Preceden

Section 2: The War

1914 to 1915: Illusions and Stalemate

Thoughts about War

1913 - 1914

Before 1914 many political leaders thought that war involved so many political and economic risks that it was something to be avoided.

War Comes Along

1914

August of 1914 war came along and created an illusion that war would be a thrilling and positive experience which caused people to want to fight even more. Many Europeans continues to spread this idea to others and it continued to spread.

The Eastern Front

Germany Defeats Russia

1914

August 30th of 1914 Germany defeated Russia in the Battle of Tannenberg.

Germany Defeats Russia Again

1914

September 15th of 1914 Germany defeated Russia in the Battle of Masurian Lakes.

Bulgaria joins the Triple Alliance

1915

Austria-Hungary and Germany joined by Bulgaria in September 1915 attacked and eliminated Serbia from the war. This success then enabled Germany to move back to the offensive in the west.

Italians Switch Alliances

1915

May 1915 the Italians betrayed their German and Austrian allies in the Triple Alliance by attacking Austria.

The Great Slaughter: Tactics of Trench Warfare

First Battle Airplane

1915

By the end of 1915 airplanes had appeared on the battlefront for the first tie in history.

French Deaths

1916

In 1916 after 10 months of fighting at Verdun 700,000 French men lost their lives.

Germany's Large Army

1916

By 1916 Germany had 5.5 million men in uniform and ready to battle at any time.

Men Die Fighting for the Elusive Breakthough

1916 - 1917

In 1916 and 1917 millions of young men died fighting for the elusive breakthrough.

Trench Warfare

1916

The trenches dug of 1914 had become an elaborate system of defense.

Widening of the War

Ottoman Empire joins Germany

1914

August 1914 the Ottoman Empire had joined Germany’s side.

The Sinking of Lusitania

1915

My 7th 1915 the British ship Lusitania was sunk by German forces.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

1915

After the United States protested against Germany, Germany suspended unrestricted submarine warfare in September of 1915 to avoid antagonizing the United States any further.

Arab Princes Revolt

1917

In 1917 in the Middle East a British officer had urged Arab princes to revolt against their Ottoman overlords.

Breaking the Deadlock

1917

1917 Germans were eager to break the deadlock in the war so they convinced Emperor William II that resuming the use of unrestricted submarine warfare could stare the British into submissions within six months.

The War Becomes a World Conflict

1917

By 1917 the war that had started in Europe had truly become a world conflict.

United States Gets Involved in the War

1917

April 1917 the United States was brought into the war however they did not arrive in large numbers in Europe until 1918. They engaged themselves in the war by helping other with new sources of money and war goods.

Ottoman Empire Gets Destroyed

1918

In 1918 British forces from Egypt destroyed the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East.

Women’s Rights

Women Begin to Take Over Jobs

1918

In 1918 38% of the workers in the Krupp Armaments works in Germany were women. Women were required to begin taking over jobs because all of their husbands were out at war.

Women Gain the Right to Vote

1918

Immediately after the war women were given the right to vote in all Germany, Austria and the United States. Most British women gained the vote in 1918.

Women Begin to Lose Jobs

1919

By 1919 the men were starting to come back from war and women quickly began to lose their jobs. by this year there would be 650,000 unemployed women in Great Britain and any women who kept her job got a much lower wage than before.