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What were the causes behind the high number of casualties in WW1? What were the aspects that made WW1 a truly global war?

What were the causes behind the high number of casualties in WW1? What were the aspects that made WW1 a truly global war?

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What were the causes behind the high number of casualties in WW1? What were the aspects that made WW1 a truly global war?
sweeping assaults, envelopments, and, above all, swift triumphs. The German thrust toward Paris in August 1914 came to a grinding halt along the river ENEMY PARALLEL "LISTENING CIRCUIT WIRE RUN PARALLEL YANNEE TRENCH ITELEPHONE CIRCUIT -o-0on...... a r ea GERMA u de Marne. For the next REC po AMERICAN three years, the battle lines remained virtually GERMAN SIGNAL CORPS EXPERT LISTENING INTO E TELEPHOHE TALK NO MANS LAND stationary, as both sides dug in and slugged it out in a war of attrition that lasted until the late KHERICAN UNDERGROUND DUGOUT autumn of 1918. AMERICAN TRENCH TELEPHONE CIRCUIT Soldiers dug long trenches to protect themselves from artillery. While the trenches offered the troops protection, it also made it difficult for them to advance far (see image of trench embedded). Barbed wire, which had confined cattle on America's Great Plains, proved highly effective in frustrating the advance of soldiers across "no-man's-land," the deadly territory between opposing trenches. Soldiers during World War I used machine guns, an industrial military advancement. Machine guns fired rapidly and continuously. The machine gun represented one of the most important advances in military technology and compelled military leaders on all sides to rethink their battlefield tactics. However, sanitation in the trenches became a serious matter as disease and infections spread through the close living quarters in the trenches. Over six million soldiers contracted diseases and/or infections from unsanitary conditions in the trenches. During World War I, soldiers also had mustard gas. Mustard gas was a liquid chemical created that, when exposed to air, turned into a poisonous yellow gas, hence its name. The effects of mustard gas did not appear for some twelve hours following exposure, but then it rotted the body from both within and without. After blistering the skin and damaging the eyes, the gas attacked the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane. Death could occur in four to five weeks. Other novel weapons developed during the war included tanks and airplanes. The British first introduced tanks in late 1915, and the Allies deployed them to break down defensive trenches and to restore fighting. Despite its proven short-term effectiveness during the final offenses of the war, the tank did not produce the longed-for strategic advantage. Constantly refined and improved as the war progressed, the airplane by the end of the war showed dramatic improvements in speed, range, and altitude. However, because airplanes could not carry enough weapons to do serious damage to troops or installations on the ground, their real asset during the Great War was aerial reconnaissance (gathering information about the enemy).?
Transcribed Image Text:sweeping assaults, envelopments, and, above all, swift triumphs. The German thrust toward Paris in August 1914 came to a grinding halt along the river ENEMY PARALLEL "LISTENING CIRCUIT WIRE RUN PARALLEL YANNEE TRENCH ITELEPHONE CIRCUIT -o-0on...... a r ea GERMA u de Marne. For the next REC po AMERICAN three years, the battle lines remained virtually GERMAN SIGNAL CORPS EXPERT LISTENING INTO E TELEPHOHE TALK NO MANS LAND stationary, as both sides dug in and slugged it out in a war of attrition that lasted until the late KHERICAN UNDERGROUND DUGOUT autumn of 1918. AMERICAN TRENCH TELEPHONE CIRCUIT Soldiers dug long trenches to protect themselves from artillery. While the trenches offered the troops protection, it also made it difficult for them to advance far (see image of trench embedded). Barbed wire, which had confined cattle on America's Great Plains, proved highly effective in frustrating the advance of soldiers across "no-man's-land," the deadly territory between opposing trenches. Soldiers during World War I used machine guns, an industrial military advancement. Machine guns fired rapidly and continuously. The machine gun represented one of the most important advances in military technology and compelled military leaders on all sides to rethink their battlefield tactics. However, sanitation in the trenches became a serious matter as disease and infections spread through the close living quarters in the trenches. Over six million soldiers contracted diseases and/or infections from unsanitary conditions in the trenches. During World War I, soldiers also had mustard gas. Mustard gas was a liquid chemical created that, when exposed to air, turned into a poisonous yellow gas, hence its name. The effects of mustard gas did not appear for some twelve hours following