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Why did the Central Powers lose WWI?, Factors for Central Power's loss…
Why did the Central Powers lose WWI?
Germany's dwindling Resources
Germany running out of food
Due to Britain's Naval Blockade
Germany slaughtered millions of pigs to save grain but this meant that they lost manure and protein source
At the beginning, the Central Powers were less prepared
Ottoman Empire had been crumbling
"Sick man of Europe"
(1914): Allies had 1.5 million more troops than Germany & Austria-Hungary
Germany was forced to fight a multi-front war to support it's allies
Militarily Strategic Errors
Failure Schlieffen Plan
Unrealistic goals
Troops had to march 30-40km/day
Define: Defeat France then quickly shift to Russia
Didn't expect Russia's quick mobilization
Belgium put better defence
All sides expected a short war based on quick offenses
Germany seemed to underestimate the Entente Powers
Equal in terms of technology so rather than offensive war with lots of lands conquered
War became defensive due to trenches
STALEMATE IN WESTERN FRONT
Became war of Attrition, so the winner would be who can outlast the other
Ludendorff Offensive
Initially successful - 65km in first week
But couldn't sustain offensive due to lack of men and material reserves
Troops also overextended so allies could counter attack
Zimmerman Telegram
Entente's increasing resources
Production capabilities
1918: France (4,000) & U.K. (1,400) tanks
Germany only had 20 tanks
Machine guns: U.K: 120,000, Germany: 13,000 (1918)
U.S. trade strongly favores Entente Powers
U.S. officially joined allies in 1917
One reason for: Threat from Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare
Britain's weeks away from starving
Attacked merchant ships going to the U.K.
In April 1917 lost 500k tons of shipping cargo
By summer 1917, 250,000 troops were arriving in Europe per month
Final nail in coffin for Central Powers
French colonies provided resources
Colonial strength
U.K. 2.5 million troops from Empire
Russia has huge population
Factors for Central Power's loss: Why?
Introduction/Sec 1: War of Attrition - Militarily Strategic Errors
Thesis: The success of the Allied Powers to mobilize their human and economic resources was the deterring factor in their victory over the Central Powers
Sec 2: Weakness
Numerical disadvantage & Naval Blockade
Sec 3: Entente's Strength
U.S. trade, production capabilities, and colonial strength
Conclusion/Sec 4: Final Blows
U.S. joined in 1917
Ludendorff Offensive
Prompt 1 Structure Example: