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1914-1918
The Great War
-1Some Hard Stuff Explained
Annexe To take over all or part of a country, usually illegally. Armistice An agreement between two nations to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, since it might be just a halt to fighting while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. Artillery Large guns used in land warfare, operated by a crew of soldiers. Bolsheviks A Russian revolutionary party. At the time of WWI it was led by Vladimir Lenin and its aim was to make all of Russia Communist. Conscientious Objector Someone who, for religious or personal reasons, refuses to fight in a war. Conscription A government order to make it compulsory for a person of a certain age to serve time in the army. Kaiser The Emperor of Germany No Man’s Land The land that lies between opposing armies’ trenches. It hasn’t yet been taken by either side and is a very dangerous place to be – it has the highest concentration of artillery, rifle and machine gun fire. Scuttle A Navy term to describe the act of sinking your own ship to stop it getting into enemy hands. Shells Explosive ammunition fired by artillery Truce A temporary halt to fighting for an agreed limited time or within a limited area Tsar The Emperor of Russia U‐Boat A German submarine. -2The Leaders
Kaiser Wilhelm II Wilhelm was the last German emperor (Kaiser) and king of Prussia, whose aggressive behaviour helped to bring about World War One. He was a grandson of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. King George V King of United Kingdom, also a grandson of Queen Victoria. Tsar Nicholas II Emperor of Russia, and a first cousin of King George and Kaiser Wilhelm Archduke Franz Ferdinand Heir to the Austrian throne whose assassination was the immediate cause of World War I. Gavrilo Princip A Bosnian revolutionary responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Alfred Graf von Schlieffen The author of a plan, written up in the early 1900s that stated that if Germany went to war against Russia (to the east) and France (to the west), then France must be conquered first as part of that war. -3- Politics and Assassination
1914
What was Europe like in 1914? Europe was a continent at peace in 1914. However, even though all looked well, some countries didn’t trust each other, some countries wanted to invade and take over others and some countries were allied with each other. These suspicions, alliances and plans for invasion would ensure that Europe would be dragged into a four‐year long war that would change the world. The map of Europe in 1914 looked very different that it does today: some countries were much larger and had empires and colonies. For example, Ireland was part of Britain’s empire. Austria and Hungary had their own empire, Austro‐Hungary. Belgium and France had colonies in Africa, and Germany had colonies not only in Africa, but even in China. Who didn’t trust who in 1914? Serbia didn’t trust Austria‐Hungary. The Austro Hungarian Empire had already invaded Serbia in 1908, and in 1913 Austria made statements that they had plans to invade Serbia again and make it part of their empire. Germany didn’t trust Britain. Germany had plans to become the most powerful country in Europe, but Britain was expanding its industries and its Navy making Germany nervous and distrustful. France didn’t trust Germany. They had been at war before in 1870, and the memories of that war were still fresh in the minds of the French people. The spark: What happened to start the war? Archduke Franz Ferdinand walks towards his car on the day of his assassination in Sarajevo On June 28th 1914, the next‐in‐line leader of the Austro Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, paid a visit to Sarajevo, the capital of Serbia. Serbians were deeply unhappy with this because of Austria’s attempt to take over their country in 1908, and the fact that the Archduke was visiting on their national feast day – the feast of St. Vitus (like St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland). While they were touring the city in their open top car, unknown to the visitors, a number of assassins from an organisation call the Black Hand were moving among the crowds lining the streets. One threw a bomb at the car. The driver, seeing the danger, went faster and the bomb missed its target, injuring some of the Archduke’s travelling companions and several spectators. The car was afterwards driven faster along the streets so the assassins could not carry out their mission to kill the Archduke. Later, Franz Ferdinand said he wished to visit some of the injured in hospital. He and his wife were driven towards the hospital, but the driver chose the wrong route. He stopped and reversed the car slowly, in order to get back onto the correct street. Unbelievably, this happened right in front of a man named Gavrilo Princip, one of the Black Hand gang who happened to be walking out of a coffee shop, and was probably feeling very disappointed that his earlier killing mission had been unsuccessful. His luck was about to change. He pulled out a revolver from his pocket and fired five shots at the car, fatally injuring the Heir to Austria‐Hungary and his wife. They died hours later. Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s blood‐stained uniform ‐ The reaction: How did Austria respond to the killing of one of their royal family? The world took little notice at first. The killing took place in a country almost unknown to most Europeans, and it took a week before the world fully understood what had happened. Austria’s response to the assassination was to send a list of demands to Serbia. The demands were deliberately written up in such a way that Austria expected Serbia not to agree to any of them. Examples of the demands included not to print anything, or teach anything to children, that made Austria look bad, to get rid of the Black Hand organisation, to help the Austrians catch Serbian terrorists and other similar orders. Serbia, in fact, agreed to all of the terms except one. The one they had a problem with was one that insisted that Austrian police be allowed into Serbia to carry out an investigation into the assassination. This was a step too far for the Serbians, and they refused. The refusal infuriated the Austrian government, giving them the ideal excuse to declare war on Serbia. Escalation: So a Serbian shot an important Austrian. Why wasn’t the war just between Austria and Serbia? Confident that Serbia wouldn’t agree to the terms, and before they received a reply from the Serbian government, Austria asked the Germans if they would help in the event of a war. Germany’s reply was that Austria‐Hungary could rely on Germany’s support in whatever action was necessary to deal with Serbia. This was known as Germany’s “Blank Cheque”, and it encouraged Austria to take aggressive action against Serbia. The German leader, Kaiser Wilhelm II, on July the 5th, announced to the world that Germany would join Austria against Serbia, and on July the 28th Austria declared war on Serbia. My father was an active infantry officer and I shall never forget the day when they marched out to the trains... Bands playing, flags flying, a terrific sort of overwhelming conviction that Germany would now go into war and win it very quickly. “
