Download Fronts - Lincoln High School

The “Fronts”
Western, Eastern and
Home Fronts of WWI
Western Front
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Characterized by trench warfare
Generals were used to fighting by
movement
War of Attrition: Attempting to wear
down the other side by constant
attacks and heavy losses
Airplanes, tanks and chemical
warfare (Mustard gas) used for the
first time in war
“Going Over The Top”
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Rifle
Bayonet
Grenades
170 rounds of ammunition
Gas Mask
Shovel
Wire cutters
Full water bottle
Food rations
Extra clothing
Medical supplies
Cooking stove/fuel
Eastern Front
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Primarily just Russia fighting against the
Central Powers
As of 1916, Russia had not industrialized
Lack of:
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Food
Guns
Ammunition
Clothes
Boots
Blankets
Blockades of the Baltic and Black seas
prevented assistance
More than 2 million soldiers killed, wounded or
captured in 1915
Home Front
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Wounded soldiers were brought
home late at night to not draw
attention to the amount of soldiers
being hurt
Inflation: Food prices rose
Government implemented rationing
• sugar, meat, butter, cheese, margarine
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Bombing raids by the Germans
Round the clock factories
Influence of Industrial Revolution
on War
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Railroads were able to supply the
troops more quickly than before
Railroads could replace worn
out/wounded soldiers
Factories were able to produce
munitions in large amounts
Soldiers were maimed and disfigured
due to the new way of fighting
Major Battles
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Battle of the Marne 1 (1914):
• First major battle of WWI ending in Allied
victory
• Destroyed the Schlieffen Plan
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Battle of Tannenburg (1914):
• German victory over Russia
• Regained East Prussia
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Battle of the Somme (1916):
• Allied Victory in France
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Battle of the Marne 2 (1918):
• Fresh American troops
• Victory for the Allied leading to end of war
The Entry of the U.S.
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United States tried to remain neutral
Britain and Germany set up naval blockades
to prevent war materials and other goods
from getting to their enemies
Germany enforced their blockade by sinking
passenger liners
1915: British ship Lusitania was sunk by
German forces. Over 100 Americans were
aboard that ship
Zimmermann Note: Message from Germany
to Mexico, 1917
United States officially entered the war in
April 1917 and was a major source of money
and war goods
U.S. Home Front
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College students joined student Army
training corps
Curriculum emphasized America’s
superiority over Germany
Children were taught to sing patriotic songs
Women volunteered with the Army Nursing
Corps
Worked in factories, on Navy ships, and in
charitable organizations such as the Red
Cross