Download Evolution of Warfare

Evolution of Warfare
World War I - Allied Victory
Major Joel B. Turk
MOI
Reading Assignment
• Weigley, The American Way of War, pp.
192 - 222
Learning Objectives
• Know, identify and discuss the harbingers of
total war
• Comprehend and compare/contrast the
British, French, American and German
approaches to and objectives in World War I
• Know and describe the final allied offensive
on land that defeated Germany, with
emphasis on the American contribution
Actual Total War (Review)
• Actors
– Triple Alliance - Austria-Hungary, Germany,
and Turkey
– Triple Entente - France, Britain, Russia, and the
U.S.
Origins of War (Review)
• Arms Race
• Nationalism
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Germany & Britain beliefs in racial superiority
Anglo-German colonial & commercial rivalry
French desire for revenge
Austria desire to humble Serbia
• Alliances
• Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Early Trends (Review)
• War of Attrition
• Ignore technological improvements of war
Technology and Tactics
• Land Warfare
– Entrenchments & use of barbed wire
– Frontal attack became ineffective
– Introduction of tank & poison gas
• Air and Sea
– Airplane and Dirigible
– Submarine - commerce raiding
• Psychological warfare
Effects of the War
• Global
– Central powers eventually defeated
– Bolshevik revolution - New Russian
Government under Lenin
– European powers financially devastated - U.S.
emerged as strongest power
Effects of the War (Cont)
• Military Theory
– Total War required exploitation of each nations
total resources
– Two aspects of war: Battlefield materials and
manpower, and Industrial capabilities
– Allocation of manpower to munitions factories
– Total war required for two reasons: Involved
entire structure of competing nations, and
tended toward complete destruction of enemy’s
means and will to resist
Objectives and Approaches
• Both sides felt is was a righteous war with
GOD on their side, being fought against an
inferior enemy who would crack first
British
• 1839 treaty pledged British support
• Informal talks had pledged British support
to France
• Destroy Germany as Commercial Rival
• Protect colonialism
• Balance of Power
France
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Bent on Revenge (1871)
Regain Alsace-Lorraine
Eliminate Germany as a commercial rival
Reestablish her leadership
Germany
• Prevent French Aims
• Colonial Equality
• Maintain supremacy on the continent
United States
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In 1914 - no interest
Allied Propaganda was effective in the U.S.
Constitutionalism vs. Autocracy
Anger over German proposal to Mexico of
alliance in exchange for annexation of
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
Submarine Warfare
• Before the End of 1914 Britain had cleared
German Surface Ships from trade routes
• Subs and Mines - threat growing in home
waters
Submarine Warfare (Cont)
• 4 February 1915 - Germans gave notice of
Submarine Blockade
– Diplomacy, International Law and Mahan
originally held back use of Subs
– Eventually, seen as means of survival
• Didn’t bank on destruction alone, 2/3 of neutral
shipping scared to sail
– British fleet could spare little for merchant
protection (busy blockading German fleet)
Submarine Warfare (Cont)
• April, 1917, Convoy System implemented
• Also used Mines and airplanes to counter
submarine threat
• By end of 1917, mine barrage laid across Straits of
Dover
• Airplanes carried no lethal antisubmarine weapons
• At one point, Britain had only enough food for six
more weeks
Machine Gun
• Underrated
• Basically Immobile - used for defensive
purposes
• Effect - overwhelming # didn’t mean
victory
• War turned to stalemate until introduction of
tank
Airplanes/Airships
• Reconnaissance
• With Improvements in Radio - aerial spotter
became more important
• Fighter Aircraft brought on by demand for
protection from spotters
– 5 Oct 1914 - first aerial combat
– By July 1915, only 8 aircraft shot down
– Synchronized machine gun
Airplanes/Airships
• Few occasions of Resupply by airdrop
• Experimentation with Airships, Germans
lead in bombing
– Raids on military installations and cities
– Diversion of resources to develop defense
– British and French quickly followed German
lead
– Initial concept of strategic role of airpower
• Air overrated - mostly political importance
Tanks/Landships
• One of the steps to solving stalemate
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Protecting attacker from machine gun
Armor too heavy to carry - needed vehicle
Needed to armor entire vehicle
Mobility required tracks
First called “Landship” - small mobile fort
First Used at the Somme 15 Sep
1916
• England had only 60 Tanks distributed over
3-mile front
• Of the 60, only 49 could leave parks, and
only 36 reached line of departure
• Attacked ahead of or with infantry with
exceptional local results
• Only nine returned
• Not used as recommended
Cambrai, 20 Nov 1917
• Over 300 tanks sent forward in formation
• 1st day, loss of 1,500 men, 10,000 German
prisoners, 4 mile hole in Hindenburg line
• 2nd day, 1/2 tanks operational, further
attacks created salient 12 miles wide, 6
miles deep into German territory
• Most spectacular penetration on the Western
Front
Summary/Peace
• Germany made one last desperate land
offensive
• Germans forced to surrender with treaty of
Versailles - punitive elements of treaty set
stage for WWII
• Allies not “wore down” as much as
Germans - great “firepower-attrition” war
• Stage set for future conflict
Next Session Learning Objectives
• Know and trace Hitler’s rise to power and
explain his subjugation of the German
General Staff and the officer corps