• Aug: Ger army, following Plan, invaded Bel & Fr.
• Bel resisted at Liege (5-16 Aug), BEF inflicted losses at Mons (23 Aug). Ger advance slowed & tiredness & supply issues.
Eastern Front
• Russ mobilised faster than expected, invaded Ger. Poorly-led, lost at
(26-29 Aug), but forced Ger to divert troops from W. Front, weakening Schlieffen attack.
• Turkey joined Ger, closing Black Sea-Med Straits & cut off
Russ from Allied help, led to fighting in the Middle East.
Western Front
Defeat of Schlieffen Plan
• Ger 1st Army redirected east & created gap & Fr exploited it, stopping Ger at
(5-10 Sept). Both sides dug trenches.
‘’
• Both sides tried to outflank each other, digging trenches to stop this. By Nov, trench line ran 700 km from Eng Channel to Switz.
1915
Western Front
Attempts to
• War = stalemate. Infantry vs. machine guns, reinforcements rushed by train.
• GB & Fr tried to break through, failed at 2nd Ypres &
, w. mass casualties.
Eastern Front
• Jan: Ger held W. Front, focused on E. Front & defeated Rus, forced retreat.
• Churchill pushed for attack on Turkey to break stalemate. GB + ANZACs landed at Gallipoli, defeated. 57k dead, 124k wounded.
1916
Western Front
War of
• Ger strategy = wear down enemy, despite losses. Led to
(Feb–Dec) &
(Jul–Nov, 1st use of tanks). & 1.75m casualties, 600k dead.
Eastern Front
• Russ offensive pushed Austrians back but failed when Ger intervened.
War at Sea
• 1914: GB navy blockaded Ger.
• May: Ger navy fought GB at
, won battle but failed to break blockade. Blockade caused hardship in Ger.
1917
Western Front
• War of attrition continued. Aug–Nov: GB attacked Ger at
, heavy losses. Ger Gen Staff: army ‘near destruction’.
Eastern Front
• 1917 Russ Revolution & new Com govt made peace, pulled out (, Mar 1918), ceded land. Released Ger troops for W. Front.
War at Sea
• Ger
launched unrestricted sub campaign & GB nearly starved (only 6 wks food left). GB introduced convoys, helped. US losses &
US opinion turned vs Ger.
Enters War
• GB intercepted
Telegram (Ger offered Mexico land if it joined war). US joined Allies.
US troops arrived at 250k/month.
1918
Western Front
Kaiserschlacht & Ger Defeat
• Ger pop starving. Mar: Ger, strengthened by E. Front troops, launched
(w. ‘blitzkrieg’ tactics), broke through, reached 80 km from Paris. Fr nearly retreated.
• Allies halted Ger, pushed them back.
• Oct: Turkey surrendered.
• 4 Nov: Austria-H surrendered.
• 11 Nov: Ger agreed to
.
1914
Western Front
‘War of Movement’
• Aug: Ger army, following SCHLIEFFEN Plan, invaded Bel & Fr.
• Bel resisted at Liege (5-16 Aug), BEF inflicted losses at Mons (23 Aug). Ger advance slowed & tiredness & supply issues.
Eastern Front
• Russ mobilised faster than expected, invaded Ger. Poorly-led, lost at TANNENBERG (26-29 Aug), but forced Ger to divert troops from W. Front, weakening Schlieffen attack.
• Turkey joined Ger, closing Black Sea-Med Straits & cut off
Russ from Allied help, led to fighting in the Middle East.
Western Front
Defeat of Schlieffen Plan
• Ger 1st Army redirected east & created gap & Fr exploited it, stopping Ger at MARNE (5-10 Sept). Both sides dug trenches.
‘RACE TO THE SEA’
• Both sides tried to outflank each other, digging trenches to stop this. By Nov, trench line ran 700 km from Eng Channel to Switz.
1915
Western Front
Attempts to BREAK THROUGH
• War = stalemate. Infantry vs. machine guns, reinforcements rushed by train.
• GB & Fr tried to break through, failed at 2nd Ypres & LOOS, w. mass casualties.
Eastern Front
• Jan: Ger held W. Front, focused on E. Front & defeated Rus, forced retreat.
GALLIPOLI
• Churchill pushed for attack on Turkey to break stalemate. GB + ANZACs landed at Gallipoli, defeated. 57k dead, 124k wounded.
1916
Western Front
War of ATTRITION
• Ger strategy = wear down enemy, despite losses. Led to VERDUN (Feb–Dec) & SOMME (Jul–Nov, 1st use of tanks). & 1.75m casualties, 600k dead.
Eastern Front
• Russ offensive pushed Austrians back but failed when Ger intervened.
War at Sea
• 1914: GB navy blockaded Ger.
• May: Ger navy fought GB at JUTLAND, won battle but failed to break blockade. Blockade caused hardship in Ger.
1917
Western Front
• War of attrition continued. Aug–Nov: GB attacked Ger at PASSCHENDAELE, heavy losses. Ger Gen Staff: army ‘near destruction’.
Eastern Front
• 1917 Russ Revolution & new Com govt made peace, pulled out (BREST-LITOVSK, Mar 1918), ceded land. Released Ger troops for W. Front.
War at Sea
• Ger U-BOATS launched unrestricted sub campaign & GB nearly starved (only 6 wks food left). GB introduced convoys, helped. US losses &
US opinion turned vs Ger.
AMERICA Enters War
• GB intercepted ZIMMERMAN Telegram (Ger offered Mexico land if it joined war). US joined Allies.
US troops arrived at 250k/month.
1918
Western Front
Kaiserschlacht & Ger Defeat
• Ger pop starving. Mar: Ger, strengthened by E. Front troops, launched
KAISERSCHLACHT (w. ‘blitzkrieg’ tactics), broke through, reached 80 km from Paris. Fr nearly retreated.