Heinrich Beutow (German Schoolboy) Did any country try to help Serbia? Russia decided to help Serbia by declaring war on Austria. Because Germany had promised help to Austria, this meant that Russia was now also declaring war on Germany. War spreads: How did Britain get involved? A German General, Alfred Graf von Schlieffen created a plan for war in 1908, later named after him. Schlieffen believed that in any future war France would be Germany's most dangerous enemy. He gambled that in a future war, Russia would take six weeks to arrive to fight Germany, and by that time France would be defeated by Germany, and Britain would not be interested in becoming involved in a continental war. With France defeated and Britain staying out of the war, Germany could use its entire army to defeat the Russians. History would soon show up the many flaws in the Schlieffen Plan. To invade France, Germany had to go through Belgian territory. The problem was that Belgium was one of the neutral countries (in blue on the map above, they didn’t take any sides and wanted no part in any war). Germany asked if their troops could march through Belgium. The Belgians refused, but the Germans went through Belgium anyway. Many villages were attacked and men, women and children were killed by the Germans. Belgian refugees flee with their belongings Those who weren’t killed became refugees, carrying their few belongings with them as they took to the roads in their thousands looking for a place of safety. When the British saw the invasion of a neutral country, they decided to take immediate action. On August the 4th, Britain declared war on Germany. Ireland, being then part of Britain, was also involved. Within days, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa (because they were all part of the British Empire) all declared war on Germany. “
I was seven and I was playing in the garden when I was asked to go speak to my grandmother… She said… “there is a war on and all sorts of people will be killed by these wicked Germans” …then she took from us all our toys that were made in Germany, amongst them a camel of which I was very fond. Elizabeth Owen, British Schoolgirl With the Germans now in France, the British Army (including thousands of Irishmen) were sent to fight them, and in a small Belgian village called Mons, they attacked the German army for the first time in what was soon to be known as the “Great War”. The Germans fought back so fiercely that the British retreated for three days; then the British attacked again sending the Germans back from where they came as far as the river Aisne. In September 1914, along the river Marne in France, the first trenches were dug. Trenches were used to provide cover for each of the opposing armies and in this way they worked well; they kept the Germans and British out of sight of each other. However trenches also had the effect of “fixing” the fighting in one place. No movement was possible; it was difficult to attack the opposing army because the land between the trenches was constantly being checked for enemy soldiers. Anyone appearing above a trench or entering this piece of land during daylight would be immediately shot by the other side. The land between the German and British trenches became known as “No Man’s Land”. Trenches spread: “The Race to the Sea” Thousands more soldiers were sent from Britain and Germany. Each set of troops set about digging more and more trenches. So many troops were sent, and so many trenches built, that from the Marne River all the way north to the Belgian coast, two parallel lines of trenches 320 Kilometres long were laid down – This is the same as digging two trenches alongside each other, two metres deep, along the eastern Irish coast from Wexford to Belfast. The war was only one month old, but already 21,000 British, 250,000 French and 250,000 German soldiers had been killed. If you add these figures, the number killed for the first month of the war alone would fill Croke Park stadium over six times. What was life like in the Trenches? Victor Packer of the Royal Irish Fusiliers was there: “
If you smoked you had to be very careful, if Jerry [the Germans] saw any smoke he would send a grenade over because he knew there was someone there… [the rats] were as big as cats. I’m not exaggerating, some of them were as big as ordinary cats, horrible great things…” Clifford Lane, Hertfordshire Regiment: “
Every man in the front line had fleas after about two or three weeks… I’ve seen men taking their shirts off with the skin of their backs absolutely raw where they’d been scratching… Lice were a curse, were a real menace to us. First Battle of Ypres On October 18th 1914, German and British troops approached the ancient town of Ypres in Belgium. The town was small, around 3 km by 4, but it had many medieval buildings which had survived centuries. Unfortunately for Ypres, it was also an ideal location for an army to take over. Strategy: Why was it so important to capture the town of Ypres? Many roads led to Ypres, and it overlooked vast flat plains, allowing any army occupying it to see the approach of any attackers. The British army entered Ypres and, as expected, the Germans sent in their army to take control of the town. 30% of the German attackers were students aged 18 to 20. The Germans were massacred, and fighting continued here for a month. The German soldier sitting on the right in this group photograph was temporarily blinded fighting in Ypres. Later in the war he was wounded in the leg. He was nursed back to health. His name? Adolf Hitler. Bombardment of England’s east coast On the 16th of September 1914, the German Navy attacked three English seaside towns ‐ Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby. 137 men, women and children were killed in the attack, and over 500 injured. This was the first attack on British soil since 1797. October 29th 1914, Turkey entered the war in support of Germany. Ceasefire: The Christmas Truce One of the most famous incidents in World War 1 was the Christmas Truce (a truce is where soldiers in an area agree to stop fighting). What made the British, French and Germans give up fighting for Christmas? Several things came together to make the truce happen:  Britain’s Princess Mary had sent a little brass tin to all British soldiers as a Christmas present. It contained a bullet pencil, a Christmas card, cigarettes and chocolate. Mothers and wives of soldiers also sent food and drink to their men and these packages were delivered to them in the trenches.  