The Battles (1 Viewer)

[googooloo]

I need to know about the major battles, I know it will be o sources but I need help with understanding the battles, there were too many in too little amount of time to understand them, so help is needed plz!

 

[Jennibeans]

Five major battles:
Verdun - Dec 1916
French willing to sacrifice everything for Verdun due to its historical significance
Germans tried to wipe out French in battle of atrition
500000 French casualities, 400000 German
narrow front
A change in German command allowed French to recapture lost forts and everyone was back where they started
phosgene gas & flame throwers

Somme - July-Nov 1916
Offensive developed by Haig - he wanted breakthrough initially but when this failed he amended his diary to indicate he wanted to relieve Verdun and wear down the Germans
Allies couldn't keep plans secret, Germans found out and took higher ground
Artillery bombardment huge (400000 shells on final day)
1st day of Somme battle was worst in British military history - 60000 casualities, 20000 dead
used linear advance - no training in concealment, men advanced at walking pace
New recruits = inexperienced soliders
Weather a problem - fog etc

3rd Ypres (Passchendaele) - 31st July - 6th Nov 1917
Haig seeks to breakthrough Germans at Ypres salient
Inital attack failed - men just sank in mud
Haig persists against torrential rain - - little success
Only indepedent British attack in WW1
No strategic value
Ended with capture of Passchendaele

German Offensive 1918 (Operation Micheal)
at this point the war could be won by either side
Aimed to breakthrough Allied defences, paralyse forces and compel them to peace
used element of surprise
Ludendorff saw need for breakthrough before the US got involved
Launched massive attacks
Without any aid from French Allied armies either fell or suffered greatly
Germany had overwhelming artillery superiority
Failed due to lack of supplies, difficulty of terrain, problems on German homefront and the arrival of US trouble
New weapons = mustard gas

Allied Counter Offensive July-Nov 1918
Haig's attack ner Amiens 8th August = 1st effective use of tanks = blackest day of German army in war
Continued to push Germans back
Oct - Ludendorff resigns, new government calls for Wilson's 14 points to be implemented
allied advanced + mutinies + threat of communist revolt on home front = armistic 11/11/1918
Allies had superiority in men & firepower

Hope that helped some

 

[super_girl]

OMGSH! i love you Jen! lol. i have my modern history trial HSC in like 2 hours that is brilliant! thanks heaps! xoxo

 

[mzduxx2006]

Whilst that last comment was very useful you forgot to mention other significant battles of WW1. And with 4 in total the NECESSARY ones you need to know of are:

Battle of the Marne :

- 1914
- Sole purpose was to decrease the rapid invasion of the Schlieffen plan [which aimed at capturing PARIS]
- French soliders pushed German soldiers to the river Marne in which the German offenseive was delayed and the Schlieffen plan came to a failure.

Battle of Verdun
- February to Novemeber 1916.
- German offensive aimed at preventing Germany from fighting a war on 2 fronts and avoiding "encirclement" of enemies. Aimed at capturing the province Verdun which was seen symbolically as a prime French source of pride and respectability. Once captured the Germans believed the French Army would crumble.
- Results were that German forces captured Fort Douamont. French forces could not counter offensive because they had limited armaments [sent to the battle of the Marne]. Inevitably all territorial gains made by German were lost.

Battle of Somme
- July to November 1916.
- Allied counteroffensive done so to relieve the pressure of the French at Verdun. Allied leader Haig believed a good "offensive" was needed in order to show the Allied forces authoritorial position over Germans.
- Complete waste of time, plan was a failure. A total of 600000 allied soldiers died with 450 000 germans, during the whole "mincing machine" [where heavy artillery bombardment took place for days on end"]
- Complete lack of strategical thought and purpose on the Allied forces behalf.
- Led to the sacking of German leader Moltke and he was later replaced by Falkenhayan.
- Significantly weakened German army
- First use of Poison Gas.

Battle of Passendaele
- July to November 1917
- Purpose was for Allied forces to invade and break through German U-Boat shelters located in Ostend and Zeebrugge.
- Complete failure. Plan of action was broken into 3 phases. But ultimately the U boat shelters were not under the control of Allied forces.
- Mass amounts of casualities.
- Showcased Allied forces Inefficiency, Haig stepped down as Allies leader.

 

[bored6]

Just to add - a good date to remember is 8th August with Germanys "Black day" due to the Allied counterattack - beginning of Allied momentum - created an 18km gap in German lines and took 12 000 prisioners.