Jack Morgan Mrs.Stall, Mr.Britton, MrJablonka Introduction to Humanities 25 April 2023 Advanced Warfare in WWI World War I still is one of the biggest wars in history. About nine million people died in this tragic war. It lasted just over four years from 1914 to 1918. Part of the reason this war was so big was because of the warfare used. World War I warfare was advanced for its time because of the successful technology, weapons, and strategies used. On July 28th, 1914, Serbia, Germany decided to declare war on Russia.(Campbell 3) “These declarations of war brought Britain and France into war against Germany”(Campbell 3). “On August 30, German troops beat back an invading Russian army at Tannenberg in the Reich's northeastern corner …show more content…
These weapons were very powerful and some of them would put the person using it at risk. Some successful weapons used in World War I were the machine gun and poison gas. There were quick killing “weapons such as the machine gun and the use of poison gas dramatized how technology had permitted new and more deadly ways of killing”(Campbell 4). From the quote it is shown that it was not just the rapidly firing machine gun that killed a lot of people but they also used new things like poison gas to kill the enemy. Similarly, the flamethrower was another effective weapon. Although it could kill many people, it didn’t come without a risk. A flamethrower would “[shoot] a stream of flaming gasoline at an enemy position, the weapon [killing] the defenders in their trenches and dugouts”(Bosco 2). This shows how it killed many people when they were in a nonmobile position. After all, the weapons used in World War I were advanced because of the ability they had to kill a lot of people …show more content…
Things like trench warfare worked on the Western Front but did not work on the Eastern Front. Trench warfare was popular on the Eastern front and was used very frequently. It got to a point where they had “an elaborate network of German and Allied trenches stretched from Switzerland through Belgium and northeastern France all the way to the North Sea”(Slavicek 1). From this quote the impact trench warfare had on the Western Front is shown. Although trench warfare succeeded on the Western Front it can’t work everywhere. It didn’t fit in as well in places like the Eastern Front. In fact “trench warfare never took hold on the Eastern Front, where vast open spaces gave armies plenty of room to maneuver…”(Slavicek 1). This shows that trench warfare was not used because of the Eastern Fronts open space and that they had to find different strategies to succeed in war. Finally, the Eastern and Western Fronts' different strategies in war shows warfare was advanced in World War
That is actually a dual example of both ethos (citing 30 years of scholarly works/research) and definition as it defines World War I as the progenitor of modern warfare. Zabecki cites the popular misconception that World War I in comparison to World War II had nothing to do with modern warfare through “[b]oth the popular and the scholarly images of that war paint the picture… without a trace of strategic thought or tactical innovation. Thus, it has become accepted wisdom that World War I has nothing to teach the student of modern war, especially in comparison to World War II, with its fast-moving armored and airborne divisions that are the basic models of military forces today. “ However, he further elaborates by stating that “[t]he battlefield problems prior to 1914 bore very little relation to those of 1918. Those of World War II were essentially the same as those of 1918 - and those of 2014 remain quite similar.” and thus relates World War I to its successor and modern
Furthermore, trenches provided a safe place to shelter while on the defensive, one man with a gun in the trench could kill three men approaching and still be safe from fire as he was mostly hidden behind the trench. Additionally, trenches protected and sheltered the men from enemy fire and artillery. Trenches revamped the way wars were fought around the world for centuries and changed the outcome of many wars in the
Additionally, the Germans regularly cut and intercepted the lines resulting in communication methods being unreliable and constantly interrupted. However, telephones and telegraph communication had an important impact on the Western Front as it allowed the British to have more of a tactical advantage. Additionally, the cutting and interception of the lines by the Germans clearly illustrate the importance of
All of these weapons required a defense system to be protected against, so trench warfare was invented. 5) trench warfare was very common in World War 1. It was used as protection against the all new very powerful weapons. 6) The Us government created support for the war by making propaganda posters. These posters would infuse an emotion and make someone want to fight or help the soldiers in the war.
