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World War 1 as a Total War - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Schlieffen Plan
        
        A plan to prevent the possibility of a two front war
        
        The aim was to invade the Netherlands, Belgium and France in order to gain control of the coast and cut the French armies resources from Paris off. Then to fight Russia, since they were predicted to not have mobilised.
        
        What went wrong
        
        Strong Belgian resistance
        
        Brought Britain in to the war (Treaty of London 1839)
        
        They didn't gain control of the coast so Britain managed to land their troops
        
        Russia mobilised faster than anticipated
      - Build an Empire in Europe
        
        Bethmann-Hollweg also wanted to invade land from Belgium and turn it into a part of the German empire
        
        Luxembourg was to receive some of the land from Belgium and become part of Germany
        
        Holland was to remain independent but under German influence
        
        Germany wanted to establish an economic alliance, called Mitteleuropa, that would give it an advantage over the other economies
      - Colonial Power
        
        Germany, and Austria-Hungary, were both powerful forces from Central Europe at the beginning of the war, but neither had a colonial empire as big as Britain of France
        
        The "September Program" of 1914 states that the issue of German colonies in Africa would be sorted at a later date
      - Weaken France
        
        Germany and France had been rivals for decades, after the Franco-Prussian War
        
        The German war goal was to destroy French military and economic power for at least an entire generation while adding regions of France, with arms-producing capabilities, to their empire
        
        Bethmann-Hollweg listed Germany's first war aim as the invasion of the iron-producing Briey region, along with other areas.
        
        France would also be forced to pay a large tax which was designed to make any large-scale military buildup impossible, and to sign a treaty giving Germany economic control of French markets.
    - - Defending Bosnia-Herzegovina from Serbia
      - They wanted to protect the dynasty’s existence from the Austro-Hungarian state as defined by the 1867.
      - The Habsburg leaders wanted the monarchy to act as a great power
      - To use German support to protect the two provinces, and all in a war they hoped would only last months.
      - Wanted the decision to go to war to see them realigned and given new urgency.
      - Diminish the Serbian threat
      - Form an alliance with Bulgaria
      - Romania in the secret alliance
      - Keep a wary eye on their erstwhile Italian ally
      - Sustain the newly created Albanian state
      - Try to coax Russia into a more benevolent power
    - - Broad war aims
        
        To ensure its long-term security and survival
        
        Establish itself as a fully independent and sovereign state
        
        Should opportunity arise, to extend its territory and influence into the neighbouring regions of the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iran, and North Africa.
        
        1915 deportation
        
        The bulk of the Armenian population, marked as a genocide.
        
        Programme of nation-building, designed to “Turkify” Armenia through the resettlement there of Muslim migrants and refugees from the Empire’s lost Balkan territories
        
        Could not be achieved without war
        
        The Ottoman government’s hopes
        
        Expanding its territory and regional influence
        
        Empire’s long-term geopolitical security
        
        Bulgaria, which became the Ottoman Empire’s nominal ally when it joined the Central Powers in September 1915
        
        Caucasus
        
        Expansion of territory and influence was seen as a means of enhancing Ottoman security against Russia
        
        The Ottoman Empire recovered all territory lost to Russia since 1914 and also three Transcaucasian provinces which had been lost in 1878
        
        It was becoming clear that Russia had lost control and influence of the Caucasian regions
        
        The aim was to push Russia as far away from Ottoman borders as possible
        
        The east
        
        The Ottoman government aimed to extend its political influence into Iran and Afghanistan
        
        Before the war, Iran had posed a threat to Ottoman security
        
        Russian forces occupying much of the north of Iran
        
        British influence strong in the south
        
        The hope was to draw Iran into an alliance and get rid off Russian and British influence in the area
        
        North Africa
        
        Focused on the recovery of the provinces of Egypt, occupied by the British since 1882
        
        Tripolitania, occupied by the Italians since 1912
        
        Early hopes included the appearance of a small Ottoman force on the Suez Canal that might set off a popular uprising in Egypt were swiftly disappointed
        
