Schlieffen Plan (created in 1906)
Like any intelligent nation that views war as possibility, Germany created the Schlieffen Plan in 1906. They didn't want a two front war with France and Russia, so they planned on quickly taking out France in the beginning and then direct their full army against Russia before they could mobilize. However, this ended horribly for the Germans, because France surprised them with a massive defensive front that slows them down. Then trenches were dug in and Russia was able to mobilize faster.
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Characteristics of Battles on the Western FrontAllies vs. Germans (Trench Warfare)
Battle of the Marne (Sept. 1914) The Germans planned to quickly take Paris and KO France. However, France won the battle and both sides realized just how long this war was going to take, so both sides dug trenches in. |
Characteristics of Battles on the Eastern FrontRussians vs. Germans
Battle of Tannenburg (Aug. 1914) The Russians managed to lose about half of their entire force in this loss against Germany. They lost about five times the amount of prisoners the Germans lost, which allowed Germany to go on the offensive against Russia. |
Gallipoli (1915)
The Allies decided to attempt to knock the Ottomans out of the war as well as supply Russia with war materials by trying to capture the Dardanelles Strait and Constantinople. After 8 months of no progress and over 100,000 people lost, this proved to be a disaster for the Allies. However, they did manage to get the Arabs to rebel against the Ottomans, which disrupted the Middle East and erupted into a lot of fighting in the region.
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