World War I (1914-1918)

Question 1

What was the Schlieffen Plan?

Answer 1

• Bismarck wanted to maintain peace because Germany was surrounded by powerful nations
• General von Schlieffen, head of the German military, devised a plan to deal with the possibility of a two-front war (his plan heavily depended on time and circumstance)
• Counted on an easy defeat of France (goal was 6 weeks)
• Germany needed to invade France immediately
• Then, they could move to eastern fron to defeat Russia (goal was 11 weeks of mobilization)

Note: going to these countries would take a lot of time, and a lot of unforeseen circumstances could hold them back

• The plan required precise timing
• In the east, Keep Russia at bay
• In the west, invade France through a neutral Belgium and destroy French army as they defended Paris
• Germans underestimated the ability of the Belgian army (Belgium already messed up the timing of the plan, took over two months to defeat them)
• This gave Britain time to mobilize against Germany

Question 2

What were Trenches like? What was Trench foot?

Answer 2

Trenches:

• For almost two years, trench lines move no more than 200 yards (two football fields)
• Between the opposing trenches was an area known as “no man’s land”
• Both sides launched massive head on attacked that resulted in a heavy loss of life
• Dug wherever necessary
• Life in the trenches was one long nightmare and ”going over the top” was the worst of all
• Would climb the top and charge toward enemy trenches

Trench Foot:

• Trench Foot: medical condition caused by long term exposure of the feet to damp, unsanitary, and cold conditions
  Soldiers would get blisters from their boots as their socks would wear down
  If left untreated, would cause gangrene which would require amputation
  Key was to keep your feet dry and warm (easier said than done)

Question 3

What was Shell Shock (Combat Stress Reaction)?

Answer 3

• Shell Shock was a frequent result of the exploding shells (now known as PTSD)
• The trenches were infested with rats and lice
  Even dry trenches were not immune
  A British officer wrote this: There are millions! some are huge fellows, nearly as big as cats. Several of our men were awakened to find a rat snuggling down under the blanket alongside them

Question 4

Poison Gas

Answer 4

• Gas intorduced in WWI
  First used by Germans
• Chlorine has killed by suffocating the lungs
• Mustard gas was far worse
  After a few hours it would cause skin to blister, eyes to bulge out, and body to rot
  Pain was so bad soldiers were strapped to their beds

Question 5

How were Submarines, Airplanes, and Tanks used in WWI?

Answer 5

Submarines:

• WWI marked the first time that submarines were used in warfare
• Primitive (ancient) by today’s standards, they were very effective weapons
• Were able to disrupt shipping af naval operations
  Fired torpedoes that struck the ships then exploded
  German submarines (U-boats) very nearly cut off Britain’s food supply

Airplanes:

• Originally used for reconnaissance (spying on the enemy) to see what was occuring in the trenches
• Later used for bombing and shooting enemy aircraft
• When a pilot has 5 “kills” he was known as an ace
• Billy Bishop was Canada’s most famous ace. He was credited with shooting down 72 enemy planes in WWI

Tanks:

• Tanks would transport soldiers through flat areas accessible by machine guns
• To eliminate tanks, plans begain to drop bombs to destroy them
• Were not very effective
  Many people would simply run away from this “metal terror” as it lumbered across no mans land at a whopping 6 km/h

Question 6

Russia and Germany - The Eastern Front

Answer 6

• Russia mobilized far more quickly than Germany anticipated
• Russians were poorly trained, equipped, and led
• Battle of Tannenburg: Germany had 12 000 casualties and Russia had 80 000
• People in Russia begain to turn against the war
• Russian Revolution of 1917 knocks Russia out of the war
• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: (Lenin and Germany signed) Russia loses 25% of its land/population but is willing to pay the price

Question 7

Why did America join the war?

Answer 7

Sinking of the Lusitania:

• British ship headed Liverpool to New York City
• Sunk by German U-boat torpedo
• 1197/1960 died
• 114 were American
• Sparked American nationalism

Zimmermann Telegram:

• January 16, 1917
• Germany sent a telegram to Mexico
• Asked Mexico to join the war on the side of Germany by attacking America
• Promised to help Mexico get land taken from them in the Mexican-American war
• Britain intercepted the telegram and passed it to Woodrow Wilson (US President during WWI) who declared war on Germany