Joe Brennan VI/SO

Modern History World War One WAR ON WESTERN FRONT: 1. REASONS

FOR

STALEMATE:

[pre-war expectationsSchlieffen PlanBattle of the MarneRace to the Sea] - expectations of war led to complex mobilisation plans and war by timetable, which left little room for flexibility. - Schlieffen Plan [rapid encirclement of Paris before French could mobilise] was in violation of Treaty of London (aka scrap of paper), and failed due to the alterations of von Moltke. - this led to the Battle of the Marne (Sept. 1914), when Joffre saved the French from defeat, and the Germans were forced back to the River Aisne, and dug trenches. - attempts to outflank eachother as part of the Race to the Sea failed and simply lengthened the front. 2. NATURE TRENCH WARFARE:

OF

[physical + psychological] - physical: artillery bombardment, enemy raids (box barrages), gas (mustard/chlorine), mud/drowning, disease (e.g. trench foot), lice, rats, and frostbite. - psychological: shell shock both Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen were committed to the Craig-Lockhart Sanatorium. 3. ATTEMPTS BREAK STALEMATE:

TO

THE

[technologythree battlesnew strategyfighting elsewherenaval warfarewartime diplomacy] - introduction and wider use of new technology: artillery bombardment, tanks, airplanes, gas. - application of these in 3 main battles: Verdun (more than 900,000 casualties, Germans tried to bleed French Army dry) , the Somme, and Passchendaele (Over 4.5 million shells were fired). - new strategy = bite and hold - fighting elsewhere: Gallipolli, Eastern Front, Middle East. - naval warfare: British naval blockade vs. Germanys unrestricted submarine warfare (Scarborough in 1915/17)

- wartime diplomacy: Italy and Romania brought into war by Allies; Pope proposes Peace Plan in 1917.

4. SOLDIERS CHANGING ATTITUDES: - Britain: no need for conscription + pals battalions 1916 disillusionment/war-weariness. - Germany: Germany already had a standing army of conscripts naval mutiny at Kiel, 1918. HOME FRONTS OF BRITAIN/GERMANY: 1. IMPACT
OF

TOTAL WAR:

Germany: - 50 food riots during 1916; class-specific rationing areas results of naval blockade. - production of ersatz goods, raw materials companies established. - the cost of living rose by 81% for the skilled labourer Britain: - 1914: Defence of the Realm Act, effectively instating martial law. - need for union-wide cooperation, i.e. for munitions. - income tax rose by 150 % by 1918 - 1918: first official rationing as policy. 2. GOVERNMENT CONTROLS BRITAIN:

IN

- January 1916: conscription introduced = 16,000 registered conchies. - British propaganda film The Battle of the Somme [1916]; 20 million viewers after just 6 weeks. - Propaganda built around incidents of German cruelty as in execution of Nurse Edith Carvell, and sinking of Lusitania both 1915. - Press Bureau [est. 1914]; London was serviced by 16 newspapers; editors submitting articles for Government vetting. 3. GOVERNMENT CONTROLS GERMANY:

IN

- attempts for peace were censored, including Papal Peace Note. - German propaganda featured elite figures; didnt connect with

ordinary worker. 4. CHANGING ATTITUDES GERMANY:

IN

- OF GOVERNMENT: 1914: fourteen German Social Democrat Party members expressed opposition to war, but voted with party July 1917: Peace Resolution put forward in Reichstag,supported by SDP and Catholic Centrists. - OF PEOPLE: dissent censored rise in working class mortality rates open dissent in press strikes dismissal of Ludendorff.

5. CHANGING ATTITUDES IN BRITAIN: - 1914: only Socialist dissent war weariness due to reportage of death effect of total war BUT conchies were always seen as cowards. 6. EXPERIENCE OF WOMEN: - Britain: filled roles of men; changed workforce dynamic; BUT throughout war, biggest employers of women were still domestic services. Not a big employment boost. TURNING POINTS 1. ENTRY OF USA: - why: unrestricted submarine warfare (Lusitania, 124 Americans) 1917: Zimmerman telegram resumption of submarine attacks. - impact: defeated Ludendorffs final advance under Foch (1918) broke Hindenburg Line. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIA: - impact: gave Luderndorff reason to attempt offensive (no longer 2 fronts) could transport materials without conflict. ALTHOUGH, also diverted German troops, as they had to enforcer the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. 3. LUDENDORFFS SPRING OFFENSIVE: - why it failed: ever-growing American forces didnt expect strong counteroffensive artillery couldnt keep up with movement. - AS WELL AS: Ludendorff dealing with blockade and at home, and general German failure re: weaponry (only made 24 tanks during entire war).

ALLIED VICTORY 1. LEADUP TO ARMISTICE: - collapse of Germany because: exhaustion of troops improved Allied generalship (e.g. Monash) lacked secondary plan naval mutiny. [2. REASONS FOR ALLIED VICTORY:] - Schlieffen failure makes it about ATTRITION resources Blockade USA entry Ludendorff defeated. 3. ROLES/GOALS OF LEADERS AT VERSAILLES: - ALL the men: subject to desires of public; all wanted to assign guilt [Clause 231]. - Wilson: idealistic Fourteen Points = didnt represent isolationist American public. - Clemenceau: just won reelection + wanted to crush German war machine 100,000 strong army + no airforce + limited navy. - Lloyd-George: saw Germany as Europes economic superpower needed it back on its feet as soon as possible.

APPROACHING PERSPECTIVE/RELIABILITY/USEFULNESS QUESTIONS: 1. PERSPECTIVE: - Who wrote it? - When? Do they have the benefit of hindsight? - Is it from a soldiers perspective? [letters may have benefit of honesty/or may be censored] 2. RELIABILITY: - Is it biased or neutral? - Does it aim to persuade or inform? - Does it use emotive language or statistics? - Photograph: Composed or candid? - Iconography of propaganda. 3. USEFULNESS: - Begin with its shortcomings e.g. Although the Source provides no information regarding - Quote directly from the source and link THAT to your own knowledge. - What else could the source be used for?