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Land - Western Front, World War I - Key Battles and Events - Coggle Diagram
Land - Western Front
Battle of Marne - September - 1914
Between Germany and France (with British support). It took place near the River Marne northeastern France.
The battle stopped the German advance toward Paris.The Germans were forced to retreat.
After this battle, the war on the Western Front turned into trench warfare (from Eng channel to Switzerland) and stalemate
First Battle of Ypres - October 1914
It took place near Ypres in Belgium between Germany and the Allied forces (Britain and France).
Artillery & Heavy Bombardment were used, machine guns, barbed wire
Second Battle of Ypres (1915)
Germany used poison gas (chlorine gas) for the first time on a large scale
Battle of Verdun - February to December -1916
Battle of the Somme - July to November 1916
Germany vs Britain and France. It took place near the River Somme in northern France
The battle was planned to relieve pressure on the French army at Verdun.
The battle involved massive artillery bombardments and trench warfare.
It was also important because the British used tanks for the first time in warfare
However, despite heavy fighting and huge losses on both sides (over one million casualties in total), very little territory was gained. Another example of war of attrition
Battle of Arras (1917)
Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) – 1917
It was one of the longest, bloodiest, and most-ferocious battles of the war; French casualties amounted to about 400,000, German ones to about 350,000. Some 300,000 were killed.
Germany vs France. Took place near the town of Verdun in northeastern France
Heavy artillery bombardment. Classic example of a war of attrition
A war of attrition is a strategy to weaken the enemy through constant attacks and heavy losses until they can no longer continue fighting.
The gas caused panic and severe casualties among Allied troops
Soldiers later began using gas masks for protection.
Important example of trench warfare conditions.
Germany vs Allied forces (mainly Britain, France, and Canadian troops)
Germany captured some territory around Ypres but no major breakthrough.
The Western Front remained a stalemate.
Germany and Allied forces (Britain, France, Belgium).
The First Battle of Ypres stopped the German advance and helped establish trench warfare on the Western Front.
Battle that stopped and effectively failed the Schlieffen Plan.
The Schlieffen Plan was Germany’s strategy to quickly defeat France by sweeping through Belgium and surrounding Paris.
World War I - Key Battles and Events
Land - Ottoman - Middle Eastern Front
Gallipoli Campaign (April 1915 – January 1916)
Fought at Gallipoli Peninsula, near the Dardanelles Strait, to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and to open a sea route to Russia
In the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey)
Allied Powers: Britain and France (also Australian and New Zealand troops – ANZAC) attached Ottoman
Central Powers: Ottoman Empire (Germany, Austria- Hungary, Ottoman empire, Bulgaria)
The terrain was steep and difficult, and the attack was poorly planned. Fighting turned into trench warfare, similar to the Western Front.
Both sides suffered heavy casualties. Despite months of fighting, the Allies failed to make significant progress. In early 1916, the Allied forces withdrew from Gallipoli
The Arab Revolt (1916–1918)
Fought in the Arabian Peninsula.
Arabs (with British support) revolted against the Ottoman Empire.
Lawrence helped coordinate attacks on Ottoman railways and supply lines.
Land - Eastern Front
Battle of Tannenberg (August 1914)
Battle of the Masurian Lakes (September 1914)
Galicia Campaign August to September (1914)
Fought in the region of Galicia (then part of Austria-Hungary
A campaign
Involves many battles
Takes place over a large area
Lasts for a longer period of time
Has a broader military objective
Russia vs Austria-Hungary. Russia launched an attack against Austria-Hungary.
Russian forces advanced deep into Austrian territory.
Russia defeated Austria-Hungary and it suffered very heavy casualties, losing hundreds of thousands of soldiers
Germany was forced to send help to support Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front. The campaign showed that Austria-Hungary was militarily weaker than Germany.
Several battles were fought across the region. Russia captured the important city of Lemberg (Lviv).
Gorlice–Tarnów Offensive - May to June 1915
Huge breakthrough.
Russian army forced into a massive retreat. The “Great Retreat” (1915) Russia withdrew from Poland and other territories.
Brusilov Offensive (1916)
Russia vs Austria-Hungary
Russia launched a major attack.
Austria-Hungary suffered heavy losses.
Germany had to send more troops to help its ally.
Launched by Germany and Austria-Hungary against Russia.
Germany vs Russia near the Masurian Lakes in East Prussia
German forces attached and pushed back the Russian First Army. The Russians were forced to retreat from East Prussia.
Strengthened Germany’s position on the Eastern Front. Showed that the Eastern Front was more mobile than the Western Front
Germany vs Russia near Tannenberg in East Prussia.
One of Germany’s greatest early victories.
Stopped the Russian advance into Germany.
Russian forces invaded German territory.
Around 30,000–50,000 Russians killed or wounded. About 90,000 Russian soldiers captured.
Naval warfare
British Naval Blockade (1914)
Britain used its powerful navy to blockade Germany.
This stopped food and supplies from reaching Germany.
This began very early in the war.
Germany Uses U-boats (1914-1915)
Germany responded to the blockade.
It used U-boats (submarines) to attack British ships.
This led to the sinking of ships like the Lusitania (1915)
1916 – Battle of Jutland
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare - 1917 –
Germany resumed attacking ships without warning.
This brought the United States into the war.
Fought in the North Sea.
Between Britain and Germany.
Largest naval battle of WWI.
No clear winner, but Britain kept control of the seas.
Air warfare
Reconnaissance Planes (1914)
Fighter Planes & Dogfights (1915 onwards)
Zeppelin Airship Bombing (1915–1916)
Gotha Bombers (1917–1918)
Allied Bombing Raids
Britain & France: Used bomber aircraft
Bombed German factories and military targets.
Air warfare expanded beyond the battlefield.
Used by: Germany
Type: Gotha heavy bombers
Replaced Zeppelins for bombing raids.
Attacked London and southern England.
More accurate and harder to shoot down.
Used by: Germany
Type: Zeppelin airships
Bombed London and other British cities.
Aimed to destroy factories and frighten civilians.
Later became vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire.
Germany: Fokker Eindecker (early fighter plane)
Britain: Sopwith Camel
France: Nieuport fighters
Planes fitted with machine guns.
Pilots fought each other in “dogfights.”
Germany gained early advantage with Fokker planes.
Used by: Britain, France, Germany
Type: Early biplanes (light aircraft)
Used mainly for spying and taking aerial photographs.
Helped locate enemy trenches and artillery.
Changed battlefield planning.
