1914 – 2 Rival GroupsTriple Entente
◦Great Britain, France, RussiaTriple Alliance
◦Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
Chain Reaction◦A-H declares war on Serbia◦Russia moves army toward border w/A-H Mobilizes toward Germany in anticipation of declaration of war
Germans view this as declaration of war
◦Aug 1 – Germany declares war on Russia◦Aug 3 – Germany declares war on France◦Aug 4 - GB declares war on Germany
Mid-August 1914, battle lines were drawn
Central Powers◦At first, Germany and A-H◦Later, Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire Hoped to gain land
Allies◦GB, France, Russia, Japan◦Italy Accuses Germany and A-H of unjustly starting war
Joins the allies
The Schlieffen Plan◦Gen. Alfred Graf von Schlieffen◦German army would race west to defeat France
◦Then fight Russia in the east◦Speed vital Quickest route through Belgium Refuse to allow them to pass Germany invades
Schlieffen Plan works at first◦Aug 1914 Germans overran Belgium and moved into France
Sept. 3 – Germans on edge of Paris
Battle of the Marne◦Sept 5◦Allies attack Germans northeast of Paris 2000 taxis used to transport troops from Paris
◦Sept. 9 – Germans order retreat
◦Single-most important event of the war Defeat of Germans left Schlieffen Plan in ruins
Quick victory no longer possible Russians had invaded Germany
2-Front war
Fall 1914◦War turned into long and bloody stalemate
Western Front◦Deadlocked region in Northern France
War in the Trenches◦1915 – Trench Warfare Miles of parallel trenches along Western Front
Offer protection Huge losses for small land gains
◦Miserable life Men slept in mud rats No fresh food Sleep nearly impossible
“No Man’s Land”◦Space between trenches◦Men go “over the top” to cross Met by machine-gun fire Many die
◦Bombed trenches
Feb. 1916 – German attack at Verdun◦300,000 die on both sides
◦Germans advance 4 miles
July 1916 - Battle of the Somme◦20,000 British die in one day
◦500,000 on both sides by November
◦British gain 5 miles
Eastern Front◦German and Russian Border Russians and Serbs vs. Germans, Austro-Hungarians, Turks
◦More mobile than Western Front
Central Powers gain the advantage◦Aug. 1914 – Germans force Russian retreat 30,000 Russians killed
◦Sept 1914 – Russians defeat Austrians Drive deep into Austria
◦Dec 1914 – Austria turns the tide 17-day battle near Limanowa Defeat Russians and drive east
◦Jan. 1915 – push Russians out of Austria