The Great War

1914 – Europe Goes to War• Allied Powers:

Britain, France, Russia, Italy, later the U.S.

• Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire

• Most of the fighting took place on the Western Front

• First Battle of Ypres - the beginning of stalemate (standstill) on the Western Front in 1914.

• Almost 1.8 million casualties in the first 5 months

• Soldiers declared truce on Christmas Day and celebrated together

1915 – Trench Warfare• Trenches became deeper and more complex

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/gallery/2007/nov/07/?picture=331190775

• Weapons used: – Poison Gases - Chlorine and mustard gas

– Artillery – large caliber weapons like cannons

– U-boat

– Aircraft & the Zeppelin

– Tanks

– Flamethrower

• Civilians became targets

• Women began working at jobs the men did before the war

• Austria-Hungary defeated Serbia

1916 – Year of Attrition• Each side tried to wear the other out• Battle of Verdun – 10 month battle (longest!);

resulted in stalemate, heavy losses

• Battle of the Somme – German victory, huge British and French casualties

• Russia launches attacks into Germany

1917 – Europe’s year of Trial

• Food rationing and “meatless days” on the home front

• Russian Revolution causes Russia to drop out of the war

Lenin

• U.S. enters war on side of the Allies– Sinking of the Lusitania (1915)

– Intercepted German telegraph message to Mexico encouraging them to attack US

1918 – Triumph of the Allies

• Germany ran out of troops• The Central Powers collapsed

• Armistices signed…last one to sign was Germany on November 11th, 1918