Theatres of WWI
WWI Map Activity
• Review your map of
Europe on the eve of
WWI.
• Now number the
events of the chain
reaction as the war
became a World
War.
• What immediate
problem does
Germany face?
Problem for Germany??
The Schlieffen Plan
In a European war, Germany would face France in the west and
Russia in the east, and would need to defeat France within six
weeks before Russia mobilized her troops.
Schlieffen Plan Steps
1.
2.
3.
Send troops to the Germany Russian border to keep Russia at bay.
Sweep through Belgium to France and encircle Paris.
Knock out France before Russia enters.
Why take out Paris?
French Capitol & Emotional Connection
Having defeated France, Germany would then be able to
concentrate her efforts on defeating the Russians in the east
rather than having to fight on two fronts at once.
The Schlieffen Plan
Stalemate
Trench Warfare
War of Attrition
1)
Cut off Supply Lines
2)
Kill All Enemies
Last A Long Time
Very Bloody
A Multi-Front War
The Western
Front:
A “War of
Attrition”
The Western Front
Verdun – February, 1916
e German offensive.
e Each side had 500,000 casualties.
The Somme – July, 1916
e 60,000 British soldiers killed in one day.
e Over 1,000,000 killed in 5 months.
The
Eastern
Front
Tannenburg
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Disaster, 1915