Term
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Definition
Austria ran the German Confederation
Two sides of Prussia were divided but then reunited in 1866 |
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Definition
November 1858: Wilhelm became king of Prussia at age 62
From house of Hohenzollern
Soldier
Conservative
Son is married to daughter of Queen Victoria
Sept 1862: Wilhelm I appointed new minister president and minister of Foreign Affairs: Otto von Bismarck, 47, served 1862 to 1890. |
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Term
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Definition
served from 1862-1890, started at 47
minister president and minister of Foreign Affairs
very patriotic, did not want glory for himself, only for Prussia
First Chancellor of Prussia
Wanted to unite all German speaking countries and protect the peace.
Used Realpolitik |
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Definition
| 1864. fought with Austria to take over region of Schleswig-Holstein |
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Definition
Fought two years later in 1868, Bismarck was so good he was able to defeat the Austrians. This baffled the French.
Austrians defeated at Battle of Sadowa/Konnigratz |
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Term
| leading up to Prussian-Franco War |
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Definition
French were upset at a Prussian on the Spanish throne
Bismarck provoked the French by altering letter that Wilhelm I sent to the French.
French declared war, as Bismarck wanted, making him look like the good guy. |
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Definition
| officers which planned wars as a living |
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Definition
| General Helmut von Moltke "The Elder" |
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Definition
| led by General Helmut von Moltke "The Elder" and were in charge of studying roads, supplies, generals and spying on Austria |
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Term
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Definition
Kingdom is one people
Empire is many people |
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Term
| Prussian-Franco War (tactics, weapons, clothing etc) |
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Definition
Bismarck gets declaration of war from France, what he wants
French still dressed in red pants and blue shirts
Good weapons, but uniform and tactics outdated
War lasted July 1870 to September 1870: 6 weeks
First time we see railroads, small-arms fire, better artillery
Prussians have steel guns(didn't blow up), smokeless powder, breech loading rifles
French have better rifles and machine guns
Prussia had universal male conscription |
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Term
| Franco-Prussian war (politics) |
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Definition
Emperor of France Napoleon III (Napoleon's nephew) wants to outdo uncle
Sept 1870 he surrenders at Sedan with 104k men
Cried in front of Bismarck |
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Term
| Franco-Prussian War (After Paris) |
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Definition
Everything went according to plan for Prussians, but French refused to surrender. French population revolted creating army of women and children.
Suddenly war is not over.
Prussians decide to bomb Paris for 6 months Sept 1870 to January 1871: Siege of Paris
First use of hot air balloons evacuating out officials
Flak was first anti-balloon artillery gun
Germany is created in Paris at hall of mirrors (slap to French)
King becomes emperor (Kaiser in German)
Empire = Reich
Prime Minister becomes chancellor of Germany. |
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Term
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Definition
Bismarck uniting Prussia
War with Austria
War with the French
Creation of General Staff |
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Term
| Problems with Germany 1870 |
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Definition
It is German Empire, southern part of Germany is Catholic with many Pols, Slavs and Czechs.
French refuse to accept Germany, rebellion takes place in Paris under German occupation which starts Communism in town of Commune (March to May 1871)
Citizens rise up, French army fire on own people
Lennon is founder of Russian communist party, this is when he turned radical. |
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Term
| Aftermath of Events Paris 1871 |
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Definition
French defeated 1871
French give Alsace-Lorraine (coal and timber) and 5,000M Francs to Germans
French are forever bitter
Britain is in awesome of what Germany has done
1871-1887: Age of Bismarck: Peace
Second Industrial revolution: steel which allows them to mass produce. |
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Term
| Inventions related to WWI |
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Definition
barbed wire invented in US for cows, 1865
World's First Automatic Machine Gun: Maxim Gun 1884, 400 bullets a minute, Russian engineer made it but rejected by US because it wasn't American as was the hand cranked gatling gun.
Germans acquire loots of Maxim Guns.
1886 Swedish make first submarine that can fire torpedoes
Innocent Jew Dreyfus accused of selling secrets to Germany so that French could eventually fight Germany
Summer 1894, 75mm Field Gun Model 1897, breech loading, self contained ammo, smokeless powder, hydraulic recoil, 20-30 rounds/min French thought they would win war with this
Nationalism spreading under Bismarck
Japanese order from Germany
Emperor dies, then his son dies of Cancer, then grandson Wilhelm II takes over and has to prove himself because he has a handicap. 1888 Kaiser Wilhelm II 29 years. |
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Term
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Definition
Fredrick Wilhelm ruled for 99days, died of Cancer
year of the three emperors (papers, coins, letterheads change
Queen Victoria is Wilhelm II's grandma
Has crippled left arm, must prove himself
1890: fired Bismarck = Weltpolitik (wanted to be the best)
bigger army, bigger navy
Tells world Germany must have a place under the sun
Arrogance, exuberance, clumsiness |
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Term
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Definition
Bismarck knew French would want revenge so he created military alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882
AH wants alliance because of Russians
Bismarck made alliance 1887 with Russians, in 1890, Kaiser Wilhelm II doesn't renew treaty!!!!!!!
Russia just allies with French then
Germans are attempting to match British Navy
British answer with the dreadnought |
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Term
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Definition
Fall 1906: New type of Battle ship with uniformed calibre main guns (12 inches), directed fire control at longer range, 33km/hr, compartmentalized sections, as revolutionary as atomic bomb, Crew of 700+, with 20+ compartments
This instigates arms race!! |
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Term
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Definition
UK has advantage of 1 ship
fear of cutting Empire sea lanes so there is race to build more ships from 1906-1914
1912: Germany has 33 new ships. UK cannot compete and alliances with French. |
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Term
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Definition
France wants to isolate Germany
1892-3: alliance between Russia and France
1904: Entente Cordiale with Britain
1905: Germany practically isolate
1907: Triple Entente Russia, UK, France
1912: anglo French Naval Agreement |
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Term
| Count Alfred Von Schlieffen |
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Definition
Chief of the German General Staff
Creates schlieffenplan for how to take France |
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Term
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Definition
| Mood of people when war starts: cars, bicycles, forgot how bad war is. Naive. |
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Term
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Definition
| of archduke Franz Ferdinand |
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Term
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Definition
1911-12 Italians and Ottomans in Libya
Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria wanted independence from Ottoman Empire
Balkan League won first war but then turned on Bulgaria!