It is true that war in the trenches were extremely uncomfortable and difficult, but there is debate on whether the trenches was a smart strategy to succeed. Trench warfare emerged because of the state of technology in the second decade of the 20th century. At this time there were rapid advances in military technology. Weapons and artilleries had become more advanced immeasurably more advanced that it was just a few decades before. In 1914, weaponry was made with hydraulic mechanisms for absorbing recoil, as a result the weapons did not have to be repositioned after every shot.
The trenches were a significant change to this battle, not only in early 1914, in the first World War, but for the later wars and battles that would follow. The trench system stretched from the North coast of Belgium to the South of France. It stretched through French towns and even into Switzerland. If the trenches were laid end to end, they would stretch more than twenty five thousand miles.
Introduction World War 1 was the biggest war and definitely the worst. Trench warfare was a big part of the war. Militaries used trenches as a useful strategy on the battlefield. They protected the soldiers, but they had their disadvantages which questioned if trenches was a successful strategy. Trenches and the purpose of them Trenches was a strategy used by military forces during World War 1.
between Britain and Germany over the seas (History.state.gov, 2017). The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne, convinced that Serbia was responsible for the assassination and thus the Austro-Hungarian government declared war on Serbia (Tortora and Marcketti, 2015). Germany declared war on Russia after Russia refused to stop mobilizing in defence of Serbia and then declared war on France, and consequently Britain had to enter the war as it was an ally of France and Russia (Tortora and Marcketti, 2015). This world war influenced literature and art, it changed cultures and while it brought economic depression to some it brought prosperity to others (Study.com, 2017). Equally, the Elizabethan
Before 1914, society had never seen a war with so many losses; not just in terms of life but economically as well. The war took place from 1914 to 1919, with two main sides, the Allies (France, England, Russia, later Italy and the U.S.) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey). The war officially began when Austria declared war on Serbia, and after that a domino-effect took place. Within a few months most of Europe was tangled up in a struggle for economic and political power. One country however, Germany, was determined to beat everyone and seemed to be in the middle of all the conflicts.
One way of warfare during WWI was chemical warfare. Chemical warfare was first used when gas was just released from large cylinders and carried by the air and wind into enemy lines. This eventually evolved and other gases were loaded into the shells The shells were then blasted into other enemies trenches and forts. People did wear gas masks to try and protect themselves from the gases but soldiers could not fight as hard with a gas mask on their face. Another type of warfare used during World War I was trench warfare.
However, once Russia backed out of the war the fighting was no longer taking place on the Eastern Front. The main focus became the Western Front. Which became very famous for its trench warfare, where they fought there for numerous years. Trench warfare was quite terrible. Each army would dig a long network of trenches in the ground, fortifying the front with barbed wire and sandbags.
World War One was the first war to use lots of technology in warfare. Since many of these technologies were new, they were often used in excess. Trenches could be shelled for many days, which caused trauma for many of those who fought in the war. This is mentioned in All Quiet On The Western Front. One of the best descriptions of this is when Paul is in the trenches which are under attack, “They say the bombardment extends undiminished as far as the artillery lines.
The tank is most definitely the most important item invented during WW1. During trench warfare, both sides were usually locked in place, with limited advancements from either side. If troops dared leave
WW1 is known as the first modern war because it saw the incorporation of mechanical weapons. The Central Powers and Allies both used a variety of weapons such as machine guns, chemical weapons , clothing, biplanes, artillery, tanks, grenades, and rifles. These weapons were state of the art for the early 20th century. These weapons caused casualties to skyrocket as the Allies and the Central Powers were in a stalemate.
“Imagine yourself in the pitch dark, after two or three days of wet, cold, hunger, sleeplessness, staggering down a trench, knee-deep in mud, carrying various burdens that almost equal your own body-weight” (Ellis, 48). This was the everyday life of the typical soldier involved in the World War I trench warfare. During WWI trench warfare was common. It began in September 1914 with the German army digging themselves in for a battle that would last what seemed like a life time for the soldiers involved. Soldiers on either side alike lived in deplorable conditions.