World War I: Stalemate1914-1920

The Great War Begins Schlieffen Plan- German plan to avoid a 2-front war=

defeating the French 8/3-4/1914, Troops entered Belgium, met strong

resistance= French & British organized troops

The Great War Begins 9/1914, Battle of the Marne=Allies pushed

Germans back 40 miles No quick victory

Trench Warfare New Occupied trenches along a front for 100s of miles

N. Sea - Switzerland No man’s land separated the 2 sides Stalemate through 1915

Battle of Verdun 1916, 2/21-12/18 German offensive vs. French

Goal= crush the enemy Longest battle= failed Over a million deaths, Germans never capture the

city

Battle of Somme 1916, 7/1-11/18, Allied offensive

Near the Somme River in N. France Goal= exhaust enemy’s reserves Battle of attrition

British= 60,000 casualties in a single day, 4 months, more than a million dead/wounded

Trench Living Nightmare

Rats & lice, rain flooded the trenches, dead soldiers Unsanitary conditions= disease & sickness

New Weapons Machine guns, tanks, & poison gas Submarines & airplanes

Skilled pilots= aces= German pilot, Red BaronOver 80 kills, top U.S. ace 26

Quick Review What was the purpose of the Schlieffen Plan what

resulted from its failure?

What is no-man’s land?

Why had the war reached a stalemate?

How did trench warfare affect the fighting?

Activity: Trench Warfare In pairs, examine various aspects of trench warfare Do one of the following activities:

Create a chart representing the hazards of trench life & its impact on soldiers, including casualties

Analyze how trench warfare contributed to WWI's stalemate & propose other battle strategies that may have ended the war sooner, w/ fewer casualties 2 paragraphs

Activity: Trench Warfare In pairs, examine various aspects of trench warfare Do one of the following activities: Create a chart representing the hazards of trench life & its

impact on soldiers, including casualties

Analyze how trench warfare contributed to WWI's stalemate & propose other battle strategies that may have ended the war sooner, w/ fewer casualties

Assume the roles of key WWI military leaders & write briefs that discuss how trench warfare has blocked military strategy and recommendations they have for strategies that will eliminate trenches in order to make military advances toward victory for their respective nations