Use of trenches/machine guns/naval aviation missile/clip with 5 bullets.
Serbs are strong because they are backed by Russia |
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Term
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Definition
Arms race caused by Dreadnought which led to alliances
Game of Alliances
French Desire for Revenge
Schlieffenplan made people overconfident
Belle Epoque
Assassination Franz Ferdinand
Balkan Wars |
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Term
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Definition
There are two crowns on coat of arms
Franz Joseph I is emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia
A lot of groups rebel because Franz is Austria's emperor.
Austria Hungary created 1867 after Bismarck defeated Prussia
dual monarchy with 13 ethnic groups!
multinational empire of 53 million
ethnic minorities always revolting
August 1878, Bosnia and Herzegovina was occupied by Empire and annexed 1908 which created Bosnian-Serv Secret Terrorist Society |
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Term
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Definition
| 3 distinct armies in the Empire |
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Definition
capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Austria conquered this province and annexed capital of Bosnia; Sarajevo
Serbs were not happy because this was next door
Created a terrorist secret society of Bosnians and Serbs
Archduke Franz Ferdinand goes to Sarajevo as a sign of goodwill to show he will be a good king June 28, 1914 with wife
F.F is heir to Austro-Hungarian throne
Gavrilo Princip was out for a sandwich and killed him
carried out by Young Bosnian group
Vienna pressured Serbia to let her in to investigate, this started game of Alliances
found Black Hand seal in Princip's apartment |
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Term
| Mobilization of armies and declarations of war |
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Definition
July 23: ultimatum to Serbia
With Russia's support, Serbia said no
Serbia then mobilized armies for war
July 28 1914: Austria declared war on it
July 31: Russia mobilized against AH
August 1: Germany declares war on Russia
Aug 2 Germany Mobilized
Aug 3 Germany declares war on France
Aug 4 Belgium invades which makes UK at war.
Serbia mobilized first
Austria declared war first
Germany attacked first |
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Term
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Definition
wears grey instead of traditional free
fast and mobile
Schlieffenplan: go to paris in 6 weeks, turn around and go to Russia
German Mauser 5 rounds |
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Term
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Definition
Chief of General Staff and Field-Marshal
He modified the schlieffen plan because he doesn't believe in it and he doesn't sleep well. |
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Term
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Definition
volunteer soldiers
tan uniforms with many pockets
only 100,000 men, but professional
best web gear
Lee Enfield .303 calibre rifle with 10 rounds
BEF outnumber 10 to 1
known as old contemptibles
if they were to meet any force their size they would win |
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Term
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Definition
Commander of British Expeditionary Force: Field-Marshal
Temperamental
Not good in front of modern German Army |
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Term
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Definition
have the most soldiers
have stupid red pants
offensive doctrine (l'elan) (spirit of moving forward into hell of bullets)
Plan XVII to retake Alsace Lorraine
Troops were in south but not north |
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Term
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Definition
| Chief of French General Staff |
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Term
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Definition
Prussians trying to go through Belgium
Germans did not expect Belgium to fight back
August 1914: heroic fight of Belgium
Germans treated Welsh poorly
Clash of Plan XVII and Schlieffenplan
allied retreat back to Paris
French lost 200,000 (10% officers)
Belgium wanted Belgium in one week but took three weeks
BEF were able to stop Germans for a day, Germans thought they all had machine guns. |
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Term
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Definition
I rule a country not a road
war hero
British defended neutrality of Belgium |
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Term
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Definition
German Empire: 1.5 million soldiers
Allies: 1.4 M (French and BEF)
Pre-1900 birth rate 2 French/5 huns
Germany used reservists in battle
Bad Anglo-Franco military liaison
Sept 3: French government fled Paris
Germans overstretched, 48km away |
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Term
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Definition
French and Joffre start working together
strategic battle!
Sept 5-12 1914: strategic victory
50km gap between 2 German armies
French and British counter attack
First use of colonial troops, North Africa. 6,000 French reservists.
Sept 9: Germans are encircled = retreat
breakdown of Schlieffenplan!
Helmut von Moltke: Chief of Staff Germany has a breakdown
Did not obtain 6 week goal to take France, now 2 front war with Russia.
French airplane sees 2 German armies split!!
Miracle of the Marne!
Most troops were black!
French colony promised independence; promised pensions, gave them ⅓ standard salary |
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Term
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Definition
Sept 13: 65km German retreat
End of Schlieffenplan
Major role of reconnaissance aircraft
2M men fought; 500,000 casualties
Highest losses for single battle
French General Joffre war hero |
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Term
| General Erich von Falkenhayn |
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Definition
New Chief of German General Staff
stays for two years to try to save Germany
Sept 14
Starts job, lost battle plan, decides to dig in
Russians are attacking east Prussia early! Dig in |
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Term
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Definition
Germans don't have a plan anymore
September - November 1914: every army trying to outflank the other
series of short vicious battles to sea
North-south railways dictated it
Trenches: channel to Swiss frontier
Germans occupied northern france where steel iron and coal
Germans employing German and Welsh women in factories
Sikhs are fighting, Bengal Lancers
Sept 1914: British call up colonies because need more manpower
beginning of multiculturalism
17 nations fighting in France, 31 by end of war |
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Term
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Definition
Kindermord (70% German soldiers die)
First trenches a jok
Prussians have pointy hats
Everyone thought war would be over by Christmas
German trenches becoming more structured |
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Term
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Definition
Germans sing and decorate trees
British recognize Silent Night and sing with Germans
Hang out and write about it to letters home
Would warn the enemy about attack with dogs!
