Europe Plunges into war
A Bloody Stalemate
The Great war Begins
As the summer of 1914 turned to fall, the war turned into a long and bloody stalemate along the battlefields of France this region became known as the Western Front.
The Battle on the Eastern front
As the war in the western front was claiming thousands of lives, both sides were sending millions of men to fight on the Eastern Front
War: A conflict that results in military action between groups or nations.
It was an area along the German and Russian borders
The war on the east was a mobile war more so than on the east
After Austria's declaration of War, Russia mobilized their troops to the Russian- Austrian Border.
The Conflict Grinds Along
Facing a war on two fronts Germany developed a strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan
Knowing that Germany and Austria are allied, Russia also mobilized along the German border.
This plan called for attacking and defeating France in the west and then rushing east to fight Russia. Germans felt they could carry out the plan because Russia lagged behind the rest of Europe.
This caused Germany to declare war on Russia.
Russia looks to France to help, however, Germany didn't wait for France to react.
Two days after declaring war on Russia, Germny declared war on France
Russia struggles
By 1916 Russian war effort was near collapse.
Soon afterward Great Britain delcares war on Germany
As the war raged on fighting went from Europe to Africa
NATIONS TAKE SIDES:
By mid August 1914, the battle lines were clearly drawn
War in the trenches
In the years after it began the massive European conflict became a world War.
Allies regroup and attack Germans northeast of Paris after four days of fighting German Generals gave the order to retreat.
By early 1915, opposing armies on the Western front had dug miles parallel trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire
Why might the war on the eatern front have been more mobile than that on the Western front?
How did Russias industrialization effect its war effort?
Great Britain, France, and Russia are known as the ALLIES
It was agretaer stretch of land that went across the German-Russian border
Because they weren't industrialized they didn't have the proper resources to fight as well as even barely survive.
Come to be known as trench warfare
War
Conquest
Life in trenches was pure misery the trenches were filled with rats. Fresh food was non existent. Sleep was nearly impossible
The space between the opposing trenches won the grim name “no man’s land.” When the officers ordered an attack, their men went over the top of their trenches into this bombed-out landscape. There, they usually met murderous rounds of machine-gun fire
This left the plan in ruins and Germany finally realized that a war on two fronts was going to happen so Germany sent troops to the Eastern front while on the western front they dug in for war
Germany, Austria Hungary. are know as the CENTRAL POWERS.
Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire would later join the central powers in hopes of regaining lost territory.
Self Interest: Making decisions based on what is the most advantageous for the individual or group of people.
Japan joined the allies within weeks
Italy joined later, there were once a member of the central powers with Germany and Austria- Hungary, however the Italians joined the other side after accusing their former allies of unjustly starting the war.
In the summer of 1914, millions of soldiers went to battle convinced that the war would be short
Not many saw the horror of what yet to come
One of them was Britains foreign minister, he says,"The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them again in our life time"
Why did Germany declare war on france?
because they thought that Russia mobilization on them meant that they wanted war.
what country had taken over territories that Bulgaria and the ottoman empire wanted to regain?
Q: Why did Germany attack France first
A: They thought Russia would take longer to mobilize and wouldn't have to worry about them while they quickly take over France and then move them back to Russia or also know as the Schlieffen Plan
War
Q: Why were land gains so small
A: The reason not much land was gained is because the trenches weren't to far apart and when one army was pushed back they would just make another trench and start all over again
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Early fighting
At the beginning of the War Russia launched an attack into both Austria and Germany.
Russian forces defeated the Austrians twice.
Russian forces defeated the Austrians twice.
Germany counter attacked, the Germans crushed the invading Russia army killing 30,000
Great Britain
Russia had yet to become industrialized
Becuase of this they were always short of weaponry and basic necessities.
German controlled the sea which meant Russias allies could not bring over supplies.
Russia has so many troops that they were able to tie down the German troops in the east.