Describe military actions on the Western and Eastern fronts.
Germany had shrewdly planned to attack and quickly defeat France in the western front then rushing towards the eastern front to fight Russia. This plan was called the Schlieffen Plan named after the general who came up with the plan, General Alfred Grad von Schlieffen. The Germans thought they would be able to pull this off because the Russians lagged behind the rest of Europe in its railroad system and would thus take longer to supply its front lines. Speed was imperative to the Schlieffen Plan. At first glance, it seemed like the plan was going to succeed, German forces had invaded France and reached the outskirts of Paris. Unfortunately, the Allies regrouped and attacked the Germans northeast of Paris, in the Marne river valley. After four days of fighting the Germans retreated. Russian forces in the east had already begun invading Germany. Realizing that an easy win on France was practically impossible and seeing as the Russian have already caught up to them, the Germans decided to toss the Schlieffen Plan.
The War on the Western front was disastrous. Armies had developed away to protect themselves from enemy fire by digging miles of parallel trenches, setting in motion trench warfare where soldiers fought from trenches. Life in a trench was the epitome of misery. Soldiers lived, ate and slept in mud. Large numbers of people were annihilated in exchange for pitiful amounts of gained territory. On the Eastern front, Germany was a bit luckier. It crushed the invading Russian army and drove it into a full retreat. Russia was unfortunately immature and unprepared for such a modern war. To add to its long list of disadvantages, the Allies found it painstakingly difficult to supply Russia with the tools it needed to stand its ground and much less, gain the upper hand.
Western & Eastern Fronts
in 1914 the war turned into a long and bloody stalemate along the battlefields of France, the West Front. Germany had to develop a quick plan that would enable them to fight there, the Western Front, and east to Russia. they developed the Schlieffen Plan, they would attack and defeat France and rush east to fight Russia. after the Germans had reached the outskirts of France the Allies attacked, leaving the German army with the only option to retreat. this defeat left the Shlieffen Plan in ruins. later on in 1915, along the Western Front trenches were dug all over developing a trench warfare. in 1916 the British lost more than 20,000 soldiers through trench battles.
as stuggle ocurred along the Western Front, the same ocurred along the Eastern Front. this was the area of battlefield along the German and Russian border. here the Russians and Serbs fought against the Germans and Austro-Hungarians. the Russians might have won over the Austrians twice in September 1914, but the situation turned over when the Austria defeated the Russians and pushed them out of Austria-Hungary.
-gabrielaj
The Great War Begins
Russia in response to Austria's declaration of war, began moving its army toward the Russian-Austrian border. Expecting Germany to join Austria, Russia also mobilized along the German border. To Germany, Russia's mobilization amount to a declaration of war. On August 1, the German government declared war on Russia.
Russia looked to its ally France for help. Germany, however, did not even wait for France to react. Two days after declaring war on Russia, Germany also declared war on France. Soon afterward, Great Britain declared war on Germany. Soon much of Europe was now in battle.
-Kenny R. Gomez
Germany during the Great War
Though Germany turned out to be the Central Power most involved in the war, there is little or no evidence that the Germans had planned for war. There are several fundamental causes that had brought the world to the brink of war: nationalism, imperialist competition, militarism, and the build up of pre-war alliances. These growing appearance of these factors perhaps inevitably led to what was called the Great War, World War One.
Germany, with an alliance with Austria, was there when the provoking of the war began between Austria and Serbia. Germany had a variety of reasons for being willing to be involved in this war. One of these reasons was that the assassination of the Austrian archduke was an example of the Hapsburg's loss of control and if Austria were to decline to Germany's offer of alliance, Germany would be completely surrounded by enemies. Germany had been developing plans for invasions into every European country since the time of Bismarck. One of these plans was called the Schlieffen Plan. The plan basically called for quick, encircling movements that would surround and destroy the enemy. The war began on August 3rd when Germany declared war on France, saying that they had infringed upon Germany's territory. Germany invaded France, reaching the outskirts of Paris and provoking the battle of Marne. Germany would ultimately be one of the countries most involved in the war.