Germans took regiments to eastern front and were killed
1915 Christmas French opened fire on Germans to ensure no fraternization |
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Term
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Definition
August-December: No victory at all
Stalemate on western front for 4 years
1 M allied casualties, mostly French
Germany 675,000 casualties
Shell + men shortage for Allies changed the world forever (colonial troops)
hiring women, beginning of Feminism
Unprecedented conflict for all states |
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Term
Trench warfare
British, German and French nicknames |
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Definition
LICE!
French threw down weapons saying they didn't want to fight anymore
bombs in long tubes
villages and ruins in trenches
Germans had best helmet, back of neck to ears
Germans called Hun or Fritz
British named Tommy
French name Hairy One
Street signs in trenches
trenchcoats
Guys getting gangrene because feet always wet |
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Term
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Definition
| hairy one, didn't shave to show hardworking |
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Term
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Definition
First Allied Offensive
Trenches and machine guns stopped all
French Generals not ready for this kind of war
March 17, 1915 French called it off
gained 3km^2 for 93,400 casualties
French zig zag trench because harder for Germans to take with a machine gun
Chalk in trenches
Giving medals to keep morale up |
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Term
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Definition
March 10, 1915: BEF attacked in Artois
35min bombardment = Boer War! (same amount of shells fired!)
first use of aerial photography to map German front lines
Royal Flying Corps dominated air
Breakthrough at Neuve-Chapelle but then were are killed at next village
March 13: only 2 km for 11,600 men |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Newspapers report soldiers lacking ammunition
British government falls
David Lloyd George becomes Minister of Munitions: opens up Imperial Munitions Board: invest millions of dollars into Canadian armed forces. |
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Term
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Definition
Minister of Munitions
opens up Imperial Munitions Board: invest millions of dollars into Canadian armed forces.
Eventually becomes Prime Minister of England December 1916 |
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Term
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Definition
Gas filled balloons that go up and down to help survey landscape, scout on balloon tells artillery where to shoot
#1 British Observation Plane: RAF B.E.2c
Only 3 dogfights in air thus far |
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Term
| Brigadier-General Hugh Trenchard |
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Definition
Father of Independent Air Forces
Commanding Officer in RFC in the Field August 1915
his idea that various airplanes can fly and fight separate from troops was his idea
he invented the clock code |
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Term
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Definition
first seen at second battle of Ypres
April 22, 1915, Germans used 6k gas bottles
Chlorine asphyxiated all defenders
created 6km gap in French line
April 24: Germans gassed Canadians
May: British withdrew from Salient
Water-soluble chlorine solution easy
69,000 Allied casualties = ½ ground
gas was tactical weapon
Paschende was hill by Ypres
Sikh troops with turbans under masks were guinea pigs
Germans started putting gas into shells |
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Term
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Definition
May - June 1915
Under leadership of General Petain
500,000 shells (2M in all)
3-4 km gains
140,000 French casualties
Major fail |
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Term
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Definition
Sept 25: first use of British gas; wind was not in favour!
First successful tactical bombing RFC
Sept 28: 50,000 losses for no yeards
Pipers of Loos: one killed, one got Victory Cross
new recruits wasted
Rudyard Kipling was supporter of war till son died in this battle |
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Term
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Definition
Sept-Nov 1915
6km gains
145,000 French casualties
guns were taken from Verdun to add firepower, Germans notice this |
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Term
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Definition
Italians refused to honour 1882 alliance with Germany and Austria Hungary in August 1914
1902 signed secret treaty with France
April 26, 1915, Italy joined Entente because Britain offered land that did not belong to them (Adriatic lands)
Allies wanted new front from south
1915-17 Italians gained 16km
Huge political mistake because Germans had to bail them out |
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Term
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Definition
chief of Italian General Staff
Fired over 200 generals in 2 years
lost 1M italian men |
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Term
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Definition
May 1915: Austria Hungary bombarded Venice
10 months: 5 battles at Isonzo river
Drained AH troops away rom Russia
Italians continously fought and lost at Isonzo river. by 1917, 11 battles, 300,000 dead. |
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Term
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Definition
| The south eastern front in Romania and Bulgaria had a lot of movement and excitement, lots of distance travelled in each battle. |
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Term
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Definition
| When Schlieffenplan was made, it didn't take into account Russia's modernization. Moltke was right because in east Prussia the Russians invaded inside of 6 weeks. While troops are in France, massive invasion in east Prussia. |
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Term
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Definition
800,000 Russians vs 200,000 Germans!!!!
August 23, 1914, Germans fight back
Top German generals all in west, but one retired German general who is still around: Paul von Hindenburg
War often decided by personalities, Russian generals at odds
Germans knew to take out one by one
August 30: Germans beat Russians 4:1 at Tannenburg and take 92,000 POW Russians!! Low Morale
Sept 14, Masurian Lake defeat, Germans beat the 2nd Russian Army! Miracle!
Russians never attack Germany again
Front stable till 1917, Berlin saved
Strategic Battle
German Ludendorf strategically positions troops after intercepting communications |
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Term
| General Paul von Hindenburg |
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Definition
was retired, 67 years old, Commander in Chief East. Match with Ludendorf's understanding in logistics, business, maintaining and moving armies. Ludendorg was Quartermaster General East, master tactician. Responsible for stores and warehouses. Distributes pay of soldiers
Ludendorg and Hindenburg now gods in Germany. |
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Term
| Baron Franz Conrad von Hotzendorf |
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Definition
Chief of Austrian general Staff
based a lot of decisions on trying to impress a girl |
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Term
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Definition
many ethnic groups, not always reliable, young, not well trained.
3 distinct armies: Catholic Whites, Hungarians (won't die for emperor in Vienna), and Pols, Czechs and Serbs. |
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Term
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Definition
August 13, 1914: AH invaded Serbia
Serbia is mountainous so they are driven back by Serbs
Conrad can't even defeat Serbs
Serbians liberate themselves Dec 15
Conrad humilitated
Germans upset with him
Wants glory, so he attacks Russia through Eastern Ukraine |
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Term
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Definition
Conrad Confident after Tennenberg
Greatest defeat in Austrian history
August 29, 1914 AH attacks Russia
Sep 11 major defeat at Lemberg
300,000 casualties, 150km retreat
Many battalions switched sides as they were Serbs!
