trench warfare and weapons of world war i miss zegas
TRANSCRIPT
Trench Warfare and Weapons of World War I
Miss Zegas
Review: Militarism
• Military begins to influence the public policy
• With the military in power, many more resources are devoted to weapons of war
• Mobile warfare begins to develop
Increase in Military Spending
• Between 1910 and 1914 European powers increased the $ they spent on military
France 10%
Britain 13%
Russia 39%
Germany 73%
Trench Warfare
• Where were trenches most popular?
• What do you think life was like in the trenches?
• What protection did soldiers have from machine gun and artillery fire?
• Was trench warfare successful?
Machine Guns
• Pro: Guns can now fire 600 rounds per minute!
• Con: Troops constantly need to be supplied with ammunition.
Machine gunner from the 115th Machine Gun Battalion.
Poison Gas
• Germans were first to use
• Eventually used by Allies
• 2 kinds:– Chlorine– Mustard
Captain Solbert with gas mask and grenade.
Soldier hit by mustard gas.
Barbed Wire
• Metal wire with sharp spikes (barbs)
• Used to defend trenches
French soldies in trench covered by barbed wire.
Tanks
• Drive through/over trenches
• Cut through barbed wire
• Psychological fear
Airplanes
• Spying
• Bombing trenches
• Destroying enemy aircraft
Sopwith Camel plane with two machine guns.
Dreadnoughts and U-boats
• Dreadnoughts: modern battleship complete with heavy artillery (Britain)
• U-boats: first submarines (Germany)– Used to sink merchant ships
Propaganda suggesting the Kaiser was friends with the devil.