Why was there a stalemate
the commanders
the trench system
the machine gun
the failure of the new weapons
mud made cavalry very ineffective
infantry men were expected to go quickly through gaps, imposible with the barbed wire
machine guns were ideal defensive weapons. they could fire up to 600 rounds a minute
they were better defending than attacking
war of attrition
provided a shell, why go out
the german machine gun accounted 90% of that allies victims in the battle of the somme
several new weapons were developed but none made significant breakthrough
the invention of the gas mask reduced the effectiveness of gas (accountable for 4% of deaths)
the early tanks were slow and many broke down. they were not used effectively until 1918
heavy guns could do considerable damage to the enemy but not destroy the barb wire. this meant they had to stay in their position.
the flame thrower was unreliable and likely to explode in front of the soldiers that were using them
the trench warfare was a new way of fighting, no one knew how to win a war like this
generals had to introduce new technological ideas, but relied on old tactics and old maps for resources
the french commander, Joffre, believed that the spirit of the french soldiers would be done in the no mans land (full of barb wire)
the commanders on both sides believed that just using a large number of troops would make a breakthrough against machine guns and barb wire
the race to the sea
neither side could outflank each other
development of trench warfare being defensive rather than offensive
didn't want to loose ground
protection, many soldiers killed when the stood up