World War 1

 

World War 1 is one of the bloodiest and most historical battles to ever be fought. It caused massive loss in Europe, and affected Germany Russia, Austria, and France greatly. Several soldiers died in the war to end all wars.

The first battle that was fought in WW1 was the Battle of Liege in 1914. In this first battle, Germany suddenly attacked the neutral country of Belgium, and now had control of Liege. At first, Britain decided to remain neutral throughout this war, but since Germany attacked the neutral country of Belgium, Britain was worried of a surprise attack from the Germans, so they declared war. The Battle of Tannenberg was fought in August 1914, and resulted in a great defeat for the Russians by the Germans. The French Army and some British reinforcements were able to hold back the German’s advance on Paris in the Battle of Marne in 1914. The Battle of Gallipoli was an attempt to fight and finally destroy the Ottoman Empire. Britain called for reinforcements from Australia and New Zealand to fight the Ottoman Empire, but they were defeated. The Battle of Jutland was fought in 1916, and was the only navy battle in WW1. The Battle of Verdun in 1916 was the bloodiest battle in the war with 700,000 deaths and injuries. The Battles of Jutland and Verdun both had no actual victories. The Battle of Somme consisted of the British and the French fighting the Germans. This battle was fought in 1916 for over 5 months and only changed the war line by 8 miles. Britain’s campaign in Palestine was a success and the British still had control of the area even after WW1. The Third Battle of Ypres was fought in 1917 and was unsuccessful for the allies. The Battle of Caporetto resulted in Austria and Germany destroying the Italian Army in 1917. The final battle in WW1 was the Battle of Amiens where the Allied forces defeated the Germans forcing them to retreat ending the war. The Germans called for peace on November 11, 1918 and this day is celebrated around the world.

There were several new weapons introduced in WW1. The machine gun did not have to be reloaded after every shot and had a high chance to kill. Flamethrowers allowed soldiers to flush out and burn enemies in trenches. Tracer bullets were used so soldiers could see where they were shooting at night. Although most of these weapons were powerful, the deadliest weapons were artillery weapons. In 1915, the British invented the tank. This vehicle was designed to cross trenches and repel enemy fire. The tank was a tremendous offensive engager, and would be important for WW2. Planes were used to scout enemy territory, but once Anthony Fokker found out how to attach a machine gun to the cockpit safely, the war was fought differently using planes. The Germans are remembered for using aircraft such as the zeppelin. These large balloon like planes were used for bombing and recon, but could easily be countered be tracer bullets and planes. Air-ground radio communication was finally introduced, and was very useful for instructing planes where to bomb. Submarines were used several times during this war, but depth charges were invented to destroy them. One of the greatest inventions during this war was poison gas. Poison gas was first invented by the Germans, but was used often on both sides. Later, gas masks were invented to help prevent any deaths from gas. Poison gas caused many deaths and disabilities throughout the war.

After the surrender of the Germans, a peace treaty was created in the palace of Versailles in 1919. The Paris Peace Conference was held to go over the details of a peace treaty, and it lasted 6 months. The “Big Four” were America, France, Italy, and Britain, and they made most of the decisions. As a result of the Paris Peace Conference, the government organization known as The League of Nations was founded on January 10, 1920. This was the first organization whose mission was to stabilize world peace. The League of Nations’ main goals were to prevent another war like WW1, and settle disputes through negotiation. Woodrow Wilson strongly promoted the League of Nations, but the U.S. never joined it leading to the end of this idea in 1946. The Treaty of Versailles brought peace between Britain, France, and Germany. The Articles in this treaty put the blame of the war on Germany; explained requirements needed from Germany, and all out humiliated the Germans. The U.S. was not a part of this treaty, but was a part of another peace treaty with Germany. After the war, Germany was required to have an army below 100,000 men, and could not build an air force with tanks and submarines. Germany had to pay 132 billion marks towards war damage. As a part of these peace agreements, the Ottoman Empire was broken up, and their land was divided between Britain and France. These two were successful in bringing peace and stability to the region until WW2.

World War 1 brought some of the greatest inventions used in battle, some are still used today. This war is remembered for its bloody battles and its several peace treaties. Although it is nicknamed the war to end all wars, World War 2 would soon strike these same countries.