Trenches, weapons and strategies in world war 1

The BEF
The BEF (The British Expeditionary Force) was
formed in response to the German invasion of
Belgium in August 1914. It consisted initially of six
infantry divisions and one cavalry division, drawn
mainly from the professional, regular army.
The BEF was deployed to Belgium in August 1914 in
response to the German invasion. The goal was to
support Belgian and French forces in halting the
German advance through Belgium and into France.
Trenches,
weapons
and
strategy
Trench Warfare
● Both sides dug long trenches that
faced each other. The trenches ran
for miles.
● From time to time, one side would
attempt to cross the “No-Man’s
Land” the area in between the
trenches.
● Trench warfare made WWI extend
from a few months of fighting to
four years of fighting

Strategic Implications
Stalemate and Attrition: Trench warfare
led to a prolonged stalemate, with both
sides unable to achieve decisive
breakthroughs. Battles often resulted in
high casualties for minimal territorial
gains.
Adaptation and Evolution: Over time,
both sides adapted their tactics.
Infiltration tactics, better coordination of
infantry, artillery, and tanks, and the use of
combined arms strategies eventually
helped break the deadlock.
Offensive Tactics: Major offensives
often began with prolonged artillery
bombardments intended to destroy
enemy defenses, followed by infantry
"going over the top" to charge across
No Man's Land.
•Defensive Tactics: Defending trenches
involved repelling enemy assaults with
machine guns, rifles, and grenades,
often resulting in high casualties for the
attackers.
Chemical Weapons
The trench warfare of the Western Front encouraged the development
of new weaponry to break the stalemate. Poison gas was one such
development.
The first significant gas attack occurred at Ypres in April 1915, when
the Germans released clouds of poisonous chlorine. The gas
inflicted significant casualties among the British and Canadian
forces at Ypres and caused widespread panic and confusion
amongst the French colonial troops.
The chlorine was a strong irritant on the lungs, with prolonged
exposure proving fatal. The immediate public outcry for retaliation
resulted in quick adoption of defensive anti-gas measures
including new companies of Royal Engineers responsible for
offensive gas warfare.


Verdun
● Battle of Verdun, (February 21–
December 18, 1916), World War I
engagement in which the French
repulsed a major German offensive. It
was one of the longest, bloodiest,
and most-ferocious battles of the
war; French casualties amounted to
about 400,000, German ones to
about 350,000. Some 300,000 were
killed.
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German Gen. Erich von Falkenhayn believed that the war would be won or lost in France, and he felt
that a strategy of attrition was Germany’s best hope of achieving its goals. In a letter to German
Emperor William II in late 1915, he argued that Britain was the most formidable of the Allied powers,
but he conce

1. -History
9
th
grade

2. The BEF
The BEF (The British Expeditionary Force) was
formed in response to the German invasion of
Belgium in August 1914. It consisted initially of six
infantry divisions and one cavalry division, drawn
mainly from the professional, regular army.
The BEF was deployed to Belgium in August 1914 in
response to the German invasion. The goal was to
support Belgian and French forces in halting the
German advance through Belgium and into France.

3. Trenches,
weapons
and
strategy

4. Trench Warfare
●Both sides dug long trenches that
faced each other. The trenches ran
for miles.
●From time to time, one side would
attempt to cross the “No-Man’s
Land” the area in between the
trenches.
●Trench warfare made WWI extend
from a few months of fighting to
four years of fighting

6. Strategic Implications
Stalemate and Attrition: Trench warfare
led to a prolonged stalemate, with both
sides unable to achieve decisive
breakthroughs. Battles often resulted in
high casualties for minimal territorial
gains.
Adaptation and Evolution: Over time,
both sides adapted their tactics.
Infiltration tactics, better coordination of
infantry, artillery, and tanks, and the use of
combined arms strategies eventually
helped break the deadlock.
Offensive Tactics: Major offensives
often began with prolonged artillery
bombardments intended to destroy
enemy defenses, followed by infantry
"going over the top" to charge across
No Man's Land.
•Defensive Tactics: Defending trenches
involved repelling enemy assaults with
machine guns, rifles, and grenades,
often resulting in high casualties for the
attackers.

7. Chemical Weapons
The trench warfare of the Western Front encouraged the development
of new weaponry to break the stalemate. Poison gas was one such
development.
The first significant gas attack occurred at Ypres in April 1915, when
the Germans released clouds of poisonous chlorine. The gas
inflicted significant casualties among the British and Canadian
forces at Ypres and caused widespread panic and confusion
amongst the French colonial troops.
The chlorine was a strong irritant on the lungs, with prolonged
exposure proving fatal. The immediate public outcry for retaliation
resulted in quick adoption of defensive anti-gas measures
including new companies of Royal Engineers responsible for
offensive gas warfare.

10. Verdun
●Battle of Verdun, (February 21–
December 18, 1916), World War I
engagement in which the French
repulsed a major German offensive. It
was one of the longest, bloodiest,
and most-ferocious battles of the
war; French casualties amounted to
about 400,000, German ones to
about 350,000. Some 300,000 were
killed.
10

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German Gen.Erich von Falkenhaynbelieved that the war would be won or lost inFrance, and he felt
that a strategy ofattritionwasGermany’sbest hope of achieving its goals. In a letter to German
EmperorWilliam IIin late 1915, he argued that Britain was the mostformidableof theAllied powers,
but he conceded that it could not be assaulted directly, save bysubmarinewarfare, as the British
sector of theWestern Frontdid not lend itself to offensive operations (anassessmentthat would be
proved correct at theFirst Battle of the Somme). In Falkenhayn’sview, Britain’s “real weapons” in the
war were the French, Russian, and Italian armies. He regarded Russia as already paralyzed and Italy
as unlikely to affect the outcome of the war, concluding, “Only France remains.” Falkenhayn stated
that a breakthrough enmasse was unnecessary and that instead Germany should bleed France to
death by choosing a point of attack “for the retention of which the French would be compelled to
throw in every man they have.”