Russians push AH deep into own country
Conrad loses half a million men in few months
Brusilov of Russia destroys AH
battle lasts till at least march
Okay, Germany is in charge now. |
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Term
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Definition
Russian General
Created Shock and Awe
Kasaks were nomadic tribes he used |
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Term
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Definition
May 1915 German counterattack
western front stable so some germans went east
work together
Germans take all of Galicia in June
They catch Brusilov by surprise and kick Russians out of Poland
Great retreat on entire front in September
Tsar is in charge now, big mistake
1M Russians lost, army still intact
Fall 1915, trench warfare in east.
Germans don't expect any more Russians on Eastern front, big mistake.
Tsar puts Brusilov in charge of Eastern front
Germans got caught off guard while attacking France 1916 |
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Term
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Definition
Best German General of the War
Field Marshal
Tannenburg, Masurian Lakes, Gorlice-Tarnow.
Very good. |
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Term
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Definition
While Germans are busy in west, he attacks in East.
June 4, 1916, assault on Poland, AH
Elite Shock troops penetrate first
lots of guns, 480km assault front
400,000 POWs/AH=1.5 M losses
Oct 10, 1916, 1M Russian casualties and 58,000 deserters = 32km advance.
Beginning of Russian revolution
This is end of 1916 stalemate on Eastern front which now moves south to the Balkans |
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Term
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Definition
Bulgaria linked to orthodox church
Leader: King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria; bisexual; proclaimed tsar but no empire. Bulgaria joined Germany after he visited and they provided young soldier for him. |
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Term
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Definition
Bulgaria wanted Serbia and Macedonia if under German command because Bulgaria wanted revenge on Serbia
Wants the land they lost in Balkan Wars
October 1915: Germans, AH troops and Bulgarians led by Mackensen
AH/B smash Serbia and invade Albania and Montenegro
Nov 1915: Serbian army shipped to Corfu Greece which creates instability in Greece
Bulgaria never declared war!
First armoured car in Serbia
Serbian army save by British
After Serbian defeat, 600,000 Serbs killed. Bulgarians and AH hang women on posts for ethnic revenge. AH catholics, Serbs orthodox, much hate. |
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Term
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Definition
| Leader of Serbia is Crown Prince Alexander I of Serbia; great military leader, future king of Yugoslavia, resisted Austrians twice. |
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Term
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Definition
Allies bring Greece into war by landing Serb troops on Corfu, this splits Germany. Constantine with Germans, Parliament goes with allies.
October 1915: Anglo-French landings
150,000 dropped at base of Greek mountains to enter Bulgaria in Salonika (for nothing)
May 1916: Macedonia invaded by Germany/Bulgaria
August: revolution in Greece / 2 parts
Anglo-French-Greek-Serbian-Italian-Russian army fought in Macedonia
The allies are obsessed with the soft underbelly of Europe (first italy, then greece)
Nothing special about the Greek army
Troops take Tabarin? For Malaria
Weather changes as they go up the mountains
Lester B. Pearson (Canadian future prime minister) Medical Corps Salonika 1916 went to visit
Shipped an entire army onto a neutral country’s island.?? |
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Term
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Definition
| Greek Prime Minister, Educated in Germany, Married to Kaiser's Sister |
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Term
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Definition
King Ferdinand I of Romania; Branch of Hohenzollern royal family; Had 2 brothers serving in the German Army
He joined the allies!
They don’t like the Russians, but it’s strategic for them
Fear of Brusilov successes + AH lands
Not in Balkan wars
August 1916: Romania at war with AH (doesn’t declare war on Germany)
Germans are the best; Kaiser is mad so he orders for the destruction of Romania
Falkenhayn (German general on Western front) + Mackensen : 2 armies of AH, Germans, Bulgarians and Turks
Nov: Bucharest captured (Moldavia)
Germans are civilized in WWI
610,000 Romanian casualties = 87% of German army
December: armistice, no annexation
Romania is out
Germany seized oil, grain and wood
Turner Valley 1916: Ploesti : huge fuel tank
The British sent a commando team to destroy 800,000 tons of oil and petrol (maybe do paper on this) |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
Turks want to use war to regain former glory
1912-13: 4 centuries of rule collapsed
November 1914: Sultan declared jihad (technically every single Muslim even in west, they are supposed to kill infidels)
Dreams of imperial glory with Berlin
600,000 troops of unknown quality
British landed at Basra to protect oil
February 1915: attack on Suez Canal (vital interest in British Empire because it is the road to India)
UK can’t let Istanbul rule Middle East
Why do Turks join the Germans? It’s all about ships
Ottoman soldier fights at home
They have some modern equipment
They are fighting at home so they fight well
Germans get them with 2 candies: 2 ships.
Ottoman Navy gets 2 German ships with German crew to fight in the Mediterranean
Beginning of war, British were going to sell ships to Turks, but decided to keep the Dreadnoughts even though Turks payed for them. Turks were insulted.
Allies needed ships to come through the Dardanelles and through marmara sea and Black sea to get supplies to Russians
Turks want territory that belongs to British
Winston S. Churchill; First Lord of the Admirality (Minister of Navy) 1911-1915. Backfired because Churchill was the one who didn’t give ships to the Turks. |
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Term
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Definition
August 1914: Berlin-Istanbul alliance
Churchill confiscated two Ottoman battleships under construction in UK
September: Daranelles closed to all
November: British shelled Gallipoli
January 1915: Russia asked for attack
Feb-March: 3 Allied naval failures! |
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Term
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Definition
April 1915: Allied landings: 3 beaches
16 Allied against 15 Turkish divisions
Successive defensive = fight home soil
Mountain trench warfare = diseases
January 1916: withdrawal in shame
Churchill loses career due to futile campaign
44,000 Allied dead, 87,000 Turks
66% casualty rate: 261,000 wounded
Gallipoli is the symbol of not knowing what you are doing
Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal Ataturk; contains the allied attack (became the first Prime Minister of Turkey) |
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Term
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Definition
Very strategic, Germans were winning on the eastern front, now they advanced on the western front
Falkenhein attempts to unlock the western front at Verdun
Verdun can be attacked at 3 different spots
December 1915: Germany victorious on Eastern/Balkan fronts = go West!
