World War I was a stalemate right from the outbreak of the war as a result of trench warfare. With the introduction of this system, a piece of land stretching from the Belgian coast, through France, and ending in Switzerland, became the venue for majority of the conflict. For almost three years, this line shifted by no more than a few hundred yards. All of this changed when the United States joined the war and prompted Germany to make an all-out drive on the Allies so as to end the war before the American Army reached full strength on the battlefield. The American Expeditionary Force allowed the Allies to take the offensive, thereby ending the static state of war that had settled on the Western Front as a result of trench warfare. The system of trench warfare had men facing each other across opposing lines dug into the ground. The purpose of digging trenches was purely a matter of survival. In a war where technology was the worst enemy, trenches were a must. Following the Battle of Somme in 1916 where casualties exceeded one million, the High Command on both sides of the war learned of the desperate need for trenches. The first trenches, as Albert Marrin describes in The Yanks are Coming, were “not mere slits in the ground.” Each trench system was composed of line upon line of trenches. Most trench systems were composed of three trenches. In case of an attack, there was usually another trench to provide defense if the forward trench was taken by the enemy. Smaller communication trenches linked each of the major trench lines (Marrin 80). The most memorable feature of any trench line was actually the land in between. This land was known as no-man’s land. No man's land varied extremely in length. There were extremes at both ends... ... middle of paper ... ... of losing at which point the Americans entered the fray. The final act that broke this deadlock was the defeat of the Germans at Belleau Wood by the Americans. In doing this, they brought a sense of newfound desire and energy on the Allied part. For the Germans, the Americans represented a force to be reckoned with. The American Army brought the “fight” back to the soldiers in the trenches. Captain Lloyd Williams of the Marines was a prime example of this spirit. When asked by the French if he wanted to retreat, he replied: “Retreat? Hell we just got here.” (qtd. Antill, Dougdale-Pointon, and Rickard). As a German soldier noted, “The American . . . had nerve; we must give him credit for that; but he also displayed a savage ruthlessness. 'The Americans kill everybody' was a cry of terror. . . which for a long time stuck in the bones of our men. " (qtd. Bonk 91)
imperialism, alliances and militarism were the biggest cause of World War I. Europe was a powder keg about to explode with all the conflicting interests and competition that had been brewing for years it was only matter of time, and at last one man would be the shot that started it all. The start of World War I was like a domino effect, one thing after another fell until chaos had consumed Europe. The immediate being that led to world war I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand When studying
The Outbreak of World War I On the 1st of August 1914 World War One, also known as the Great War, started. The main countries involved were: Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France and Russia. World War One ended at 11am on 11th November 1918. In 1919, Lloyd George of England, Orlando of Italy, Clemenceau of France and Woodrow Wilson from the US met to discuss how Germany was to be made to pay for the damage World War One had caused. They decided to create the Treaty of Versailles
Alliances were one of the reasons why there was World War I. The alliances started as Triple Entente and Triple Alliance. The Triple Entente involved three countries which were Britain, France and Russia. For Triple Alliance, there were Germany, Austria Hungary and Italy. Then later on the alliances involved more countries and the alliances were called Central powers and Allies. They became alliances secretly during the 19th century. Prussian Chancelor Bismarck formed a new German empire out of multiple
World War I is easily one of the deadliest wars the world has ever seen. Millions of military associates and civilians were left injured, and even more, dead. The war took place within the four years of 1914 to 1918. In 1914, when a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, tensions had triggered in Europ. Austro-Hungary had then invaded Serbia; which then set of the start of a major world conflict. The war ended with an armistice on 11:11 on
The Benefits of World War I Many things have been said about war. Usually people see it as soldiers on a battlefield, men dieing, and battalions marching through ruined cities, bodies littering the streets. This is a warped perception of the reality. War may cause death and destruction, but other things, far more positive things, also happen when war is declared. In WWI it helped boost Canada's industrial production and economic growth, also it allowed women to be emancipated from the
of World War I The Balkan Peninsula has long been known as the “tinderbox of Europe” because it has been an area of conflict and political unrest for centuries. The countries and people that occupy the peninsula are constantly in chaos and at war with each other. This trend continues today with the problems in Bosnia and the recent international crisis in Kosovo. Throughout history, small local incidents in the Balkan Peninsula have escalated into large international crises. World War I is a
By December 1914 the First World War had reached a dilemma on the western front that neither the triple entente nor the triple alliance had expected. The war had reached a stalemate, a state where both sides are so evenly balanced that neither can breakthrough against the enemy. The advances in Technology played a big role in creating the stalemate through strong defensive weaponry such as Machine Guns and Artillery, this caused ‘trench warfare’ (BOOK 48). Trench war is when troops from both sides
Often times the Second World War over shadows the First World War when it comes to discussing a total war because the First World War may be considered a limited war. A limited war has specific goals while a total war involves the entire nation and its destruction. An examination of pre-1914 events and events that occurred from 1914 to1918 reveal the ways in which the First World War was a total war. Prior to the start of the war the dominant nations of Europe were preoccupied with their own dramatic
Understanding the Great War, are directors of the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne, an international museum and research center near the Somme. Audoin-Rouzeau graduated from Jules Verne University of Picardy, and Becker graduated from the University of Paris, X-Nanterre. Both have completed a high volume of research and writings on World War I. Each has also published one book relating to World War I before writing 14-18: Understanding the Great War. World War I is a commonly studied event
By 1917, World War I was the most brutal conflict that had ever been seen on the world stage. It was no longer a war that only involved the European powers, but also countries from all over the world including the United States. During the war, the total number of casualties reached over 37 million and over eight million lives were lost (“WWI Casualty and Death Tables” 1). The extremely high number of casualties was mostly caused by new developments in warfare technology. One of the most well remembered
World War I During W.W.I the Austrian wore the pike gray 1909 pattern tunic and trousers. They have three white stars on the collar which indicate Sergeants rank. Some have leather gaiters worn by mountain troops; others wore the ordinary trousers with the integral gaiter which fastened around the ankle with two buttons. Men and women wore tunics made of khaki serge flannel or cord. Most men, and some women, also wore leather cartridge pouches and a slouched hat. Women were seen wearing long
World War I was a conflict that claimed over 10 million peoples’ lives, ravaged all of Europe and engineered modern warfare, as it is know today. The Great War has been scrutinized and examined through many complex theories in order to understand how such a conflict escalated to one of the most epic wars in history. This essay, like many works before it, looks to examine WWI and determine its causes through two distinct levels of analysis, individual and systemic. The individual level of analysis
World War I was a life-changing moment in African-American history. It impacted all African Americans, no matter gender, class, or origin. Although the it had a larger impact on those who lived in the South. African-American soldiers actually served in the army for the United States way before the Great War. But World War I marked a turning point for colored soldiers, not only on the battlefield but when they returned home as well. It was overall a good thing for them. In the end over six hundred
– Lieutenant Bernard Pitt in a letter to his parents (25th December, 1915) The year is 1914, World War I had begun and new system of warfare has begun to show up on the front. This new type of warfare will forever be known as trench warfare and it will completely change how World War I will be fought.
In August of 1914, a war today known as World War I began. The World War 1 began as a war locally between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. It eventually grew into a war involving thirty-two different countries. The allies involved in World War 1 included Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the United States. These countries fought against Germany, Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria. A question frequently asked by many people is, what really caused World War 1 to happen. There are several different