Aircrafts were used for observational purposes, aircraft told tank divisions where to go. Artillery now could destroy barbed wire, which made it increasingly easier for the tank to get through and therefore attack. The success rate of the artillery had been considerably improved thanks to ariel observations.
With the use of a machine gun, you could literally wipe out dozens of people at a time. Firing speed was of the order of 600 bullets per minute. Thanks to its enormous firing power, it was able to stop massive infantry attacks and it obliged infantrymen to seek cover, removing any escape route out of the attack. However, these heavy machine guns were not reliable in all conditions. Their great weight meant they were not mobile enough and they had to be operated by several men at once. 750lb shells could now be fired 8 miles, which could destroy communication lines making it easier to attack, as the opposition couldn’t communicate with each other, meaning that enemy couldn’t call up for reserves.
Gas was also used; the first gas was called chlorine gas, which affected the airways causing slow suffocation. Mustard gas was also used. It’s corrosive and particularly painful, as it attacks the mucous membranes and causes third degree burns.
Once they were over the shock of the first gas attacks the allies went in search of possible protective measures. At first, counter measures against gas were primitive, among them pads of cotton waste soaked in liquid. Caps and masks in rubber were developed to stop the effect of the mustard gas. Special watch posts were also installed on the front line, with the task of sounding the alarm in gas of a gas attack, so that the soldiers would be able to put their masks on in time.
In my opinion, I think that the new weapons didn’t help a great deal in breaking the stalemate, because when a new weapon was invented, there would also be a weapon to counter act the role of the initial weapon. Mustard gas wasn’t as effective as the allies used gas masks against it. Communication lines were often destroyed or tapped into, making it easy for the enemy to know what the opposition were going to do next. New weapons were the cause of a huge number of the total casualties sustained.
Blockading of German ports:
Throughout the war both sides tried to prevent the other side from getting supplies. The British had been blockading German ports since 1914. The blockade was supposed to stop German industry, by stopping supplies getting through. German trade was reduced from $5.9 billion in 1914 down to $0.8 billion in 1917. German civilians were experiencing severe shortages. German people endured cold, hunger
and disease due to cut food, oil and chemical shortages. There were frequent food riots after 1916. The German army was also weakened and German people started
to lose some of their support for the war. It was not, however just the normal people of Germany who were being affected. Lack of food meant that the soldiers on the Western front had poor supplies. Poor food supplies put them at a disadvantage as it made their army weaker, because they didn’t have many supplies to live on, as food was rationed.
This obviously helped to break the stalemate, as the opposition was stronger than them due to the fact that they didn’t eat as well as the enemy, and the blockade cut supplies of nitrates, which was vital to Germany’s Army for their explosives.
The Germans offensive in March 1918
With the outbreak of the Russian Revolution, the German Army no longer had to fight a two front war. This allowed the German Army to move almost all of its troops to the Western Front. The German High Command decided to launch one massive attack to win the war. General Ludendorff was given 200 divisions and massive artillery support for his offensive. On 21 March 1918, over 6000 guns pounded British trenches for five hours. Then, 70 German divisions went over the top and attacked a mere five British divisions. The British soldiers broke and ran in the face of the onslaught. The stalemate of trench fighting had been broken and the German army could advance freely. The Allies were forced to react, and did so by forming a joint command between the British and French armies. This allowed them to counter attack the German offensive. The German Army was able to drive to the outskirts of Paris. But there the offensive ran out of steam, so, he threw in 20 more divisions; but these were not as experienced and therefore failed to pierce a solid British defence. The German divisions in the lead were becoming exhausted, and supplies failed to get forward.
Ludendorff had achieved a brilliant tactical victory as he made an advance of forty miles in eight days, 70,000 prisoners, and 200,000 other Allied casualties; but strategically the result was empty. He had failed either to destroy the British armies or to separate them from the French, and he had taken as many casualties as he had inflicted; most of them in the highly trained shock divisions, losses he could not replace.
I think this was a significant factor in breaking the stalemate, as the Spring offensive weakened the German Army, making them vulnerable to any other attack and it also encouraged the allies to fight back, because the German Army was weaker as a lot of their experienced soldiers had died.
American Entry into the war
Public opinion in America began to change with the sinking of the Lusitania, a civilian passenger ship, which was sunk by German U-Boats. The loss of 128
Americans onboard caused a large-scale public outcry against Germany. Ships from the United States were being sunk during the unrestricted submarine warfare campaign conducted by the German Navy. As more and more American ships were sunk, the public outcry became stronger.
The Zimmerman telegram (a secret message from Germany to the German Foreign Secretary, Zimmerman, in Mexico asking him to get the Mexican government to form an alliance with Germany against the USA if war broke out, was intercepted by Britain) decided the issue. The Americans abandoned their policy of isolation
America declared war on Germany in April. President Woodrow Wilson had earlier tried to act as a mediator to bring about peace talks. The US had financial and commercial interests to protect. Private and public assistance to Britain and France from the US dramatically increased, to pay for the massive cost of the war. American trade with, and loans to, Germany fell.
I think that the American entry into the war was a major factor into breaking the stalemate as this brought tremendous power to the Allies. The Americans helped win the German offensive and they also put pressure on Germany, because Germany felt they had to win the war before America came over. America also helped with the Allied counter offensive as they provided more troops, and masses of tanks as spearheads, therefore, it was more effective and helped secure a victory.
In Conclusion, I think there were three equally important events that broke the stalemate on the western front, these were the German blockade, as it made the Germans have fewer supplies such as fuel and food, making it easier for the allies to kill them, as they would have been much stronger. The German offensive also helped break the stalemate, as the German Army was now weaker, the Allies took advantage of the situation and defeated the Germans later on in the Allied counter offensive. The American entry into the war also helped break the stalemate as they constantly put pressure on the Germans to win the war before the American troops came. They also helped with the German offensive and the allied counter offensive.
The one reason that I don’t feel is equally important as the other reasons is the new technology. I think that there were too many things that could counter act the use of the initial weapon such as mustard gas and then the gas masks. There were also disadvantages of the new weapons used, such as the machine gun as it wasn’t reliable in all conditions. The communication lines could also be listened to by the enemy or even destroyed. However, I also think that the new technology helped to a certain extent as they different new technology helped each other by linking them together. The radio linked divisions of men together, so they knew what each other were doing. Radios were used and each allied aircraft was fitted with a radio so artillery could react quickly to changes on the battlefield.