Falkenhayn: bleed France into peace
Selected a target of high symbolism
Luis the 14th (sun king), invasion of the Reine, lots of French stayed at Verdun to attack Russians, lots of history in this city
Feb 21 1916: assault on Verdun
French unprepared despite warnings
New German tactics and weapons
Feb 26: Germans only 5km from city
River runs through verdun, 30 forts surrounding it
Many of the forts are empty because the west took guns from Verdun and never replaced them
Germans fight through 5 trenches and take fort de douaumont |
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Term
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Definition
Fortified region of Verdun: 270 guns
22 French forts emptied their guns
Germans had 1,400 guns of all types
160 German observation aircraft to scout
2.5 M shells fell on 20km x 4km area
10 German divisions against 5 French
Troops led by Crown Prince Wilhelm
Super prestigious offensive because the son of the Kaiser Prince Wilhelm (rare royal with brains) is leading the charge, no idea that Falkenhayn wants to bleed the French army so he takes Verdun quickly but not what Falkenhayn wants. |
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Term
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Definition
17-cm gun, 30 metre recoil
42 cm, big bertha, takes away half a wall in one shot
French did not espionage, way too overconfident
Counterproductive: destroyed the landscape in front of them made it difficult for artillery
French think that the Dutch are helping the Kaiser
May-June 1916: Phosgene Gas (lethal tear gas); Killed rats and flies, bad on horses and masks; delivered by artillery shells
Best helmet ever: Stahlhelm M1916 (steel helmet, protects your head). Holes in helmet WWI, no holes WWII
Shock Troops “Stormtroopers,” have lots of grenades, trained hand to hand axing enemies in trenches, medieval mace, they are super trained, brilliant strategy
Germans introduce Flame Throwers (firefighters; spent their lives destroying fires now making it)
Suicide dogs with bombs strapped to them
New Blue French Uniform, good rifle, bad helmet; Adrian Helmet
Colonial Troops: senegalese soldiers fiercest and most feared in West, Germany accused France of war crimes for using Africans in a “white man’s war” !! (treated like second class soldiers)
French General Philippe Petain: this guy had success at Vimy; specialist in defense; started job in whorehouse in undies.
La Voie Sacree, the sacred road. Petain wanted to build good roads for only cars and trucks. Petain drives a car on the battlefield |
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Term
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Definition
Feb 25: General Petain came in
Best defensive warfare specialist
Opened up sole road to supply troops
1914: 200 vehicles Verdun: 3,500
Daily: 1,500 tons of munitions, 6,400 tons of food and 13,000 new soldiers
Day and night traffic, no horses ever
Feb 28: German offensive slowed
Petain makes reputation that lasts till 1945, household name, international hero
8,000 vehicles per day = one every 14 seconds; speed = 5 to 20 km/h; 18 hour shift (60km)
Meat Grinder: each unit lost 25% of its men on the first day at the front line
Worst battle because there’s no lull, no calm period. Troops arrive and the guys get sniped as they look over trench.
Petain’s Noria System: 3 days in the front trench, 3 days in support trench, 3 days at the rear. 78% of French Army rotated at Verdun
March 2, 1916; Captain Charles de Gaulle
March 6, 1916; Falkenhayn attacked the left bank of the Meuse River to suppress fire; strategic mistake: he doubled the battle area but on high ridges (bad) (making same mistake as Voltke, running out of reserves; strategic mistake)
April 9, 1916; Germans attacked both banks
Petain writes letter to troops, Night of April, furiest assault of Crown Prince were stopped, honour to all, Germans will attack again, lets all work hard to get same result as yesterday, “Courage! We’ll get the bastard!” This slogan became the slogan for the French for WWI |
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Verdun is longest battle in history
February till Christmas!
February-April 1916: 89,000German and 133,000 French casualties
May: 50,000 casualties on both sides
Petain promoted to higher command, and moved him elsewhere because he’s a specialist in defense
French counter-offensive: big failure
June: last fort, Fort Vaux fell, pigeon was hero
New young buck General: General Robert Nivelle; Artillery Expert; Disciple of the Great Offensive; called the butcher by his own men because he doesn’t care about how many people he kills |
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Artillery Expert, new General, nicknamed the butcher by own men
Germany under pressure: 1 reserve
British/French attacks on the Somme
Help AH against Brusilov Offensive
July: last German offensive (on forts)
Fleury: changed hands 15 times in 3 weeks
New French General: novel but costly
August 29, 1916: Falkenhayn sacked in Berlin, he was sent to Romania; afterwards, sent to Turkey, became German commander in Turkey. Falkenhayn replaced by Ludendorf and Hindenberg. Germany August 1916 is military dictatorship. Ludendorf and Hindenberg become dictators and take over entire country.
Strategic decision: no more attack on the western front, switch strategy, attempt to use submarines. They CANNOT KILL FRANCE |
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Falkenhayn replaced by Hindenberg
Sept 6: Germans on defensive
Oct 24: French offensive (airpower)
20-27 Oct: French fired 855,000 shells
Impressed MP Andre Maginot (1940)
French tactic: riflemen, grenadiers, and light machine-gunners as a group
Vaux fort pigeon got a medal
War Monument at Vaux Fort dedicated to pigeons who fought in war |
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Dec 15: back to original lines!