        All whilst officials were sent to Tripolitania
  - - - Determined to regain possession of Alsace-Lorraine
      - The defence of the country’s borders
      - Hopes for a short war
      - The main goal remained establishing a security system to avoid new threats to its borders
    - - Crushing "Prussian Militarism"
      - To restore Belgian sovereignty
      - To maintain the balance of power in Europe by defending France and chastening Germany
      - Was brought into the war via the alliances
    - - Weakening Germany
      - Eliminating Austria as a rival in the Balkans
      - Gaining control of Constantinople, Thrace and the Straits
      - Planned for an immediate offensive against the Central Powers
      - Quick mobilisation of the Russian army
      - To win over the Austrian and Prussian Poles
- - - - Government wide Ranging powers to police many aspects of people's lives
      - E.g. When the pubs opened, the use of binoculars
  - - - Proclaimed by President Raymond Poincare
      - 8 departments of government under the control of the commander in chief, Joffre, and subject to military law
      - Later increased to 33 departments
  - - - Could not afford to lose all the specialised workers
      - Controlled the direction of manpower to ensure both industry and the military had enough supplies
      - 3 workers per soldier fighting in WW1
      - Women started working
  - - - Nationalizing key industries such as coal mining and shipping
      - Regulating Wages and prices to ensure that inflation did not get out of hand
    - - Walter Rathenau
        
        Tried to bring industry under the control of the War Boards but wasn't successful
        
        Faced frustrating interference from the German military
  - - - Used to emphasize the defensive nature of war
      - Introduced national pride
        
        In defending its soil
      - Portrayed the enemy as inhumane
      - Crucial in war
  - - - Governments would "borrow" money from their people in order to pay for the war
    - - Russia
        
        Led to rapid inflation which led to the revolt in 1917
      - France
      - Italy
    - - Received all of its money through loans and "saving s bonds"
      - 6% Tax rise
      - Became bankrupt and lost thousands of German savings
    - - 20% Tax rise
- - - - The Blockade of Germany occurred in 1914-1919
      - Restricted maritime goods to the Central Powers
      - Key factor that contributed to the Allies winning the war
      - Germany stated that by 1918 763,000 Germans had died of starvation however in 1928 an academic study put the figure around 428,000
      - 100,000 people may have starved after the armistice was signed
      - German and British war materials came from the U.S. which made both powers want to blockade each others
      - In August 1914, due to British naval superiority, the Allies prevented American trade from taking place
      - In November 1914 the North Sea became a war zone
      - The blockade was extremely restrictive as they didn’t even allow food through
      - The German Government viewed this as an attempt to starve the country and, as a result, the German High Seas Fleet set out multiple times to regain control of these vital imports
      - The Germans described it as a crime against innocent people
      - Germany wanted to end the war due to the food shortages
      - By 1915 German imports had fallen by 55% and exports had fallen by 47%
      - Many people resulted to consuming Ersatz Products including Kriegbrot and powdered milk
      - A rationing system was introduced in January 1915 however it was insufficient.
      - In 1915 the average daily diet was 1,000 calories and this led to widespread malnutrition
  - - - Armenians stated that it was. around 1.5 million
      - Turkey estimates 300,000
      - International Association of Genocide Scholars estimate more than a million
  - - - Pros
        
        Contributed to the war effort
        
        Helped keep the production demand of total war
      - Cons
        
        Didn't receive equal wages
        
        Suffragette movement was put on hold (Both good and bad)
        
        Health Problems
        
        TNT Poisoning
        
        Affected the skin, respiratory tract, and digestive system
        
        Symptoms: nausea, jaundice, constipation, dizziness
        
        Yellow pigments in the skin
        
        Meant that lots of women could not have babies in the future
- - - - Aeroplanes were not only deployed on the Western Front but also played an important part in the conflict in the Middle East, the Balkans and Italy.
    - - Throughout 1916 and 1917 aerial warfare developed from lone fighting to ever larger formations of aircraft and patrols.
    - - Germany used Zeppelins for strategic bombing raids over Britain and the Eastern Front
    - - Used in terms of air combat
      - Named due to its fast and quick nature between two fighter aircrafts
      - The name suggests two dogs fighting each or chasing each other
    - - Invented by the Wright Brothers in 1903
      - Planes had not been around for too long
      - Aeroplanes were just coming into military use at the outset of the war
      - Used for scouting enemy lines at the beginning of the war
  - - - German triumphs stabilized the Eastern Front for the Central Powers
      - Differences to the Western Front
        
