The War to End All Wars

Written and Edited by Pavel (He/Him)

World War 1, also known by the name the Great War, was a devastating conflict between the Allies and the Central Powers. It was initated by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and MAIN.

Militarism → Belief that a government of a country should maintain a strong military capacity and be prepared to use it aggressively.

Alliance → Formal agreement for mutual support between countries for social, political, protective, or economic reasons.

Imperialism → Policy or practice of extending a country’s power, usually through territorial acquisition of foreign nations and military force.

Nationalism → Ideology that emphasizes loyalty, allegiance, and devotion to one’s own nation.

TRENCH WARFARE Trench warfare was a form of combat where opposing armies defended, attacked, and counterattacked from fixed systems of holes dug into the ground. It was needed due to the widespread use of machine guns and increased lethality of artillery. Challenges of Trench Warfare included diseases and illnesses. Rats and lice would spread diseases and Trench Fever plagued soldiers with headaches, fevers, and muscle pain. Trench Foot, a frostbite-like disease, would cause gangrene and rot off the foot, leading to amputation. The Randonmess of Death: you could be put out anytime, anywhere, when on the field.

Schlieffen Plan: A plan to attack via Neutral Belglium and was created a decade before being put to use in 1914. The plan assumed there would be 20 or more divisions then there actually was in the German military and also assumed that there would be no resistance from Belgium or her allies. They believed that the soldiers would all be well trained and seasoned veterans. The timing was critical and it was assumed that all divisions would move in sync with one another to achieve their objectives.

The logistics of it all? The movement of troops, supplies; weapons, food, etc. What they didn’t consider was terrain, man not machine, and speed. Challenges under the plan included the competition for roads (between troops and supplies), 4/5 not being professional soldiers, troops not fit or emotionally prepared for war, blisters and the lack of food, and the need to march 20-25 miles a day. Exhaused troops can not fight. The outcome? Germany did not achieve their objective: Paris, France. Britain and her colonies were brought into war. The soldiers on both sides dug into the ground creating a war of attrition / a stalemate (meaning little to no movement). The trench line was established from the coast to the border of Switzerland, and four years of fighting ensued.