Cost: 428,000 German casualties for 535,000 French dead and wounded
300,000 deaths (130,000 unknown)
10 months = 40 million shells fired
Villages around Verdun never rebuilt
Longest battle of the war and humanity
December 1916: Nivelle becomes C-in-C of French Army
4 months later French army mutiny
French are PTSD and don’t rebuild village |
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First use of military aircraft solely for observation, photography and spotting
Airpower varied per battle and fronts
Verdun: the idea of air superiority over the battlefield was first tested
Germany had 168 aircrafts, 12 balloons (static), 4 airships (blimp, dirigible, pushes ship forward), a 3:1 advantage over France
Verdun changes everything because of massive effort to take control of the skies over the battlefield. Anti-aircraft guns and spotlights. |
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Starting to put guns on the planes in the air
Germans would drop bombs by hand from the planes, propellors on back of bomb, contact fuse on end
Before this they were mostly reconnaissance
German airplane: Aviatik B.1 (First Air Victim Ever!)
Beginning of war: 3-4 airplanes per army, this is a joke
October 5 1914: first air victory
French mounted machine gun on VOISIN Type III, First air victory
For one air victory, they received the Knight of the Legion of Honour (24years) while a bunch of guys were fighting in the rat filled trenches
Germans then improve their planes; better markings on planes, better defensive equipment, bombs, guns
May 1915: French squadrons bombed German factories
French are the ones pushing aviation because they are occupied by the Germans
First time we see bombing of enemy industrial centre
Father of the fighter planes: Wing Commander Charles de Rose
He fights superiors and high command to get them to build fighter planes. They were called scouts at the beginning. |
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Individual initiatives, nothing formal
Oct 1914-April 1915: three aerial “kills”
March 1 1915: de Rose created M.S 12 the world’s first fighter squadron
April: French pilot shot three enemy aircraft in 15 days = straight firing system
Birth of the “Ace” = 5 aerial victories
Ladies like that, groupies start
April 1 1915; Sergeant Jean Navarre (19 years), 1st aerial victory for M.S 12 (3rd of war). Very short life expectancy.
Have scarf to make tourniquet if you get hit
Pilot Officer Roland Garros (26 years), Aviation Pioneer. Known for tennis!
Puts machine gun on engine
One wing = speed and less drag; 2 wings = more lift, easier to take off and land, turn faster; perfect dogfighter is 3 winged plane, but you have drag.
Roland Garros Painted plane blue red and white to intimidate the Germans Morane-Saulnier Type N
Efficient, 3 planes 15 days,
British target symbol, red dot inside blue outside. Germans have crosses.
Captain Lanoe Hawker July 1915, he shot down 3 aircraft in one mission!
One mission equals victory cross, 24 years old, highest medal for bravery in British army
German Kaiser decided that German Ace = 8 Victories
Roland Garros had 4 kills and then shot his own propellor due to the stupid system
Anthony Fokker, 25 years, “Flying Dutchman”, he will produce best German planes of WWI. He creates mechanical synchronized firing because it jams the bullet when propeller is in front of machine gun
Fokker builds his own plan and flies with a cat? One machine gun, one FOKKER Eindecker and Germans have air superiority
Fokker scourge because they shoot down every plane in the air for the next 3 months?
German Lieutenant Max Immelmann (24years) invents maneuver: The Immelmann Turn
Immelman is called “The Eagle of Lille” Receives highest honour “The Blue Max”
“Fokker Scourge” October 1915 - April 1916
Verdun becomes beginning of real air warfare and changes everything
Creates manual for dog fighting, 8 or 10 rules, these rules were taught to every German pilot, and teaches Red Baron: Oswald Boelcke, 24 years, Father of air combat, July 1915 to October 1916 (40 kills)
Rule: always check 6, you never know if enemy behind you
Rule 2: always attack from behind at an altitude
Rule 3: sun in your back
Rule 4: always have a wingman to watch rear
Birth of real air combat, with 40, 50 airplanes all fighting
British were able to unjam gun, Germans were not
Jean Navarre February 1916, First fighter pilot mentioned in dispatches (double kills)
Like Roland Garros, he paints French flag on his plane
Helps end scourge NIEUPORT 11 Bebe. Ends domination of Fokker Eindecker.
Painted his wheels
“The Sentinel of Verdun” April 1916, 1st quadruple victories in one flight, ace of aces with 12 kills
He becomes a star
April 1916: French used a Fighter Wing (15 fighter squadrons together). French are pioneers in aviation. They would go with 100, 120 planes and go wipe out everything.
“Stork” Squadron: personalized emblems of squadrons.
George Guynemer (20 years), 25 kills.
NIEUPORT 17 is now the best airplane, belongs to French. This made most canadian and British aces because they would buy from French.
Charles Nungesser (23 years) 21 kills (Verdun + Somme); had black heart with coffin and skull
Escadrille de Lafayette: they were Americans that wanted to fight with French. Flyboys is movie about it. In Lafayette squadron, black guy fought in foreign legion where they were almost guaranteed to die, if they don’t they get their citizenship back. He becomes world’s first black fighter pilot, Eugene Jacques Bullard. Flew combat missions with his monkey. Lots of dogs would fly with the pilot. Experienced lots of racism even though he changed the world.
Rockets were mounted on planes, Yves Le Prieur.
September 10, 1916, established tradition that to be pilot you need to take a course and get your wings (clip on clothes). Every girl wants guy with the wings |
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Birth of aerial combat and tactics
Formation flying, aerobatics, spirit
Mission-specific aircraft/formations
Squadrons and wing organization
Concept of air superiority put to test
Cult of the air ace, a knight of the air
Verdun is turning point of aviation
Engine turns with the prop which gives torque, thus British could attack quickly on left, but not right, so red baron would attack from left. |
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British answer to Verdun
Verdun has been pounded by the Germans
Allies attempt to advance because of the lack of resources that the Germans had
Commander at beginning of war, Sir John French is replaced by Hag! Hag is a bad guy because he wrote letters against his boss (French) with private letters to the kings
December 1915 Hag takes over BEF.