12. Somme 1916
●After failing in 1914-15to break the muddy stalemate of trench
warfare, the Allies developed a new plan. A ‘Big Push’ on the
Western Front would coincide with attacks by Russia and Italy
elsewhere.
●The British wanted to attack in Belgium. But the French demanded
an operation at the point in the Allied line where the two armies
met. This was along a 25-mile (40km) front on the River Somme
in northern France.
●On 21 February 1916,aiming to wear down the French in a battle of
attrition, the Germans attacked at Verdun. In order to assist their
ally, the British launched their attack on the Somme earlier than
planned.
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13. ●Haig
●The British Empire forces were commanded by
General Sir Douglas Haig. Under pressure to attack
at a time and place not of his choosing, Haig also
disagreed with his senior commander, Lieutenant-
General Sir Henry Rawlinson. The latter advocated
modest ‘bite and hold’ tactics, having little
confidence about a breakthrough. Haig was more
optimistic.
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•Foch
•The French were the senior partner in
the alliance, so Haig had to
accommodate their views. General
Ferdinand Foch led the French on the
Somme. Originally their role was much
greater, but the desperate situation at
Verdun reduced their role in the
operation.
Battle plans
Haig’s plan was for the British Fourth Army to break through in the center, while the
Third Army in the north and the French Sixth Army to the south made diversionary
attacks. If successful, the Reserve Army, including cavalry, would then exploit this gap
and roll up the German lie.
The Germans were stationed behind a formidable set of defences, the strength of which
had been underestimated by Allied intelligence.

14. Success or failure?
●For many, the battle exemplified the ‘futile’ slaughter and military
incompetence of the First World War. YetHaig had no option but to fight
on the Somme. And despite his controversial tactics, the battleprovided a
tough lessonin how to fight a large-scale war.
●A more professional and effective army emerged from the battle. And the
tactics developed there, including the use of tanks and creeping barrages,
laid some of the foundations of the Allies’ successes in 1918.
●The Somme also succeeded in relievingthe pressureon the French at
Verdun.Abandoning themwould have greatly tested the unity of the
Entente.
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15. ●One German officer described the Battle of the Somme as
‘the muddy grave of the German Field Army’. That army
never fully recovered from the loss of so many experienced
junior and non-commissioned officers.
●In the spring of 1917, the Germans retreated to the
‘Hindenburg Line’, a shortened defensive position. This
move was a direct consequence of troop shortages resulting
from the Somme fighting.
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16. The naval conflict between Britain and Germany during World War I was a crucial aspect of the war,
significantly influencing its outcome. The struggle for naval dominance was marked by strategic
blockades, dramatic battles, and technological innovations.
At the war's outset, the British Royal Navy was the world's most powerful naval force, with a
formidable fleet of battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. Germany's Imperial Navy, though smaller,
was modern and highly efficient. Recognizing their disadvantage, the Germans adopted a strategy
that relied on submarine warfare and targeted the British supply lines.
One of the primary strategies employed by Britain was the implementation of a naval blockade
aimed at crippling the German economy and war effort by restricting their access to essential
supplies. This blockade proved to be highly effective, causing severe shortages of food and
materials in Germany. The blockade’s impact extended beyond the battlefield, affecting the civilian
population and contributing to growing discontent and hardship within Germany.

17. Submarine Warfare
●In response to the blockade, Germany resorted
to unrestricted submarine warfare, using their
U-boat fleet to sink Allied and neutral
merchant ships suspected of carrying supplies
to Britain. This strategy aimed to cut off Britain
from vital resources and force them into
submission. The sinking of the RMS Lusitania in
1915, which resulted in the deaths of 1,198
civilians, including 128 Americans, was a
significant event. This incident outraged
international opinion and swayed public
sentiment in the United States against
Germany, contributing to the U.S. decision to
enter the war in 1917.
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18. The Battle of Jutland
●The Battle of Jutland, fought from May 31 to June 1, 1916, was the largest naval battle of
World War I and one of the most significant engagements in naval warfare history. It
took place in the North Sea near the coast of Denmark's Jutland Peninsula. The battle
involved the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, commanded by Admiral Sir John
Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, led by Vice-Admiral
ReinhardScheer.
●The strategic context of Jutland was rooted in the broader naval conflict between
Britain and Germany. The British aimed to maintain their naval blockade of Germany,
which was severely restricting German trade and supplies, while the Germans sought
to challenge British naval dominance and break the blockade. In May 1916, Scheer
devised a plan to lure a portion of the Grand Fleet into a trap and destroy it with
superior forces.
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20. ●Unrestricted submarine warfare was first introduced in World War I in early 1915, when
Germany declared the area around the British Isles a war zone, in which all merchant
ships, including those from neutral countries, would be attacked by the German navy.
●However, the Imperial German navy was heavily criticisedinternally by high level
officials for their relative inactivity at the start of WWI. To boost the role of the navy,
and buoyed by early successes of U-boat warfare,Admiral TirpitzandAdmiral von
Pohlsuggested a plan whereby U-boats, given a free hand to attack British (and in
some cases, neutral) shipping, could potentially force Britain into a "concillatorymood"
in as few as six weeks. The admirals appealed to public opinion through press
interviews,
[3]
posing the submarines as "miracle weapons", despite the extremely small
number of vessels available. It was believed that a "shock effect" would cause shipping
to cease, and that neutrals would judge the campaign a reasonable reprisal for the
British naval blockade. ChancellorBethmannHollwegaccepted this strategy on
February 1, 1915, and a directive issued the next day, with a public announcement on
the 4th
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