Topic: World War I

Aim: How did trench warfare and new weapons affect fighting in World War I?Do-now: Military Deaths Pie Chart

Homework: Complete questions based on reading

Why was WWI unique?• WWI was unique for many reasons.

• WWI was the first total war of the 20th century– Total war: an international war where all of a country’s

resources are used to destroy another country

• WWI was also known as “The Great War,” and the “war to end all wars”– Due to the new war strategies and weapons

Trench Warfare

• Central and Allied forces used deep ditches to defend their positions

• Trenches stretched 400-500 miles across Western Europe

• Trenches were cold, wet, and dirty

• Diseases easily spread in the trenches

• Trenches ranged from small holes to complex networks with rooms

U-boats or Submarines

• Germany’s fleet of U-boats were the largest and most advanced

• They attacked Allied shipping across the Atlantic

• German attacks on Allied ships severely hurt the supply of weapons and ammunitions to the Allies

Tanks

• The use of tanks were introduced during WWI

• They replaced cavalry units (horses)

• The first tanks were tough and could cause heavy damage– Especially trenches

• They were also slow and hard to maneuver

Machine Guns

• Machine guns were introduced during WWI

• They were used in the trenches and on airplanes

• Allowed for rapid fire of bullets

Poison Gas

• Chemical warfare was introduced during WWI

• Poison gases – Chlorine gas– Mustard gas

• Poison gas would destroy the lungs– Killing the soldier slowly

• Soldiers wore gas masks to protect themselves

The Airplane

• The use of airplanes in wartime was introduced during WWI

• Originally, Allied and Central Powers used airplanes for spying

• Machine guns were later added to shoot down enemy spies

Flamethrowers

Long Range Guns

Big Bertha

Grenade

Europe 1914