Trench Warfare Western Front New Weapons Total war

Trench Warfare / Western Front New Weapons Total war

§ Both sides predicted the war would end quickly § German planned for their army to march through neutral Belgium to take Paris before Russia could enter the war (to avoid a 2 front war)… didn’t work § Germans advanced across Belgium into France, but they were stopped before reaching Paris § New weapons made it easier to DEFEND positions than to ATTACK § Trenches extended HUNDREDS of miles (along eastern France, on Germany’s Western Front. )

http: //youtu. be/oe. Jkps. Oq. Qgc

§ Trench Warfare was new and had only briefly been seen in the American Civil War § Trenches were separated by fields of barbed wire and mines § Known as No Man’s Land § Soldiers spent years in the trenches § Neither side could advance so this left the fighting lines stationary § Rats infested the trenches by the millions § HORRID Smell § Rotting corpses § Overflowing restroom areas § No showers or baths for weeks or months at a time

§ New form of weaponry § Casualty rates were VERY HIGH § Disabling chemicals: Tear Gas & Severe Mustard Gas) § lethal agents like: Phosgene & Chlorine. the This chemical warfare was a major component of the first global war and first total war of 20 th century

§ First introduced § Still a bit primitive to be to effective though § Called Tanks so if the Germans saw them on the rail carts they would think they were “Water Tanks”

§ Used to see what was going on BEHIND Enemy Lines § Not weaponized until later SE-5 – Best Scout of the war

§ In the Oceans, Submarines – known as German U-Boats were used to attack large ships § When a battleship would sink another battle ship, it would be used to rescue survivors – Not many though- space was limited

§ In the Oceans, Submarines – known as German U-Boats were used to attack large ships § When a battleship would sink another battleship, it would be used to rescue survivors – Not many though- space was limited

§ Britain placed a blockade around Germany & Austria-Hungary in an attempt to starve them into submission § Russia became cut off from the West and lacked ammunition & supplies § Each side tried to mobilize all its resources § When this happens it becomes something known as a TOTAL WAR