        Size
        
        Meant that the war based more upon mobility and offensives
        
        The Western Front saw much less movement, and fighting was mainly trench warfare
      - Eastern Front included operations on the main Russian front and campaigns in Romania
      - The allied powers
        
        Russia and Romania
      - Central Powers
        
        Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria
    - - Importance
        
        Was a response to the Von Schlieffen Plan and was the battlegrounds between two of the European powers
      - Trench Warfare
        
        Trenches were long, narrow and dirty ditches dug into the ground where soldiers lived
        
        Types of Trenches
        
        Front-line Trench
        
        This type of trench was where the fighting took place
        
        Also known as the firing-and-attack trench
        
        Support Trench
        
        This trench was the front-line trench and used for support
        
        Reserve Trench
        
        Used to house reserve soldiers
        
        The reserve trench was behind the support trench
        
        Communication Trench.
        
        Used for Communication between the trenches
        
        They very muddy, uncomfortable and the toilets overflowed
        
        The conditions caused many soldiers to develop medical problems such as trench foot as well as diseases to spread easily
      - Location
        
        Stretched from the North Sea coast of Belgium southward through France
        
        The was a slight bulge outwards to contain the Ypres area
      - Dates
        
        1914 to the spring of 1918
    - - On the 23rd of May 1915, the young imperialist nation of Italy entered the war on the side of the Entente, violating the triple alliance treaty of 1882. Italy justified their decision by claiming the treaty was defensive in nature, and not applicable in this case as Austria-Hungary and Germany were the aggressors in the war. Although Italy’s decision seemed nobble, their were ulterior motives, namely the Treaty of London of 1915. This treaty promised Italy the right to expand into Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and African territories in case they joined the Entente. Initially Italy only declared war on Austria-Hungary in the hope of diverting their manpower to a new front, helping their new allies on the Western and Eastern fronts. And so begun arguably the least impactful front of the European theater.
      - The campaign was mostly fought in the Italian alps, which have a mean height of 2500 meters. Conversely, 12 different battles had been fought over the Isonzo river, which is located in lower lying areas. The entire war was mostly a stalemate with neither side making significant gains until the final Austro-Hungarian, German invasion of Northern Italy.
      - Throughout the war 12 battles had been fought over the Isonzo river. The first 11 of the battles were initiated by the Italian army, but they made very limited progress. The Isonzo river was located in Austro-Hungarian territory, close to the Italian border. Italy’s goal in these engagements was to capture the strategically important cities of Trieste and Pula. With the river being situated in lower elevations, temperatures did not fall very low. Mimicking the western front, the slow nature of these battles ultimately led to trench warfare. Italy successfully controlled the Isonzo river until the a final offensive was launched with the help of Germany, which completely pushed The Italian army out of Austria-Hungary until late 1917.
      - Following more than an entire year of fruitless battles at the Isonzo river, on the 15 May 1916 the Austro-Hungarian army attacked Asiago in a surprise offensive. The Austro-Hungarians selection Asiago as it is a flat plateau surrounded by mountains, making maneuvering easier there than on the mountain ridges. Although Asiago was easily occupied, Austria-Hungary’s advance in Italy’s lowlands had failed. Following Russia’s advance on Galicia, Austria-Hungary withdrew its forces from Asiago on the 10th of June and the Plateau was quickly recaptured by Italy
      - The Italian front is an example of early mountain warfare, even though the vast majority of the battles occured on flat plateaus, the Isonzo river and in the lower lying areas of Italy, past the mountains. One prominent example of mountain warfare was the battle of Monte Grappa and the battle of San Matteo, fought on the peak of a mountain. Weaponry and supplies were raised up the mountains using cranes, while mines were dug to house soldiers and equipment.
      - Following Russia’s surrender in 1917, Germany was able to divert its troops to the Italian front. Together with Germany, Austria-Hungary was finally able to recapture the Isonzo river, in the 12th battle of the Isonzo river, and advance all the way to the Piave river, closing in on Venice. This marked the greatest advances any side would make throughout the entire war.
      - The conditions of the conflict can be divided into 2 different types: Mountain warfare and trench warfare. The 12 battles of the Isonzo rivers were fought around lower lying areas leading to trench warfare, just like on the western front. The battles fought on top of the Dolomite mountains were fought in extremely cold temperatures and in meters of snow. Forces stationed on the mountains resorted to digging tunnels into the mountains which protected them from the environment.