The ground is hard due to all the chalk |
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1916: Isonzo/Brusilov had no impact
BEF must relieve pressure on Verdun
Assist Allies: keep the Germans busy
Concept of attrition: wear the Germans down
To do this he must punch the line hard: full-frontal attack to pierce the front
Fully aware that New Army not ready (he knows they’re new)
We are attacking Germans in the most advantageously defensive place due to chalk
Men get ready in trenches
Try to penetrate area with forest and river |
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5 day bombardment with 1.5M shells
10 mines blown up, 2 with 100,000 lbs of TNT
Biggest explosion before Hiroshima
Too many duds + barbed wire intact
Every year 50 Frenchmen die from WWI explosives
Untrained “Pals” battalions (70lbs)
July 1: 20,000 dead in one day with 60,000 casualties (3 waves sent)
Worst day in British military history
Haig was severely blamed for this
5 days useless artillery
The guy blew one of the mines too early, Germans realized there was an attack happening
What happened to the guy that blew them early!!??!?!
Weeks of work wasted
Sent about 100,00 men that day. 60,000 casualties, 20,000 dead. |
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German morale held + high ground
Slow infantry walked behind barrage
Barrage is curtain of shells, and soldiers walk behind it, till they get to Germans as they are ducking for cover
Ineffectual artillery = many bunkers
Chalk: deep dugouts, redoubts (kind of bunker, made of chalk and wood, survival hut) (9 m)
3 German defense lines + gun teams. Had mobile machine guns.
Somme: strongest and most perfectly defended position in the world (WSC)
Churchill will heavily criticize Haig |
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Inadequate artillery support, no gaps
French broke German lines + POWs
French had already been in battles so they were more experienced
Small, stormtrooper squads.
Haig did not have any reserves to exploit these breaches, Haig did not supply resources to the French.
July 14: novel night assault = success. He broke part of the German line with British troops
July 22: new daylight attack failed miserably
August: rain = now an attrition battle. Haig’s reputation is on line, does stupid things.
205,000 French knew how to fight and knew how to attack the Germans, did not do stupid full frontal assaults. French were advancing further than anyone else
ANZAC Corps that were wasted in Turkey came and were used again. 6weeks of death here = amount people dead 8 months at Gallipoli.
The Madonna that didn’t fall, British said “As long as she’s hanging, we’re gonna win the war.” Haig sent soldiers with wire to make sure it didn’t fall. The Golden Madonna of Albert. This church is tallest building in area.
Strong Critics of Haig: Lloyd George (was Prime Minister), and Winston Churchill.
George V is protecting Haig. It’s about noble blood. Haig is interesting: raised in France, perfectly French, as a commander he is great, when he speaks French, he is nice and polite, his English is dirty and no manners, when he speaks French he is another guy. Nobody likes him in British Army, but he is best when he goes to visit French.
Haig is going to try again. Churchill served 57 patrols in no man’s land at 40 years old, he’s drunk half the time, crossed the wire at night. 68 at battle of Britain, walking around with bombs. Hit by car 1932, taxi, he survived that too. British officer has whip for horse, symbol for officer. Churchill loved French helmet and wore that. Fluent in French
(Germans have Aryan(?) Cross)
Hindenburg and Ludendorf: dictators and leaders of German army. They are stunned by the Allied firepower. Suddenly Hindenburg realizes that they must change. He realizes if French and English attack, they don’t stand a chance. The fear the barrage.
September 15, 1916, Haig delivers first tank attack for the navy: land ships. 2nd Canadian Division, troops from Newfoundland, Quebec, are first troops that accompanied first tank attack.
Top speed 4km/hr. It advances over barbed wire well. Go over bunkers, penetrate sandbag walls. It’s pretty good. 9 tanks break the line.
Watch BIRDSONG movie!! Best WWI battle scene ever. |
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| Combat planes over Somme. British are conservative and are always late, very traditional who like horses etc. |
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RFC: mainly artillery + observation
Feb: Hawker led 1st fighter squadron: he was the guy who had the machine gun shooting below the prop and got 4 kills in one mission
Hawker is good, he tells men he’s British and good, and they cross the German lines. In the beginning everybody was behind their line, but British started bringing war to the Germans. Germans laugh and stay in Germany. Red Baron never crossed line.
Aggressive mood: attack everything!
Masters of the air with French planes
Ground strafing slowly appearing
September: tide turned against RFC
Best planes keep changing as better planes are made by different forces.
French had air force of 30,000. Incredible!
Gun bus, new plane with propellor a the back. AIRCO D.H. 2. It’s good against the Fokker Eindecker, can push himself up faster.
British Red Dot, red bar at back.
Best British pilot Second Lieutenant Albert Ball (19 years), 30 kills, DSO (2 bars)
Why is he important for Canadians? He trained Billet Bishop, and were going to go together on last mission but Ball was shot the day before. He had a red nose, Germans knew red nosed British was dangerous.
October - November 1916: Is anything won? 8 km. 250,000-300,000 casualties. Haig should have been fired. But king is still protecting him. |
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Beaumont Hamel: 91% Newfies gone (casualties)
Germans were crying as they were shooting them because of how easy it was
Pozieres: NZ lost 1% of its population
23,000 Allied casualties: single ridge
Courcelette: tanks + Canada (24,000 casualties)
Thiepval Ridge: 12,000 casualties
French pushed further with less dead
624,000 Allied/538,000 Germans
75,000 British dead = no known grave
British lost two men per each cm!!
2nd Lieutenant John Ronald Reuel Tolien (trench feet). He wrote about WWI Lord of the Rings!
October 7, 1916 Lance Corporal Adolf Hitler (leg wound)
Hitler was wounded twice and gassed
1916 Verdun + Somme, 2.1 M Casualties (1.2 M Allies)
Every nation is going to its death thinking victory is soon |
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| dreadnought was supposed to win war! |
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1914: UK most powerful navy of all; 3 to 1 ratio
Policing colonies and trade routes, defending coastlines and blockading
Scapa Flow: Royal Navy’s home port, inpenetrable, northeast scotland
Germany: smaller navy with better shells, propellant; outnumbered 2:1
Dreadnoughts: 24 British/13 German
Scapa flow is well protected, Germans are somewhat trapped as they build ships
Why did Kaiser even build fleet?