German soldiers received packages from home containing food and drink, and Kaiser Wilhelm sent the German soldiers pipes and cigars.  Trench warfare meant that the armies were located quite close to each other. On average, the opposing troops were 30 metres apart. This meant that both sides could hear the other’s activities. On Christmas Eve, 1914, British soldiers were amazed to see, across No Man’s Land, small Christmas trees and candles being placed all along the German trenches. They heard them singing “Stille Nacht” (Silent Night in German). The British joined in, singing in English. The opportunity was taken for both sides to agree to stop fighting so they could bury the dead that were scattered Princess Mary’s Gift Box around No Man’s Land. On Christmas Day, after the dead were buried, the British and German troops continued to talk to each other, sharing with each other the Christmas presents sent from home, singing songs and showing photographs of their loved ones. There were even reports of Germans and British soldiers playing football. British and German troops together during the Christmas Truce 1914 The officers in charge didn’t quite know what to do. Their men should have been shooting each other and instead they were becoming friends. A group of Welsh soldiers were even given barrels of beer by the Germans. However, after a week, the chatting between both sides became less and less, and the storms and rain returned. A Captain in the Welsh Regiment described how he witnessed the fighting starting again: “
At 8.30 I fired three shots in the air and put up a flag with "Merry Christmas" on it, and I climbed on the parapet. A German put up a sheet with "Thank you" on it, and the German Captain appeared at the top of the trench. We both bowed and saluted and got down into our respective trenches. He fired two shots in the air, and the War was on again. -4Breaking the Deadlock
1915
January 19th 1915: (Above) Giant German airships called Zeppelins dropped bombs on the south coast of England. This was the first ever air raid. February 19th: Britain attacked forts on the south coast of Turkey in response to a call for help from the Russians. A plan was drawn up that would involve invading Turkey on the south coast. This would force Germany to take out thousands of troops from France to help their Turkish allies, and shorten the war in France and Belgium. Gallipoli Landings April 25th 1915: Allied troops (British, French, Australian and New Zealand) arrived on the Turkish coast at a place called the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Turks were ready and waiting. The Allies used small boats and two old ships to get on to the beaches – the ships were deliberately steered onto the rocks on the beach and the soldiers poured out of the ship doors to try to get on to the beach. Unfortunately, not only were the Turks expecting the Allies’ arrival, but in one area they set up their guns on top of cliffs overlooking the beaches. This allowed them to use their rifles and machine guns to shoot down at the Allied soldiers as they ran out of the ships. British troops landing at Gallipoli 25 April 1915 Fighting continued in Gallipoli until December with 200,000 Allied and 200,000 Turkish troops killed. It ended in a defeat with the Allies retreating. The disaster was blamed on Winston Churchill who planned the invasion. He was later to become Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War. The sinking of the Lusitania By 1915, Germany’s fleet of submarines (Known as U‐
Boats) were patrolling the seas around Britain and Ireland, attacking ships carrying food and supplies. Their hope was that this action would starve Britain into ending the war. This would have tragic consequences for hundreds of innocent transatlantic holidaymakers. The luxury ocean liner “Lusitania” left New York for Liverpool on the 1st of May 1915. On May 7th she was sunk by a German U‐boat 18km off the coast of Ireland near the Old Head of Kinsale in Cork. 1,201 lives were lost including 128 Americans. The Cork lifeboat rowed (in those days there were no engines in lifeboats) for three hours – over 18 kilometres to the scene of the disaster to recover survivors and bodies. The reason the Germans gave for the attack was that they believed the ship was carrying weapons on board and was therefore a target. They even placed an advertisement in American newspapers warning people not to travel on the Lusitania. America at this stage had not entered the war, and the killing of U.S citizens provoked outrage – but not enough to make the U.S. declare war on Germany. The incident was used in Ireland to encourage Irishmen to join the army. The Second Battle of Ypres The town of Ypres still had not been taken by either side, so another attack was attempted – this time by the Germans. On April the 22nd 1915, the British were astonished to see a green mist creeping towards them across No Man’s Land. When the mist reached their trenches they were suddenly unable to see or breathe properly. The mist was a gas called chlorine which we use nowadays in bleach. If chlorine gas is breathed in, it causes blindness and seriously damages the lungs. Death by chlorine gassing is slow and painful. There was international agreement in 1907 (as there is now) that chemical weapons should not be used in war. This was to be ignored from now on by both the Allied and German side. May 23rd 1915: Italy declared war on Germany and Austria August 5th 1915: The Germans captured Warsaw, capital of Poland, from the Russians September 28th 1915: The Battle of Loos ended, with 50,000 British and 25,000 German dead. December 19th 1915: The Allies gave up the fight in Gallipoli and left, defeated by the Turkish army. The Gallipoli disaster results in the death of 250,000 Turks and the same number of Allied troops. -5Industrial Slaughter and Rebellion
1916