- Lily Sanchez
And so… the Great War Begins
By 1914, the 2 rival groups— the Triple Entente or Allies, made up of Great Britain, France, and Russia, and the Triple Alliance, made up of Germany(also known as a Central power), Austria-Hungary(also known as a Central Power), and Italy— all set off by a chain reaction, joined what was, and is still considered today, the greatest and most disastrous war in history. WWI began with what was a declaration of war from Austria-Hungary to Serbia. In support of Serbia, Russia, its ally, moved its army towards the Russian-Austrian border. Germany, Austria-Hungary's ally, declared war on Russia after the Russian's moved towards their land as well. It also declared war on France, as France is a Russian ally. Because of this, Great Britain declared war on Germany as well. All a chain reaction caused by protection. The catastrophic war was characterized by its trench warfare, the Schlieffen Plan, as well fighting on the Western Front, northern France, and the Eastern Front, along the German and Russian border, where the battles took place and where Russia began to collapse.
-Betsy R.
Europe Dives into War
Europe was hit hard when it divided into the Triple Entente, formed by Britain, France, and Russia and the Triple Alliance, Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia completely turned the balance of power that was trying to be maintained by Europe. Russia began invading them since they felt the Slavs were part of them. They also expected Germany to go against them, so they went against Germany as well. This made Germany declare war on Russia. Germany, expecting France to go against them, invaded them at the same time.Great Britain then declared war on Germany. On one side we have the Central Powers which were Germany and Austria-Hungary, while on the other we have the Allies which were France, Great Britain, and Russia. Everybody thought that the war would be short; they wanted their countries to emerge victorious. We first find the Germans using the Schlieffen Plan against France. When this failed, though, they had nothing else in mind, which meant they literally dug tranches to protect themselves. Many people died because of this tactic. Also, the new technology they had acquired, which they thought would make the war end even more faster, did only kill more people during the war.
-Gaby H.(:
Eastern and Western fronts
In early 1915, the central powers and the allies on the western front had dug parralel trenches that stretched for miles to protect themeselves from enemy fire. This type of fighting was known as trench warfare, in this called “trench warfare” soldiers would fight eachother from their trenches. Meanwhile on the Eastern Front the war was a much mobile war, but the number of soldiers dead was basically the same. At the beginning of the war, Russia had launched an attack into Germantg and Austri-Hungary, but at the end of August, Germany conterattacked near the town of Tannenberg.
-Luis Restituyo
The War Starts
Europe seemed exstatic when they plunged into the Great War, expecting it to be a short, less than one year, war. After Austria’s declaration of war, Russia, Serbia’s ally, began moving its army towards the Russian-Austrian border and later to the German border. Because of this, Germany declared war on Russia. Russia in return, turned to France for help. Unfortunately for them, Germany declared war on France as well.
The Central Powers were Germany and Austria-Hungary and they were known for their location in the heart of Europe. Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire joined later on during the war. On the othere side was Great Britain, France, and Russia and were known as the Allies,later to be joined by Japan and even further on, the United States.
Erialbania Lopez
By mid-August 1914, the battle lines were clearly drawn. On one side were Germany and Austria-Hungary. They were known as the central powers because of the location they had in Europe, meaning they had a geopolitical location were they could take advantage of some resources. On the other side were Great Britain, France, and Russia. Together, they were known as the allied powers. Japan later joined this alliance.
Germany was fighting with both fonts, they developed a Schlieffen Plan to fight this, but no country could fight a double front war. They were losing both West and East, the trenches turned into a Disaster and they did not have a chance to win the war.
-Jonathan Vargas
by ely
Western Front
Germany had developed a battle strategy known as Schlieffen Plan, named after its designer, General Alfred von Schlieffen. The plan consisted in quickly defeating France and then go crush Russia. They believed in this system because Russia lacked a railroad system thus would take longerto supply it's front lines. By early September, German forces had reached Paris. However, the Allies regrouped and attacked the Germans in the valley of Marne River.
Their defeat left their plan in ruins. Meanwhile in the east, Russia had already invaded German.
Eastern Front
This area was a stretch of battlefield along the German & Russian Border. This war was more mobile war than that in the west. However there was much slaughter and stalemate. By 1916, Russia's effort was deceasing, beacuse unlike other nations Russia was not industrialized. Supply shipments couldn't get there beacuse the Germans had control over the Baltic Sea and had a submarine campaign in the North Sea and beyond. As the war raged on, fighting spread beyond Europe to Africa, as well as to Southwest and Southeast Asia.
