the course of wwi drawing what you read. looking back enduring images are soldiers bogged down in...
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The Course of WWIDrawing What You Read
Looking Back Enduring images are
soldiers bogged down in Belgian and northern French trenches
Minimal gains, high casualties
Infantry running into machine gun and artillery fire
Many theaters of fighting though
Belgium, France, Austria-Italy border, Balkans, Ottoman Empire at Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Middle East, Africa
1914
Rapid movement characterized the early phases of war
German Schlieffen Plan seeking to knock out France quickly, trying to obliterate their left defensive flank
French Plan XVII seeking to retrieve Alsace-Lorraine, Britain and Russia mobilize immediately
Austria-Hungary focuses on Serbia
1914 – Western Front German Commander Helmuth von Moltke had adapted
Schlieffen Plan
Transferred more troops to Eastern Front to counter Russia’s faster mobilization capabilities
Many more troops on the left side of the right wing August 1914, Germany invaded Luxembourg, France,
Belgium
Slower than expected, due to British arrival (GER took heavy casualties at Mons), Belgian resistance and extension of supply lines
Opening weeks were disastrous for France under Plan XVII
Held up at the Battle of the Frontiers, lost 210,000 in the first month
1914 – Western Front Early September, German forces neared Paris, swung east, exposed
the flank to French and British at the Battle of the Marne, Sept. 5.
Germans forced to pull away from Paris
Von Moltke resigns, replaced by Erich von Falkenhayn
Now a series of attempted outflanking maneuvers by the Germans, French and British, became known as the ‘race to the sea’, ran out of room at the English Channel
First Battles of Ypres, British prevented the Germans from taking the town
Ypres becomes a salient
By end of the year, BEF lost 96,000, French 995,000 Germany 670,000
Germany occupied northern France though, its major industrial region
1914 – Eastern Front
Russians had mobilized by Aug. 17
Invaded Germany as two armies moved into East Prussia
Moltke must transfer 60,000 troops to the Eastern Front
Russians overwhelmed the Germans at Tannenberg in August and Masurian Lakes in September
Russian armies never connected and accidentally transmitted uncoded messages of movements to the Germans
1915 – Western Front Falkenhayn decided to concentrate on Russia in the East
Only significant offenseive on Western Front was in April at the Second Battle of the Ypres
Germans used poison chlorine gas for the first time
Captured the high ground around the town, Allies kept the town
Number of French and British offensives, no real successes, only heavy casualties
From December 1914-March 1915, French attached the Champagne region
March, British Army broke through Germans at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle
German counter-attack though, 12,000 casualties
May-November, French repeatedly, unsuccessfully attempted to capture the Vinny Ridge
September, British failed attack on Loos, 50,000 casualties
September, French limited success in attacks on Champagne and Artois
1915 – Eastern Front
May, Germans launched a huge offensive against Russia’s Northwest Front
Russians driven out of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia
Russian General Brusilov decides to withdraw from Southwest as well
1 million Russians surrendered during this year
August Tsar Nicholas II took over military command, total mistake
Other 1915 Developments
Major debate among British and French politicians/commanders about whether to attack Germans in France and Belgium or knock out the weaker elements of the Central Powers
March, Gallipoli campaign as a way of weakening Central Powers at a time of stalemate
Continuing debate meant limited resources
Looking to seize control of the Straits of the Dardanelles, defeat Turkey
Pressure on Russia will be reduced
Four ships sank from mines
British and ANZAC forces land in April, failed to capture the high ground, bogged down, now a battle of attrition
All Allied forced evacuated in January 1916
May, Italy joined the Allies (had been promised Austrian territory)
Bulgaria joins the Central Powers in October
Britain and France landed troops in Greece to help Serbia but were pushed back into Greece by Bulgaria
1916 – Western Front February, massive German attack on Verdun, trying to draw in as many
French soldiers to a war of attrition
End of the battle in December, France had suffered 500,000 casualties
Next year saw large scale mutinies
German losses 400,000 though
Falkenhayn replaced by Paul von Hindenburg
British attack the Somme in July
Supposed to be French as well, tied up with Verdun
Seven day artillery barrage, mostly a failure though
First day of infantry attack the costliest in British history – 60,000
Attack continued until November
Tanks used by British for the first time in September
December, Germans began to withdraw to Hindenburg Line defenses
1916 – Eastern Front
Major Russian offensive against the Austrians in Galicia, August
September, Russians pushed back by Germans, huge losses and decline in morale
Other 1916 Developments
August, Romania joins the Allies, wanted Transylvania from Austria-Hungary
Withdrew after six months following a Central Powers attack
1917 German Strategy
Germany convinced Russia was on the verge of collapse
Thought they could then launch a major offensive in the West
January, announced unrestricted submarine warfare hoping to squeeze off British supplies
April, Allies lost 860,000 tons of shipping Meant American ships as well January, Zimmerman Telegram April, US declares war on Germany
1917 – Eastern Front
By 1917, Russians 1.7 mil killed, 8 mil wounded, 2.5 mil prisoners, starting to break down
Really impacted civilians – food shortages, inflation, lack of transportation
February demonstrations led to abdication of Nicholas II, Russia became a republic
Launched a major offensive in June 1917, had totally failed by July
September, peasants are revolting Lenin’s Bolshevik party comes to power in October
December, signs an armistice with Germany
1917 – Western Front Several Allied offensives, mostly deadlock
April, British offensive at Arras, Canadians capture Vinny Ridge
April, major French offensive at St. Quentin, total disaster, halted in May, 100,000 casualties
Serious mutinies
Fell to the British to do something
May, British offensives in Flanders, designed to drive the Germans away from Ypres and break through to the Belgian coast
June, captured the Messines Ridge
End of July, heavy British losses at Third Battle of Yrpes
November, British captured Passchendale Ridge
Also took Cambrai, only a short-lived breakthrough
1917 – Austro-Italian Front
August, Italian offensive against the Austrians at Isonzo, no result
October, major Austro-German victory at Caporetto, Italians suffered 700,000 casualties
Italians were able to stabilize the front
1918 March, Operation Michael, massive German attack 100-km wide
Bolstered by Storm Battalions
Captured the Somme with the attack
Took only five days to go 65 km
April, second surprise German attack on Yrpes, broke through again, 40 miles from Paris
Germans had lost huge numbers though, 240,000 lost, others exhausted
Late May, US took the field with rested British and French
Huge counterattack at Amiens in August
By September, had retaken all the ground lost that Spring
Late September, penetrated Hindenburg Line
October, Germany asked for Allied Armistice Terms
November, Kaiser fled to Holland, Germany declared a republic
November 11, war ends
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