Conscription introduced in Britain. Conscription means that a law is passed by the government which states you must serve in the army. This happened on January 27th 1916. The reason conscription was introduced was that there were fewer and fewer men volunteering to fight. With the thousands already killed in action, the British government was running short of men for the army. The Conscription Act stated that any man between the age of 18 and 41 had to serve time in the military. You didn’t have to join up if you were a single parent, or if your job was essential for the war effort (making bullets or vehicles for instance). Although Ireland was part of the British Empire, conscription was never introduced here. What if you didn’t want to fight? Some men refused to join the army because they conscience told them killing was wrong. These were called “Conscientious Objectors”. The army’s solution to this problem was to send these people to war, but their job was to carry dead and wounded soldiers. In this way that could serve in the army, but save lives and bury their comrades instead of killing. Other objectors wanted absolutely no part in the war, not even saving lives. These Objectors were imprisoned. Many women, whose husbands and sons were fighting, were unhappy if they saw a man on the street who wasn’t in uniform. Some of these women started a “White Feather” movement where they would give a man, who was not in uniform, a white feather. This was an insulting way of pointing out someone who they thought wasn’t “doing their bit” for the war effort. Worst of all if you joined the army and went absent without permission so as not to fight, you would be tracked down and “Shot at Dawn” by a group of your comrades. Your parents would be told you were “Killed on Active Service”. “We will bleed the French white”: The Battle of Verdun The area around Verdun in France, close to the German border, contained sixty military forts and was of great national pride to the French. The Germans devised a plan whereby they would launch a huge attack on these forts, which were of such importance that the French would have no option but to send their entire army to defend the area against the Germans. This plan was put into effect on February 21st 1916 when 140,000 German troops faced just 30,000 French. The Germans had 1,200 cannons and fired an estimate two and a half million explosive shells (bombs) at the French. By the time the battle was finished (seven months later on the 16th of December), approximately 350,000 French and the same number of Germans had been killed. So many soldiers were killed at Verdun that even today, in the woods now growing over the old battlefield, human bones can still be found lying on the ground. April 29th 1916: Another defeat for the British forces as they surrender to Turkish forces at a place called Kut in Mesopotamia (now called Iraq). Britain’s difficulty exploited: The Easter Rising At the time of the First World War, Ireland was ruled by Britain as it had been for hundreds of years. A large number of people wanted independence – for Ireland to be able to elect its own government and be free of British rule. The British were about to give Ireland a form of self‐government called “Home Rule” (Britain would allow Ireland more say in how it was governed – freeing Ireland from the rule of London), but when the First World War broke out, Home Rule was put on hold. In Ulster, in 1913, a private army called the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) were formed and bought rifles in order to make sure Home Rule would never happen – they wanted to remain part of Britain. Seeing an armed force in Ulster made the rest of Ireland believe that they needed a private army too. This army, the Irish Volunteers, was formed in November 1913, and later in 1914 they also bought thousands of rifles – from the Germans! By 1916, the Irish Volunteers, led by Patrick Pearse, had an ideal opportunity to try and get rid of British Rule. The British army was bogged down in a war in Europe and, as the saying went, “Britain’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity”. On the 24th of April, the Irish Volunteers took over many buildings in Dublin City – the headquarters was in the G.P.O. on O’Connell Street. Patrick Pearse read out a proclamation, declaring the formation of the “Irish Republic”. The Rebellion resulted in open warfare on the streets of Dublin. The British sent a gunboat up the Liffey to bomb O’Connell Street which afterwards lay in ruins. You can still see bullet holes today in Daniel O’Connell’s statue in O’Connell Street. Then and now – the GPO after the Rising, and as it appears today. The Rising was deeply unpopular at the time – many Irish women’s husbands were with the British Army in Europe and they were able to collect their husbands’ wages in the Post Office. The leaders of the Rising were mostly seen at the time as troublemakers. This was all to change however: Five days after the start of the Rising, Patrick Pearse ordered a surrender “to prevent any further slaughter of innocent civilians”. The leaders were found guilty of treason (attempting to overthrow the British government) and they were sentenced to be shot by a British Army firing squad. The Irish public were shocked at this and they turned against the British, thinking the sentence was too harsh. Relations between Ireland and Britain would never be the same again. The War at Sea: The Battle of Jutland May 31st 1916 saw the start of the only major sea battle of the First World War. The Battle of Jutland took place in the area between the east coast of Britain and Denmark. Location of the Battle of Jutland Germany’s small coastline was being threatened by the British Navy, who could stop German ships and submarines from getting out into the Atlantic Ocean. The Germans decided to lure the British Navy out by launching an attack. The German fleet opened fire on the seaside towns of Lowestoft and Yarmouth in South East England, forcing the British navy out to meet the Germans. The battle was swift ‐ it lasted only one day ‐ and although more British ships were destroyed (the British lost 14 ships and over 6,000 lives were lost, the Germans suffered over 2,500 casualties and 9 ships sunk) the German navy never recovered enough to launch another fleet into the North Sea and it is considered to have been a British victory. Mechanised slaughter: Battle of the Somme Back in France, the Allies still had not succeeded in destroying the German army’s trenches. The French were being heavily defeated at Verdun, so the British drew up a plan that, it was hoped, would strike a final blow and defeat the Germans. The plan, if it worked, would force the Germans to move troops out of Verdun and ease the pressure on the French. It involved an artillery bombardment along 25 km of trenches near the river Somme in France. This would destroy the German trenches and the barbed wire in front of them. After the Germans were killed and the barbed wire broken up (the plan went), on July 1st, thousands of French and British soldiers would be able to stroll through No Man’s Land towards the German positions and capture their trenches. Did the 1st of July plan work? No. The Somme campaign would result in the biggest ever British military loss of life in a single day. On the 24th of June, the planned bombardment started. It lasted a week, during which nearly two million artillery shells were fired at the German lines. The problems began almost immediately:  The week‐long bombardment made the Germans suspicious that “something was up”  The German trenches were dug very deep into the chalky soil and they included bunkers – underground rooms. When the British started bombing, the Germans simply went underground.  