exposure, but then it rotted the body from both within and without. After blistering the skin and damaging the eyes, the gas attacked the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane. Death could occur in four to five weeks. Other novel weapons developed during the war included tanks and airplanes. The British first introduced tanks in late 1915, and the Allies deployed them to break down defensive trenches and to restore fighting. Despite its proven short-term effectiveness during the final offenses of the war, the tank did not produce the longed-for strategic advantage. Constantly refined and improved as the war progressed, the airplane by the end of the war showed dramatic improvements in speed, range, and altitude. However, because airplanes could not carry enough weapons to do serious damage to troops or installations on the ground, their real asset during the Great War was aerial reconnaissance (gathering information about the enemy).?
alongside Europeall Green - Allies (majority) Orange - Central powers Grey - Neutral Countries By mid-August 1914, the battle lines were clearly drawn. On one side were Germany and Austria-Hungary. They were known as the Central Powers because of their location in the heart of Europe. Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire would later join the Central Powers in the hopes of regaining lost territories. On the other side were Great Britain, France, and Russia. Together, they were known as the Allied Powers or the Triple Entente. Japan joined the Allies within weeks. Italy joined later. Italy had been a member of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. However, the Italians joined the other side after accusing their former partners of unjustly starting the war. In the late summer of 1914, millions of soldiers marched happily off to battle, convinced that the war would be short (some thought only a month!). Only a few people foresaw the horror ahead. Everyone expected the war to be brief. In the first weeks, twenty million young men donned uniforms, took up rifles, and left for the front. Many of them looked forward to heroic charges, rapid promotions, and a quick homecoming. Some dreamed of glory and honor, and they believed that God was on their side. The inscription on the belt buckle of German recruits read Gott mit uns ("God is with us"), a sentiment echoed by Russian troops, who fought for "God and Tsar," and British soldiers, who went into battle "For God, King, and Country." Several years later Americans felt called on to "make the world safe for democracy." Similar attitudes prevailed among the political and military leaders of the belligerent nations. The war strategies devised by the finest military thinkers of the time paid little attention to matters of defense. Instead, they were preoccupied with visions of
Transcribed Image Text:alongside Europeall Green - Allies (majority) Orange - Central powers Grey - Neutral Countries By mid-August 1914, the battle lines were clearly drawn. On one side were Germany and Austria-Hungary. They were known as the Central Powers because of their location in the heart of Europe. Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire would later join the Central Powers in the hopes of regaining lost territories. On the other side were Great Britain, France, and Russia. Together, they were known as the Allied Powers or the Triple Entente. Japan joined the Allies within weeks. Italy joined later. Italy had been a member of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. However, the Italians joined the other side after accusing their former partners of unjustly starting the war. In the late summer of 1914, millions of soldiers marched happily off to battle, convinced that the war would be short (some thought only a month!). Only a few people foresaw the horror ahead. Everyone expected the war to be brief. In the first weeks, twenty million young men donned uniforms, took up rifles, and left for the front. Many of them looked forward to heroic charges, rapid promotions, and a quick homecoming. Some dreamed of glory and honor, and they believed that God was on their side. The inscription on the belt buckle of German recruits read Gott mit uns ("God is with us"), a sentiment echoed by Russian troops, who fought for "God and Tsar," and British soldiers, who went into battle "For God, King, and Country." Several years later Americans felt called on to "make the world safe for democracy." Similar attitudes prevailed among the political and military leaders of the belligerent nations. The war strategies devised by the finest military thinkers of the time paid little attention to matters of defense. Instead, they were preoccupied with visions of
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Step 1 Introduction

World War I was a fight that first started with the European countries, but soon it spread in the whole world. This war mainly happened only with the motive of gaining military supremacy. 

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