      - The main challenge facing all both sides was the terrain they were fighting on, as well as their poorly trained armies. The mountains separating the two countries limited their capabilities in attacking each other’s territory. Austria-Hungary’s advancements all stalled due to the difficulties in getting supplies over the mountains. The only easily accessible land was the Isonzo river, which was heavily fortified, with the fighting ultimately diverging into trench warfare.
      - Both sides in the Italian front capitalized and expanded on the new industry known as mountaineering. For century climbing tall mountains was considered dangerous and not often done, but with the new technology available it had steadily increased in popularity in the late 19th century. New equipment was developed to sustain life on the mountains, additionally, new crane systems were developed to lift everything from cannons to animals up the mountains. New equipment included new types of ropes and clothing. Furthermore techniques were developed to dig mines into the hard Dolomite mountains to shelter soldiers.
    - - The Gallipoli campaign was an attempt by the Entente to secure the Turkish straits, allowing Russia to pass through, unimpeded. The Turkish straits are divided into 3 distinct sections: The Bosphorus, which divided the Ottoman capital city of Constantinople into 2, the sea of Marmara and finally another narrow section known as the Dardanelles. One side of this narrow section is the Gallipoli peninsula, where, following a series of unsuccessful naval battles against the Ottomans, the decision was made to conduct amphibious landings on the 25th of April 1915. The plan was to capture the Gallipoli peninsula and move up to Constantinople, but after 8 months of warfare the Entente was forced to abandon the endeavour.
      - Following the unsuccessful naval engagements, on the 25th of April the Entente landed their troops at two different locations: Cape Helles and ANZAC cove. The British landings at Cape Helles resulted in very heavy casualties for the allies despite the weak resistance offered by the Ottoman army. Australian and New Zealand forces were slightly more successful but also suffered heavy casualties. The aim of the landings was to quickly move up the peninsula to secure the Dardanelles and the sea of Marmara.
      - In what was meant to be a rapid advance and occupation of the sea of Marmara, the Entente attempted to move up the peninsula through the town of Krithia. They was successful in none of these battles and failed to move secure the sea Marmara over a span of almost 4 months, from April 28th to August 13th, in the 4 battles that had been fought. Concurrently, ANZAC forces also attempted to move up the peninsula, but they were heavily defeated in the battles of No.3 Post and Baby 700.
      - Looking for a way to end the 3 month long stalemate on the peninsula, the Entente decided to open up a 3rd front at the Suvla Bay on the 6th of August. Initially the bay was captured successfully from the light Ottoman forces, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford management of the campaign is often considered one of the most incompetent feats of generalship of the First World War. Failing to maneuver his forces correctly, the Lieutenant-General commanded his forces to capture the hills surrounding the bay, but failed to make further advances, resulting in the exact same stalemate as the other 2 fronts of the campaign. Following months of little action and exposure to the hard summer and subsequent winter elements, all EntentE forces withdrew from Gallipoli on the 9th of January 1916.
      - Following the amphibious landings, Ottoman fortifications were quickly captured by the Entente and trenches were dug at the landing sights. This allowed the Entente to hold their defensive positions for months, even when their offensive maneuvers failed. During the summer temperature up to 32°C had to be endured, while in the winter, temperatures fell below freezing on the hills surrounding the Suvla bay. Apart from the trench warfare on the beaches, urban warfare and battles on elevated lands could be observed, though these were mostly fruitless for the Entente.
      - The main challenges of the campaign were similar to those of the western front. Superior defensive positions further up the peninsula made Entente offenses challenging, the heavily fortified trenches at the Entente landing sights made it virtually impossible for the Ottoman army to regain this territory. Both sides have strong defenses and weak offensive capabilities resulted in stalemates on all of the campaigns 3 fronts.
      - With the conflict dragging on as a stalemate on 3 seperate fronts for months, the arguably quite useless and economically redundant operation was terminated in January 1916, when the Entente forces were withdrawn to other theaters of the war. Following the departure of the final Entente troops on January 9th from Cape Helles, The Ottoman empire retook the entirety of the Gallipoli peninsula, marking the end of the campaign.
  - - - Battle of Jutland 31 May - 1 June 1916
        
