Beersheba Key battles (Verdun, Somme, and Passchendaele) -Three battles which are the best examples of attrition -Battle of Verdun – February 1916 – German Commander-in-chief Falkenhayn hoped to defeat the French army and end the stalemate by forcing them to defend Verdun (symbolic of French honor) -The offensive would: Demoralize French troops Eliminate threats to German communication lines Prevent Allies from launching a major offensive on the Somme French victory, heavy casualties to both sides, more French mutinies – Battle of the Somme – July 1916 -Attack by the Allied forces on German front lines -Began with bombardment of German trenches with 1.7 million shells fired over 7 days, until troops went over the top on July 1 -The Offensive would: Relieve forces in Verdun and distract Germans Test out new British tanks (which were scary but useless) Heavily defended trenches and underground chambers protected the German forces, Allied forces subject to the biggest slaughter in military history (20,000 British killed) Instigated new wave of volunteers in “Kitchener’s new army” – Battle of Passchendaele – July 1917 -Allied offensive plan against Germany -French mutinies led Britain to carry the weight of the offensive -Offensive would: Outflank German defenses Distract from French mutinies -Also known as the “battle of mud”, Passchendaele failed due to the muddy terrain and both sides suffered heavy casualties –The changing nature of war to 1918: scientific and industrial developments in weaponry, the mechanization of modern warfare, advances in medicine and communications – Three lines of trenches -Front line, -Support -Reserve trenches – Connected by communication trenches – Enemy trenches separated by an area known as “no-man’s land” – Allied forces were more offensive (the German forces occupied French towns) and Germans were more defensive – ‘War of attrition’ mobilized all of a force’s resources to wear down the enemy\’s morale and ability – Thus, Germany was subjected to relentless attack and could not win Injury/sickness Breakthroughs Going “over the top” heavy artillery barrage to attack enemy front lines followed by soldiers running through no-man’s land, usually being met by machine-gun fire and explosives Regularity of this strategy produced horrendous casualties until new tactics were introduced in 1917 Utilized mostly by the Allies to drive the Germans from French soil, but failed to break the stalemate due to technical inefficiencies (heavy equipment, prevalence of artillery shells) New weaponry – Poisonous gas (August 1914) First used by the Germans, then developed by the Allies establishing bio-chemical warfare Included chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas cause breathing problems, blistering and other painful symptoms Effective in driving the enemy out of trenches Proved to be limited in its effects on the stalemate due to the development of protective gear to 91,000 soldiers died as a result of gas warfare and 1.2 million had suffered its – Tanks (July 1916) Developed to overpower the dominance of machine-gun fire in no man’s land, but were only available in small numbers Technical issues included that they were noisy, destructive, and risked poisoning/injuring the tank crew Only reached its combat potential in 1918 when the war had already been lost by Germany Max Speed was 6km/h ( 3.7mph ) Medicine As weaponry designed to destroy lives developed rapidly, so too did medical technology designed to save lives. E.g. soldier with broken thigh: 1914 = 80% chance of dying; 1916 = 80% chance of survival due to Thomas splint Mobile X-ray machines were brought to the front by the end of the war Nurses and surgeons were stationed much closer to the battles Blood transfusions available Prosthetic limb development at home Facial reconstruction improved Awareness of bacteria and infection increased Antiseptic used more widely German medical orderlies carried antiseptics, pain-killers, and bandages Allied side – anesthetics were used on ever-widening scale – reduced death rates Hospital trains used Marked effort to improve sanitation in trenches – water purification and correct disposal of waste Vaccinations used to seriously reduce incidence of typhoid Rehabilitation hospitals with surgeons and fracture clinic – The impact of the war on civilians, including women’s lives and the changing role of women The impact of the war on women’s lives and experiences in Britain Never a shortage of women in the munitions industry – became responsible for armament output. Working conditions in the munitions industry were tough, but paid 3 times better than Domestic work First women work volunteer-based work, like buffets for servicemen, nursing and transport. Iron and steel work were off limits. Some women took up roles in the armed forces, police to control crowds – took up non-combatant roles freeing up men to serve. The war stimulated women’s consciousness of their value. Unions took for granted that women would desert jobs easily after the war – they feared unskilled Women would shame the factory status. – The scale of recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in World War I Conscription