The barbed wire wasn’t damaged by the bombing  When the bombing was over, the Germans simply returned to their trenches from their underground rooms and set up their machine guns pointing at the British. On July 1st, the bombardment finished and the British soldiers were led by their officers “over the top” of their trenches, carrying their rifles in front, and told to walk (not run) towards the Germans. So confident were the British, they even had cavalry (soldiers on horseback) ready to charge at any Germans who might have survived the attack. Battle of the Somme. Troops head towards the German lines on the 1st of July To their horror the British were immediately met by intense machine gun fire from the Germans who they thought had all been killed, and they found that instead of being destroyed, the barbed wire was still there in front of the Germans. By the end of the day, 58,000 British soldiers lay dead. The Somme was also the first time in history that tanks were used in battle. The Germans had never seen tanks before and couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the huge mechanical monsters coming towards them – some ran away in terror. The Battle of the Somme was to last four months in total, only ending in November 1916 due to bad weather – rain, snow and the constant bombing made the area a sea of mud, and by the 18th of November it had cost the lives of one million men. -6The Beginning of the End
1917
The war at sea escalates: Unrestricted Submarine Warfare In January 1917, the war was not going well for Germany. Months of slaughter in France and Belgium forced them to consider increasing the pressure on Britain by removing certain “rules” of war that had been put in place after the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. A German U‐Boat attacks a British ship The removal of these rules meant that:  American ships would now be attacked by U‐Boats (remember the U.S. was still not involved at this stage)  German submarines would no longer shoot at ships with machine guns to sink them slowly and allow crews to get into lifeboats. From now on, ships around the coast of Britain and Ireland would be attacked using torpedoes (underwater bombs with propellers at the back) so as to cause maximum loss of life. There were fears in Germany that if this new form of submarine warfare resulted in the sinking of too many American ships, the U.S. might join Britain and declare war on Germany. America broke off relations with Germany because of this new form of warfare, thinking that it would make the German government change its mind. It didn’t. The British got hold of a message from the German government to the Mexican government stating that if America entered the war against Germany because of unrestricted submarine warfare, Germany would support Mexico in a war against the U.S. By March 21st, seven American merchant ships had been sunk by the Germans, leaving America no choice but to ally with Britain. On April 6th 1917, America declared war on Germany. Communist Takeover: the Russian Revolution At the same time as it was fighting the war with the Germans on its western borders, Russia was in the middle of a revolution in 1917. The country was being overtaken by the Bolsheviks who were led by Vladimir Lenin. Their aim was to introduce Communism to Russia, which was then a monarchy (run by a Royal Family), with Tsar Nicholas the Second as its king. The Revolution would be a major distraction for Russia in terms of its ability to continue fighting the war, and it would later seriously affect its ability to attack Germany effectively. Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) July 31st marked the start of “Third Ypres”, or Passchendaele. This was an attempt by the British to again use the area around Ypres to break through the German positions. This time they would attempt to destroy the railway lines in the area which would stop the supplies of food and equipment reaching the German army making them unable to continue fighting for long – they would then take the coast of Belgium, where the German Navy kept its submarines. This would help stop the rapidly increasing losses of British shipping caused by the Germans’ easy access to the North Sea and their increased submarine activity. Mud‐filled battlefield after the Third battle of Ypres Third Ypres again resulted in failure for the Allies. An artillery bombardment which lasted for ten days from the 18th of July, like the Somme the previous year, was designed to destroy the German army in their trenches. Instead, it again had the effect of warning them that a bigger attack was on the way. Again they retreated to their bunkers, and yet again they came back up with machine guns just as the British and French were advancing. Mustard Gas was used by the Germans during this battle. The gas caused blisters inside and outside the body within hours of being exposed to it. Mobile Warfare: the Battle of Caporetto, October 24th Germany, in an effort to keep the Austro‐Hungarian Empire in the war, attacked the Italian army on Italian soil. The Italians were heavily defeated by the Germans, who again used chlorine gas and Phosgene (another gas that caused lung damage, streaming eyes and swelling of the throat). The Italian losses were huge: 10,000 were killed, 30,000 wounded and 265,000 captured. The battle was important in that the German army were not fighting in trenches this time, but troops known as “Stormtroopers” were travelling rapidly and fighting out in the open . The leader of the German army in this battle was Erwin Rommel who would become famous as the “Desert Fox”, head of the German Army fighting in Africa during World War 2. German “Stormtroopers” train in the latest mobile warfare Armistice between Germany and Russia [proposed] December 5th: Russia’s revolution continued, seriously affecting its ability to defeat Germany. Russia decided to approach Germany promising an armistice (truce). This would cause huge problems for the British – German troops which were fighting the Russians could now be sent to France, Belgium and Turkey to fight the British. December 9th 1917: Britain captured Jerusalem from the Turks -7Defeat…?