        The largest naval battle of WW1
        
        The only major encounter between the main British and German battle fleets in World War I
        
        British thought that their fleet was capable of theGerman Navy
        
        But did not take into account submarine and torpedo-boat of German home water
        
        German admiral Reinhard Scheer
        
        Replaced the previous admiral in January 1916
        
        Had changed tactics, aiming to be more aggressive and formed a plan
        
        .
        
        Adm. Franz Von Hipper
        
        Would command a scouting group consisting of battle cruisers, so it would fleet to a point of Norwegian coastline, which would be followed by the battle squadrons of the High Seas Fleet under Scheer
        
        The aim was that scouting fleets would lure the southern section of the Grand Fleet into a pursuit whilst the main German fleet would close the gap and destroy the British.
        
        His signal was caught by British listening stations, so British became aware of the plan, however without details.
        
        \
        
        Fought close to Skagerrak
    - - The German warships were vulnerable in comparison to the Royal Naval, this pressured them to start using submarines.
        
        This new strategy was introduced to sink merchant ships, it caused major losses of Allied ships and cargos.
        
        Many of the ships sunk belonged to neutral countries, this caused political tensions Lusitania- 1000 lives lost 128 Americans resulted in protests
        
        This event caused Germany to scale down their operations
        
        Previously most of the fighting was carried out on the surface and at close range.
    - - The Royal Navy was the most powerful in the world
        
        It kept the British Isles from invasion and was also able to blockade enemy ports in time of war.
        
        The Royal Navy's basic responsibilities
        
        policing colonies and trade routes
        
        Defending coastlines
        
        Imposing blockades on threatening powers.
        
        They won the war at sea with two strategies
        
        The trade blockade
        
        Britain used its naval dominance to shut off German access to the North Sea
        
        Which contributed greatly to Germany's eventual collapse in 1918
        
        The convoy system
      - The Navy's purpose was the protection of trade and any threat to Britain's naval supremacy was a threat to the nation.
    - - The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy and the Imperial German Navy on the 8th of november 1914
      - Seen as the first naval battle of the war
      - German admiral Maximilian von Spee commandeered two armoured cruisers, and attempted to raid the British supply base in the Falkland Islands.
      - The British squadron consisted of 8 ships; 2 battlecruisers, 3 armoured cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 1 grounded dreadnought.
      - The battle ultimately lead to a British victory, as the germans had suffered over 1800 casualties.
    - - Between 1906 and 1914
        
        Created friction between both nations and the family
        
        One of the causes of World War One.
        
        In 1906, Britain launched the first dreadnought – a ship that meant all others were left useless faced against its fire power.
        
        The British naval expansion was important as it kept the British Isles from invasion and was also primed to blockade enemy ports in time of war
    - - All of the great belligerent states of World War I were naval powers and engaged in operations around the globe. While the course of the war did not unfold as predicted by naval officials, it did produce a grave threat to the Allies through Germany's use of the submarine in a commerce war
        In comparison to the army and air force, naval forces are useful to the state outside a war context as they provide prosperity to the state through the protection of shipping lanes and civilian vessels.