British Royal Navy Flag Is White Enson
British Grand Fleet protects Britain as they are the biggest ships
British Commander of Fleet: (boss is Winston Churchill), Churchill “declared this guy was only one able to lose war in one afternoon,” Admiral John Jellicoe. His only job is to destroy the German fleet in the bottleneck.
German fleet wants to give battle but Kaiser is afraid to lose ships
German High Seas Fleet: blimps? gave eyes to the fleet, meant to go out to Atlantic.
Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz: Secretary of State of the Imperial Naval Office: Father of German Navy, Dreadnoughts. German navy is based at Wilhemshaven.
North Sea is the sea between Germany and Britain |
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August 1914: 10th Cruiser Squadron
Intercepted & examined all overseas traffic between Germany and world
Auxiliary armed cruiser/ex-steamer
32km between ships; 24-km view
Men from Royal Naval Reserve
Eventually the 100,000 Germans are starving, makes a big difference
Officer + 5 armed guards board ship |
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Fast, gun at front and gun at back. Antenna for wireless telegraphy?
Cruiser warfare (Raiders) would have been effective but Germans were not ready. Some of the German cruisers were still out and about.
One famous German cruiser was out in Indian Ocean, it sunk 24ships/3 months (SMS EMDEN). These are faster than Dreadnoughts. This is the power of one ship, what if they had 12 out? It was tracked by 60 allied war ships. Commander was too nice and allowed English to get ready which allowed them to send out a signal of where they were.
First Naval Battle of World War I: Battle of the Coronel (German Fleet in China). Showed up on side of South America, Vice-Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee, East Asiatic Squadron, crossed Pacific. |
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November 1, 1914: Spee ready in Chile
2 British cruisers sunk = 1,570 dead
UK worst naval defeat in 100+ years
Spee lost 3 men, all in less than 2 hours, for 1,500 British dead!
Huge British uproar and humiliation
December 8, German squadron sunk at the Battle of the Falkland Islands, why did the Germans stay there for 1 month? Get drunk? This ends the German navy outside of North Sea. Most decisive victory won at sea
The First Engagement (Aug 28, 1914) the Germans only come out as a teaser and shell in the channel some British cities, so British come out and engage, British win, 4 German vessels sunk. British bait them and engage at channel, more ships come down from north to help british. British keep their battle cruisers at Scapa Flow.
Dreadnought: heavily armored 14 inch
Battle Cruiser 12 inch
Cruiser:
Auxiliary Commander
Frigate
Leader of the Battle Cruisers, Vice-Admiral David Beatty, engages Germans like a real fleet. Churchill loved him. Germans are wusses as navy.
January 1915: New code-breakers: higher young mathematicians and put them in Room 40 to find codes. Jellicoe runs navy, is he going to win battle because geeks tell him so? At first he refuses to believe these guys. Code breakers tell Jellicoe that Germans are coming out, this happens but Jellicoe isn’t ready. Beatty engaged them at Dogger Bank but it was too late. 1 German cruiser sunk. The next time the geeks called Jellicoe, he was ready. Thus begins only dreadnought battle of WWI.
The Battle of Jutland is when the geeks told Jellicoe that the Germans were coming, Germans got Beatty’s bait, not expecting real fleet to come from North. |
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1914-16: Royal Navy waited North Sea
UK: 1st strategic use of code-breakers
May 31/June 1 1916: 250 ships fought
Largest naval battle of WWI, 1st & last dreadnought battle and last fleet battle
14 British ships lost/11 German ones.
Germans won this, but British won because Germans never came out again.
6,784 British dead/3,039 Germans
Spent billions of dollars on dreadnought, for what? Fleet never played a role in winning the war.
Germans were smart enough to close hatches
Jellicoe was blamed because he didn’t sink the whole fleet
Churchill would have sacked Jellicoe because he didn’t finish the job
Boy Seaman First Class John “Jack” Cornwell, Victory Cross, 16 years old.
The Italians invent the Torpedo Boat (Italian Torpedo Armed Motorboat [M.A.S.]) these boats are small and can sink and entire dreadnought. Real weapon that almost won the war for the Germans, submarine warfare, cheap torpedos could sink ship of 600 ppl |
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German U-Boat
1914: Germany had 30 U-boats = 5th
20% lost in 4 weeks with no sinking
Sept 5: first UK cruiser sunk
First live torpedo success in wartime
Sept 22: 3 cruisers sunk by SM U-9
75 minutes: 1,460 British sailors dead
High speeds, zigzag courses, escorts
No answers for torpedos at the start, no way to defend
German submarines SM U-9 has a smoke chimney because they use coal, carries only 6 torpedos. Yet it sank 4 British ships.
Crew: 25-40 men
In October 20, 1914 they start to sink merchant ships,
First submarine ace: Captain Lieutenant Otto von Weddigen, 4 ships and 4 warships, no one was able to do this but him.
Turpitz tells Kaiser to start sinking without warning |
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February 1915: any ship found around the British Isles = sunk w/o warning
Unrestricted submarine warfare = on
May 7 1915: RMS Lusitania sunk
1,201 dead civilians (126 Americans)
August: more ships sunk than built
Sept: 1st unrestricted campaign ended.
Unrestricted submarine warfare works very well, but Kaiser chickened out.
RMS Lusitania, sister of titanic. |
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Fall 1915: Uboats in Mediterranean
Allies must stop using the Suez Canal
March 1916: return to UK with limits
Tirpitz wanted no rules: he resigned!
April: 3 week unrestricted war on UK
US pressure forced Kaiser to halt it
May-Sept: back in Mediterranean
Oct 1916-Feb 1917: assault on the UK
Germans could have won the war, but Kaiser was gentlemen and it lost him the war, lacking confidence maybe.
September 1915 - Feb 1917 except for three weeks there is restricted warfare
Convoy System, with destroyer escorts and sometimes cruisers
1916, depth charges. They are not efficient in 1916 because they don’t always work.
New invention is seaplanes because they can see submarines submerged. Maritime Patrols are used to try to spot submarines. |
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