Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
What were the main events? - Coggle Diagram
What were the main events?
the battle for the
frontiers
Finally, a fatal decision was taken in the Germans plan to invade Paris
instead of encircling Paris as
originally conceived, the German armies would change direction and attack Paris from
the east.
Seeing the German flank exposed, the French rallied their forces for a counter- attack and defended Paris on the River Marne.
Victory would not be achieved by brilliant strategic moves or the fall of capital cities,
but by the side that destroyed the enemy armies in the field.
Germany had achieved remarkably swift and decisive victories against Austria
in 1866 and France in 1870,
Schlieffen Plan could achieve
success in a matter of weeks. Too much had changed by 1914.
the next phase
There was no effective radio communication between the commanders and their forces.
As war plans across Europe broke down, both sides resorted to rapid
improvisation.
Russia invaded eastern Germany but was unable to exploit its
advantage by a drive on Berlin.
A race to the sea began, and the front line
extended to its furthest point in the south – the Swiss frontier.
Each side struggled to
gain the most advantageous positions, especially high ground.
In smokeless battlefields,
soldiers on the ground were easy targets, and they simply had to remain out of sight
Turkey, the Far East and Africa
Meanwhile, the geographical scope of the war had expanded.
Turkey joined when British naval forces chased two German warships, the Goeben and the Breslau, into Constantinople.
Italy was persuaded to join France and Britain by promises
of gaining Italian-speaking areas under Austrian control and extending its empire.
Though traditionally pro-British, Turkey’s new reforming government leaned towards Germany, which had trained its armed forces and seemed more likely to help Turkey resist Russia.
Japan took advantage of the defensive alliance it had signed with Britain against Russia in 1902 to declare war on Germany
although the war was spreading, it was clear that the most decisive battles
would occur in Europe
the Battle of the Somme, July 1916
The attack was focused on 13 km (8 miles) of front, and millions of shells were fired on to the German line
British and some French forces faced well-established German positions on the River Somme in France.
In 1916, one of the most infamous battles in the history
was probably the greatest artillery bombardment in history.
There was no effective radio communication between the commanders and their forces.