BRITAIN – Entered war with small volunteer army of 730 000 men – Called for volunteers promoted through society (>2 million by September 1914) – Introduced conscription for single men 18-41 in Jan 1916 due to increasing casualties – Relied on conscripts from late 1916 after the Somme – End of war – 5 mil men had served GERMANY -Had tradition of conscription before WW1 -Entered war with well trained army of 3 mil soldiers -Maintained numerical superiority because effective and accepted conscription system Propaganda BRITAIN -Originally produced by patriotic and eager publishers -British organized and controlled propaganda through agencies -Sought to justify the war -Did not hesitate to use embellished stories of atrocity GERMANY – German propaganda lacked coordination – private groups – Circulation of magazines and newspapers rose – Growing lack of public confidence – Military unhappy with domestic propaganda effort – Sought to justify the war – Did not hesitate to use embellished stories of atrocity Censorship – Used to ensure that the home front maintained attitudes in support of the government and the war effort – All publications required to be approved by the censor during total war, to avoid a negative effect on community morale – Published numbers and lists of war casualties were not accurate, but approved – An overview of the reasons for the Allied victory Reasons for the Allied Victory and German collapse – The allied command structure allowed more efficient organization of resources and the ability to direct a highly coordinated and well-prepared counter offense. – Ferdinand Foch, as Allied commander, encouraged flexibility, provided unity of purpose and planning. – Allied factories provided adequate weaponry and more sophisticated technology necessary for breaking the deadlock and maintaining the counter attack – machine guns provided mobile fire, tanks provided protection of troops and aircraft bombed and strafed behind enemy lines. – Allied nations achieved greater industrial and agricultural output and drew on the vast resources of the British and French empires. – British enjoyed naval supremacy and the allies established a naval blockade that prevented German access to its resources – Germany’s U-boat warfare failed to break the naval blockade. – The American alliance provided troop reinforcements at the critical time for the allies – they provided financial support and strengthened the allied resources. – Germany’s allies were a burden – Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans were unable to break through on any front between 1914 and 1917. – The effects of World War I in giving rise to the Russian Revolution Social Impacts Economic Impacts -Food Shortages were the most visible sign of hardship, creating social problems in the cities. -Discontent led to a growing strike movement based on wages and demands for food deepening anger of the Russian people. -Military defeats, distant leadership and economic disaster resulted in significant social depression and tension increase in crime and prostitution. -In 1915, military command ordered the mass evacuation of western areas, causing millions to be pushed east. Starvation and Typhus ensued. -Violent resistance to conscription. “…it was his failure to harness the loyalty of his own people which e -Inflation was a major problem prices of food and commodities kept rising in the course of the war due to the shortages, and were pressing down wages. (several hundred % by 1917) -Fuel and raw materials were increasingly scarce, which often affected production. -Many essential tradesmen had been sent to the front. -The farming system broke down due to horses being sent to the front and the conscription of farmers. -Imports decreased due to the Straits to the Mediterranean being closed (Turkish opposition). -Government debt soared due to war spending. -Growing unemployment due to fuel shortage . Political Impacts Military Impact . Political Impacts Military Impact The political disillusionment about Tsarism was exacerbated by the military defeats. Economic and social conflicts created a revolutionary situation. The Tsar left Petrograd in August 1915, leaving his wife to lead the country, along with Grigori Rasputin, a Siberian monk. Public criticism focused on the Empress and the immense influence Rasputin had on her. -Significant defeats in the early stages of the war in 1914 (Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes). High numbers of casualties and prisoners of war. -The war was seen as a catastrophe due to: – horrendous trench conditions – critical supply situation (e.g. ammunition, rifles, uniforms, food) – devastating human losses (40 000 dead by 5 months, three million by 1916.) – feeling of exploitation as raw materials by the soldiers. -Despite improvements in the military situation in 1916, morale among soldiers continued to decline, turning to desertion and muti – the idea of ‘total war’, the end of ‘empire’, and World War I as ‘the war to end all wars Total war, military conflict in which the contenders are willing to make any sacrifice in lives and other resources to obtain a complete victory, as distinguished from limited war.