1. Highlights of the
Great War
Battles and Advances in Weapons

2. A War of Attrition
Verdun-Feb. to Dec. 1916
● The German Army did
not believe they could
break through
○ A different plan was
needed
● Decided on a “War of
Attrition”
○
The goal is not to take
territory, but to inflict so
many casualties the enemy
will quit.

3. A War of Attrition
It works.
● 400,000 French
casualties during
the battle
● 350,000 German
casualties

5. The Somme - July 1916 to November
1916
To relieve pressure on the French
at Verdun, the British planned an
attack on the Germans at The
Somme River
●
The British started the battle with
a 7 day artillery barrage
○
○
○
○
The goal was to destroy the line so
that the British troops could march
right through
The plan backfired, with the
Germans hiding until the guns had
stopped, then mowing down the
British as they started across no
man’s land
After the first day of the attack,
60,000 British Casualties, 20,000
dead
Total Casualties
■ British: 420,000
■ French: 195,000
■ German: 650,000

6. Jutland
● British
○ By the time the Great
War starts, the British
have introduced the
Super Dreadnoughts
■
Orion Class
● Germans
○ Were unable to keep up
with the British
■
Were using “U-Boats”
(underwater boats) as
main naval weapon

7. Jutland
The Battle of Jutland is the
only major naval
engagement of the war.
Both sides had built up
great Navies, but neither
really ended up using them.
● British engaged the
German fleet and fought
for approximately 12
hours
○
The battle ended in a draw

8. Aviation in the War
● By 1914, the start of the
war, airplanes had been
around for 9 years
● Two types
○
Pusher
■
○
Tractor
■
○
Propeller on the back of the
plain
Propeller on the front of the
plane
Tractor became most used

9. Aviation in the War
● Evolution
○
Original use, also best use,
throughout the war was for
reconnaissance
■
■
Would find enemy
position and radio back
to the artillery
Extremely dangerous
○ From Waving to shooting
■
■
■
Two person planes
■
●
●
Pistols
Mounted machine guns
Machine gun mounted
forward
Baron Manfred von Richthofen
The Perils of Flying in WWI

10. Bombing
Began with Airships
● German Zeppelins
bombing Liege and
London
● By the end of the
war planes were
being used