1918
March 3rd: Treaty of Brest‐Litovsk The Russians made a truce with the Germans, ending the Russian involvement in the First World War. This truce was called the Treaty of Brest‐Litovsk, and was seen by the Allies as a betrayal. st
March 21 : Germany’s “Spring Offensive” Germany moved three million troops which were previously fighting Russia, back into France to launch a fresh attack on the British army. The timing was important. American forces and equipment hadn’t yet arrived to help the British so the Germans had to move fast. This was initially seen as a major German victory with 80,000 British prisoners taken. This attack was not launched from German trenches, but, like the Battle of Caporetto, was “Stormtrooper” mobile warfare. The aim was to break through British defences and keep going. The problem with this plan was that so much ground was taken by the Germans, they got too far away from (outran) their supplies of food and ammunition, so the advance ground to a halt. They became so spread out that the land they had captured couldn’t effectively be defended against the British (soon to be joined by the American army) April 9th 1918 Germany turned her attention to Belgium again, attacking the British along the river Lys. U.S. Troops arrive in the French port of Le Havre, July 1918 July 15th 1918: Second Battle of the Marne This battle is known as the “start of the end” of the First World War. The Allies had by now learned the weaknesses of the German army which was still covering too much ground when attacking. The Allies allowed German attacks to happen, letting them take as much ground as they could, and when the Germans had outrun their supplies, they fought back against the weakened and exhausted Germans. By this stage, the American army was arriving at the rate of 300,000 men a month greatly helping the Allies defeat the Germans. August 8th 1918:The German Army’s leader, Erich Ludendorff, called this day “the Black Day of the German Army”. British, American, Canadian, Australian and French troops used tanks and planes to attack the German Army at the rear of their positions, not from the front as they had done before. This forced the Germans back to the same place as they were fighting 5 months German prisoners at Abbeville, 1918 previously, causing a mass surrender of German forces who at this stage, seeing the massive Allied attack, had become thoroughly fed up with fighting. Weapons and helmets were thrown away in huge numbers. 17,000 German prisoners and 330 pieces of German artillery were captured. September 19th 1918 Turkish forces defeated at Megiddo (now part of Israel) October 4th 1918: Increasing unhappiness among the German public with the progress of the war, along with recent defeats on the battlefield resulted in German leader Max von Baden, (given the job by the Kaiser), sending a message to the administration of President Woodrow Wilson in Washington, D.C., requesting an armistice between Germany and the Allied powers. October 10th 1918: R.M.S. Leinster sunk It would be a mistake to think that by this stage in the war the German military were no longer a threat. In October 1918, the Great War was to make its presence felt near Irish shores again. Today car ferries travel between Dublin port and Holyhead in Wales. In the same way, Mailboats once made regular trips between what is now Dun Laoghaire (then called Kingstown), and Holyhead in Wales carrying mail and passengers. On that fateful morning of the 10th of October, at 9 a.m., the R.M.S. (Royal Mail Ship) Leinster set sail with a full crew, postal workers, civilian passengers and 300 British Army troops travelling across the Irish Sea. 700 people were aboard in total. Unknown to anyone on board, U Boat UB123 was lying in wait, ready to ambush. The captain of the German submarine ordered two torpedoes to be fired at the Leinster with catastrophic results. Within eight minutes she sank and 501 people lost their lives. This was the highest ever loss of life in the Irish Sea. The president of the United States was furious: At the very time that the German government approaches the government of the United States with proposals of peace, its submarines are engaged in sinking passenger ships at sea” “
American president Woodrow Wilson, on hearing of the sinking Ten days after the sinking of the Leinster, Germany agreed to stop attacks on non‐
military ships. th
October 29 1918: The Kiel Mutiny: Despite the German government’s wish to end the war, the German Navy Supreme Commander Admiral Reinhardt Scheer ‐ along with several of his high‐ranking officers ‐ decided to launch a final attack on the Allied navy without letting the German leaders know. When the news was received by ordinary Navy seamen in the German port of Kiel, they make it known that they would not undertake what they believed would be a suicide mission and refused to sail. This unrest spread through the other large Navy ports forcing the Supreme Commander Scheer to abandon his plans. Elsewhere, Bulgaria, Austria and Turkey quit the war, leaving Germany to fight or surrender alone. November 8, 1918: Germany negotiates Armistice Terms The German armistice commission met with French General Ferdinand Foch in a railway carriage in woods near Compiegne in France to negotiate the terms of the armistice. The Armistice Railway Carriage November 9th The Kaiser Abdicates The Kiel Mutiny resulted in unrest across Germany. Nothing was done by the German leaders to stop the revolution, and it developed into a huge movement against Germany’s system of monarchy with the Kaiser as its emperor. Throughout the German Empire, Workers’ and Soldiers’ groups were formed and these were to become political parties, paving the way for Germany to become a democracy. Seeing the collapse of his empire, Kaiser William II abdicated (resigned) and headed for the Netherlands where he stayed until his death in 1941. Interestingly he wasn’t buried, but his body was put into a crypt in the garden of his home in Doorn near Utrecht, and he lies there to this day, his coffin covered with the flag of Prussia. th
November 11 , The Armistice. The Allies insisted that Germany disarm itself, along with other severe terms and conditions. The Germans reluctantly agreed to sign the armistice, but were very unhappy with the terms of the treaty. It was signed at 5 a.m. on the 11th of November 1918, but came into effect at 11 o’clock (the 11th hour of 11th day of the 11th month) ‐ the official date and time of the end of World War One. Did the fighting stop immediately? No. The reason for the gap between the signing of the armistice and the 11.00 deadline was to allow the news to be sent to those still fighting. It was unfortunate that, although the Armistice was agreed and signed at 5 a.m., men were allowed to continue fighting for another 6 hours even though the war had effectively come to an end. The last British soldier to be killed in WWI was George Edwin Ellison who was killed at 9.30am – 4 ½ hours after the war had officially ended. He was 40 years of age and had fought all through the war from the very start. He is buried in St Symphorien cemetery near Mons – coincidentally directly opposite the FIRST British soldier to be killed in the war, Private John Parr. -8The Fallout
