New Technology. New War. Flashcards
Pre-WWI combat
Reliance on cavalry
Combat takes place (mostly) away from non-military citizens
High mobility (lots of movement) Brightly coloured, regal uniforms
Schlieffen Plan
Avoid war on two fronts
- Quickly take over France by marching through Belgium (neutral) and flanking (attack from side) the French army
- Rely on Russia mobilizing slowly and move troops to East once France is defeated
Schlieffen Plan…Oh no!
Belgium puts up a stronger defense than Germany expected
Invasion of neutral Belgium pulls Britain into war and further slows advance
Russia mobilizes far quicker than Germany expected
Results
Germany needs to split their forces between the East and the West
- This is exactly the opposite of what they hoped: a war on two fronts
On the Western front, both the allies and Germany dig into trenches attempting to hold their positions.
- Results in complex trench systems
New Technology: Trench Warfare
By early 1915, opposing armies on the Western Front had dug miles of parallel trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire.
In this type of warfare, soldiers fought each other from trenches. Armies traded huge losses of human life for pitifully small land gains.
No Man’s Land
The only place worse than being in a trench…
Land between enemy trenches
- Filled with barbed wire, bomb craters, fallen soldiers and more.
- Under constant surveillance by enemy troops
New Technology: Trench Warfare
Soldiers suffered from a fungal infection known as Trench foot
- Caused feet to swell to two to three times their normal size
- Could result in amputation of the feet
Many suffered from “Shell Shock,” known today as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Stalemate
A deadlock in which neither side is able to defeat the other
Trench warfare soon became a war of attrition -
wearing down the enemy by continual losses in people & material
New Technology: Long Range Weapons
Rapid-fire machine guns mowed down waves of soldiers, making it nearly impossible to advance across no man’s land. (the area between enemy trenches)
Artillery allowed troops to attack enemy lines and cities from more than 5 km away.
New Technology: Tanks
Introduced in late 1916 with goal of crossing no man’s land and clearing path for infantry (soldiers)
At first, they were very slow and had mechanical issues
As they improved, they became a crucial part of army tactics
New Technology: U-Boats
First mass scale use of submarines in war
● Sank dozens of British ships, controlled the oceans.
● Attempted to create blockade around Britain
New Technology: Airplanes
Both sides used aircraft for observation, limited bombing, and air battles
● Airplanes were slow, clumsy, and unreliable
● Billy Bishop was a very successful Canadian pilot from WWI
New Technology: Chemical Warfare
Mustard Gas was introduced in WWI and there was initially no protective equipment
● Gas would cause burns to the eyes, throat, and lungs resulting in serious injury or death
● Both sides of the war used gas prolifically throughout WWI
