The Major Battles of WWI

1

• The Major Battles of WWI
• (The Battle of Tannenberg)
• August 26-30th 1914 on the EASTERN FRONT (East
  Prussia)
• Germans, originally in retreat, replace their
  old leader and install Commander Paul Von
  Hindenburg and go on attack instead..Russian
  general was unaware of the change of plans
• Germans intercept un-coded message that
  indicated Russian general in charge was in no
  hurry to attack as Germans were retreating...
• Germans that were retreating doubled back
  around and circled Russian troops from right side
  while another unit attacked from the left,
  encircling them and capturing 92,000 men, killing
  countless more, and in all having Russians lose
  250,000 men
• COMPLETE DISASTER FOR RUSSIA ON EASTERN FRONT!
  

2

• The Major Battles of WWI
• (The First Battle of the Marne)
• September 6-10th 1914 on the WESTERN FRONT
• Marks the beginning of Trench Warfare and
  beginning/end of The Schlieffen plan (as Germans
  are defeated)
• French General Joseph Jacque Joffre is the hero,
  as he had halted a French retreat and, instead,
  went on the offensive with reinforcements to
  defeat wary German troops
• Was a wholly French operation, as British forces
  did not arrive until September 11th, by which
  time the Germans were already in retreat
• Defeat forces Germans to the Aisne River, where
  Trench Warfare really begins

3

• The Major Battles of WWI
• (The First Battle of Ypres)
• October 19th late November (disputed dates)
  1914 on the WESTERN FRONT (Ypres, Belgium)
• Also known as the Battle of Flanders
• First use of poison gas in the war (by Germans)
• Germans suffered 130,000 casualties, British
  suffered 60,000
• First time Army of India and the British
  Territorial was used in WWI

4

• The Major Battles of WWI
• (The Battle of Gallipoli)
• April 25th 1915- January 9th 1916 on Gallipoli
  Peninsula in TURKEY
• Turkey entered war in October 1914 by bombing
  Russian ports on the Black Sea
• British and French launched attack on Turkey to
  try to capture Constantinople (Ottoman capital)
  and secure a waterway to Russia
• First involvement of ANZAC (Australian and New
  Zealand Army Corps)
• Admiral Winston Churchill of England acted on
  erroneous information from T.E. Lawrence
  (Lawrence of Arabia) about Turkish troop
  strength
• Ottomans prevailed, aided by Bulgarias joining
  of Central Powers victory rekindles Ottoman
  Empire

5

• The Major Battles of WWI
• (The Battle of Verdun)
• February 21st July of 1916 on the WESTERN
  FRONT
• One of the costliest and bloodiest of all the
  battles in the War
• German strategy was to inflict maximum
  casualties and force the French from the city
  roughly 400,000 French are killed, about 350,000
  Germans (750,000 total)
• French General Henri-Philippe Petain is the hero
  of the war, as he prevents Germans from taking
  Verdun (the city in which the battle took place)
• French efforts helped by the fact that British
  allies launched an offensive at the Somme River,
  forcing Germans to leave to reinforce their
  forces there.

6

• The Major Battles of WWI
• (The Battle of the Somme)
• July 1-November 13th, 1916 on the WESTERN FRONT
  
• The British initiated the fight against the
  Germans as a counter offensive for Verdun 60,000
  casualties for the British on the first day of
  the battle, 20,000 killed
• A futile/indecisive battle only 5 miles of
  ground gained the entire time
• British suffered 420,000 casualties, the French
  195,000, the Germans 650,000
• Only real success of the battle was that it
  relieved the French troops at Verdun by forcing
  German troops to come to aid of their forces at
  the Somme TANKS WERE USED FOR THE FIRST TIME!