1919
January 4th 1919: The Peace conference met at Paris. This was a meeting of 27 countries, brought together to agree what punishment should be given out to Germany and the Central Powers for their actions in the Great War. One of the documents created during the Peace Conference would become the Treaty of Versailles. This document would be given to the Germans to agree and sign, and would impose serious restrictions on what Germany would and would not be allowed to do in future. It dealt with the future size of Germany’s army, Navy and air force, and detailed the land that Germany would have to give away as compensation. June 21st 1919: The surrendered German Navy fleet was lined up off the coast of Scotland at a place called Scapa Flow. The German Navy crews were allowed by the British to stay on their ships. This turned out to be a mistake. The Germans didn’t want the ships to be taken and used by the British, so they set about planting explosives, throwing keys into the sea and using welding equipment to open holes in the ships’ sides. The Germans blew up their own ships to stop them getting into the hands of their former enemies. Treaty of Versailles signed After agreeing to the Armistice in November 1918, the Germans had been convinced that they would be consulted by the Allies on the contents of the Treaty. This did not happen – indeed the Germans were excluded from the discussions entirely. The first time that the German representatives saw the terms of the Treaty was just weeks before they were due to sign it in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, France, on June 28th 1919. Germany was given two choices: Sign the Treaty, or be invaded by the Allies. Germany signed the Treaty. The terms that were agreed would have huge consequences for Germany. Here are some of the terms: German lands to be given away: Alsace‐Lorraine (given to France), Eupen and Malmedy (given to Belgium), Northern Schleswig (given to Denmark), Hultschin (given to Czechoslovakia), West Prussia, Posen and Upper Silesia (given to Poland)  Germany's overseas colonies had to be given away.  Germany had to return some territory to Russia. This territory was eventually to become Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.  Germany’s army was reduced to 100,000 men; the army was not allowed tanks, and Germany was not allowed an air force.  Germany’s navy was allowed only 6 ships, and submarines were forbidden.  Germany had to admit full responsibility for starting the war, and had to pay compensation, mostly to France and Belgium to pay for the damage done to the countries by the war. The Germans were not told at the time how much they had to pay, but the figure would eventually be set at 132 billion gold marks. An enormous sum of money which continued to be paid over the years, on and off, until the last instalment which was only repaid in 2010! Consequences of the Treaty of Versailles Having to sign the treaty would have disastrous consequences for Germany. Having to pay compensation in the post‐war recession would literally bankrupt the country. The German Currency, the Mark, would become practically worthless, causing massive inflation (price rises). Poverty and unemployment became widespread. The rise in popularity of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, and the establishment of the Nazi Party was a reaction to the treaty. Hitler was determined to wipe the Treaty of Versailles from history and make Germany a major power again. He managed to convince the Germans (mistakenly) that the Jews were responsible for Germany’s defeat and humiliation. Civilian deaths in World War I have been estimated at over six million worldwide. Map of Europe 1918: Appendix I
Facts and Myths of the First
World War
Myth: Officers had it easy. They were miles away from the fighting Fact: Officers, especially junior officers like lieutenants and captains lived in the trenches with their men, were expected to lead them in attacks, putting themselves in extreme danger. German snipers would attempt to kill officers first. Myth: The Allies won the First World War. Fact: The First World War, technically, wasn’t won by anyone. There was agreement (Armistice) between the Allies and Central Powers (Germany, Austro‐Hungary, Turkey) to call an end to the fighting. This meant that soldiers returning to Germany were welcomed as an undefeated army. Myth: Thousands of men were sent to their death for no reason. Fact: The reasons for the outbreak of First World War are not as obvious as those for the Second World War. In 1914, when Germany used the Schlieffen Plan and insisted on invading France, violating Belgium’s neutrality at the same time, it would have been a mistake if nothing was done by other countries to stop the invasion. Myth: Nothing positive came about because of the First World War. Fact: Although there are many more negative aspects of the war than positive ones, the Great War actually wasn’t all bad.  Medicine benefited greatly, especially plastic surgery. Thousands of men returned from war with injuries to the face caused by bomb blasts when they stood in trenches. Doctors perfected the technique of repairing injuries to the face using skin from other parts of the body. A technique still used today.  A woman’s role before the war was seen mostly as a homemaker, rearing the children and cooking. With so many men away at war, women had to take over skilled factory jobs that were previously done by men. This helped women become more independent. For instance, the making of artillery shells and ammunition was mostly done by women. Here are some pictures of the Dublin (artillery) Shell Factory, near the Phoenix Park: Myth: Most of the Irishmen fighting in the British Army in WWI were of the Protestant religion. Fact: The Irish Times in October 1916 gave all‐Ireland figures of 92,405 Catholics and 62,392 Protestants who had joined the British Army. Myth: Most of the male population of Britain and Ireland were killed in battle Fact: Just over 11% of British and Irish combatants were killed. Still an incredible figure, but most did survive and returned to live successful lives after the war despite, in some cases, serious mental and physical injury. Irish “Comrades of the Great War” lapel badge issued to members of the first Irish ex‐
serviceman’s club. This club was eventually absorbed into the British Legion. Myth: Men spent weeks in the trenches. Fact: A week was the usual amount of time spent in trenches, with the fighting taking place for an average of three days or so. Soldiers could be granted home leave too in order to visit family and friends. British Medals of World War 1
Most British soldiers in WWI were awarded three medals for serving in the war: the 1914/1915 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal. The War Medal was solid silver. They were also known as “Pip, Squeak and Wilfred” and they had the soldier’s name printed on them. If a soldier was killed, the medals were sent to his family. Memorial Plaque – given to families when a soldier was killed. It also had the soldier’s name inscribed: Teachers’ Notes
U
Audience:
U
This aim of this pack is to explain the First World War to children aged 11 to 14.
Scope:
U
The coverage of the Great War is limited inasmuch as only the main battles are covered, and
the political situations are described only at they pertained at the start and the end of the war
when they were instrumental in the outcomes. The War is covered, where possible, from the
point of view of Ireland and her people.
The story of the conflict is divided into one chapter per year, with an introductory chapter
describing some terms the student may not have come across before. The final chapter covers
some misconceptions about the war.
Subjects covered
U
1.
Some Hard Stuff Explained: This introduces some concepts that the 11-14 year old age
group may not have come across before and therefore not fully understand. Covering this first
will make the study of the remaining modules easier.
2.
The Leaders: Descriptions of the main leaders of the Allied and Central Powers who
contributed to the start of the War.
3.
1914 Politics and assassination: This chapter describes the sequence of events that would
ensure that a disagreement between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia would escalate
to a worldwide conflict.
4.
1915 Breaking the Deadlock: The invasion of Gallipoli, the Second Battle of Ypres and the
sinking of the Lusitania off the coast of Cork are covered.
5.
1916 Industrial Slaughter and Rebellion: 1st of July attack starting the Battle of the Somme,
Conscription, Conscientious Objectors and the 1916 Rising. The Rising will be covered in
more depth in our next schools pack.
P
P
6.
1917 The Beginning of the End: Mobile Warfare begins, Unrestricted Submarine Warfare,
the Russian Revolution and the Third Battle of Ypres.
7.
1918 Defeat…?: The Armistice, the Paris Peace Conference. The question mark is deliberate
- Germany’s army was seen by the population as undefeated heroes.
8.
1919 The Fallout: the Treaty of Versailles and the terms imposed on Germany.
Topics for Discussion
U
1.
Some Hard Stuff Explained:

2.
These concepts could be discussed in class to assist in the comprehension of the terms
as they are used later in the text.
The Leaders:


3.
The fact that three of the leaders were cousins is not widely known. If they had more
power over their armies, would the results of the assassination have been different?
Discuss the role of Von Schlieffen’s plan in the escalation of the war. Had it not been
for this plan forcing an invasion of France, how would the war have progressed?
Would it have just been an Austrian/Serbian war?
1914 Politics and assassination:



4.
Discuss whether the First World War would have happened at all if Franz Ferdinand
had not been killed.
Perhaps someone at a later date might have attempted to take the life of the
Archduke. What if that person had been an Austrian?
Discuss the scenario if the Christmas Truce had carried on and spread all along the
Western Front. Could this have happened? Would it have stopped the war? Is it a
possibility, even today, that if armies refused to fight there would be no war?
1915 Breaking the Deadlock:



5.
Was the campaign in Gallipoli and Turkey a mistake? Discuss why.
It is known for a fact that the Lusitania was carrying bullets for rifles, and empty
artillery shells that were being brought to British factories to be filled. Did this mean
the Germans were justified in sinking her?
It is alleged that large quantities of explosives were being carried aboard. If true, did
this mean the Germans were justified?
U
U
U
U
1916 Industrial Slaughter and Rebellion

Try and imagine (by writing, or using a question and answer format) what it must
have felt like to be in the British Army fighting against the Germans in Belgium and




6.
hearing the news that a small number of your countrymen had taken over the GPO
and were attacking your army comrades in Dublin.
Imagine a discussion between two Dubliners in the British Army, one for the rebels
and one against. How would that discussion turn out?
Again from the point of view of a Dubliner in the British Army, how would you feel
about the fact that the British Army was bombing your city?
Put yourself in the position of being a Conscientious Objector. How would you
explain your reasons for not wanting to fight?
Was being a deserter worse than being a Conscientious Objector? Why?
1917 The Beginning of the End

How might the war have developed if the Americans had declared war on the Central
Powers after the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915?

Was it a mistake for America not to “Avenge the Lusitania” in 1915?
7.
1918 Defeat…?:

Given the large number of British Army passengers aboard, were the Germans right
to sink the Leinster?

Was the Armistice a mistake? Even taking into account the further loss of life if the
war continued, wouldn’t it have been better to have totally defeated the German
Army and insist on a surrender instead?
8.
1919 The Fallout:

Given that Germany was not directly responsible for the start of the war, do you think
the terms of the Treaty of Versailles were too harsh?

What terms might have been fairer?

A Serbian citizen shot the heir to the Austrian throne. Austria’s retaliation for this
event escalated the conflict. Should Austria and/or Serbia have been punished as well
as Germany?

Compare and comment on the 1914 map and the 1918 map. Who gained
territory? Who lost?