The First World War was decided by the outcome of trench warfare on the Western Front.
"The First World War was decided by the outcome of trench warfare on the Western Front."
How far do you agree with this statement?
Trench warfare was a form of combat in which both sides occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, which were aimed to provide protection to soldiers on each side from an enemy's small arms fire and artillery 1 . This style of combat had a great impact on the outcome of the First World War with valuable developments in militaristic technology, the failure of the German offensive and the success of the allied counter offensive. However, trench warfare was not the only factor which determined the results of the Great War on the Western Front. It can be argued that other factors, such as the British naval blockage of Germany and the entry of the USA into the war, were just as important for the allies' victory at the conclusion of the war, in 1918.
The First World War proved to be significantly different when compared to previous wars in that many armies in battle found themselves bogged down in a trench war stalemate 2. This stalemate had been formed due to three main reasons - the failure of the Schlieffen plan, the French defeat by the Germans at the Battle of the Marne and the fact that defending positions were far easier than attacking 3. Since both sides essentially made use of the same technology (the machine gun, for example), stalemates were only further prolonged as neither side had an advantage over the other with access to more powerful, newer technology 4. Therefore, in order to do so both sides sought to find more modern and lethal forms of weaponry in order to break stalemates on the Western Front. The new metallurgical and chemical industries, and many new mechanical inventions, had produced new firepower that made defense almost unconquerable and attack near to impossible 5. These innovations included rifled artillery and hydraulic recoil mechanisms, zigzag trenches, pillboxes and the tank, along with advances in the military and navy. Their application had the result of making it difficult or nearly impossible to cross defended ground. Britain obtained possession of these weapons and other warfare strategies and put them to use with the French 6. After an extensive period of bleak failure on the Western Front, the British found they had begun to succeed in battle as these forms of artillery and practices were benefitting them greatly. When the French began adopting these techniques in battle, the allies proceed to be victorious in the eventual outcome of the war 7.
The failure of the 1918 Spring Offensive (a series of German attacks along the Western Front) also greatly contributed to the result of the war on the Western Front. While German forces in the West had been boosted by the arrival of units from the Eastern Front, their army had been weakened by battles of attrition with Allied forces. In addition, the resource shortages caused by the British naval blockage placed pressure on the Germans to end the war. Although they were suffering, the Germans began to plan a massive final offensive aimed at bringing the war to ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
The failure of the 1918 Spring Offensive (a series of German attacks along the Western Front) also greatly contributed to the result of the war on the Western Front. While German forces in the West had been boosted by the arrival of units from the Eastern Front, their army had been weakened by battles of attrition with Allied forces. In addition, the resource shortages caused by the British naval blockage placed pressure on the Germans to end the war. Although they were suffering, the Germans began to plan a massive final offensive aimed at bringing the war to an end 8. At dawn on the 21st of March 1918, the Germans unleashed a huge barrage of artillery fire on British positions on the Western Front. This was the beginning of the German offensive which was hoped would end the war before the arrival of the Americans with Britain and France. Many of the areas chosen for the assault were lightly held, and the British defenders lacked the ability to hold this offensive. The British army lost 38,000 casualties and hundreds of its guns in this assault, and many units began to retreat 9. Suddenly, years of harsh blockade warfare had ended, and a more open war of manoeuvre had begun 10. The Germans mimicked the allied forces warfare tactics and pressed forward with success. The sudden advancement of the Germans had caught the British unawares 11. It drew on its reserves to try to halt the remarkable advances being made by the Germans. The New Zealand and Australian divisions were ordered to halt the Germans in their drive towards the French city of Amiens. A major victory was won on September 29, when the Hindenburg Line was broken. This meant that the Allied advance could continue north, and by October 15, the Allies were near the Belgian border, threatening to cut the German lines in two. German troops were forced to withdraw from their positions along the coast, and the Allies captured the Channel ports that belonged to the Germans. The German front near the Schelde River was broken through by the British on October 17. With their supply lines cut, it became impossible for the Germans to hold their positions. The entire Western Front was on the verge of collapse and German leaders now asked for an immediate armistice12. Along with modern technology, these events contributed to the outcome of the First World War on the Western front.
Although modern technology, the failure of the German offensive and the success of the allied counter offensive had great impact in deciding the outcome of the First World War, the allied naval blockade of Germany had perhaps just as much of an importance. As soon as war was declared in August 1914 the allied navies prevented ships transporting resources from sailing directly to Germany. Those going to neutral ports were thoroughly searched for any smuggled goods. The aim was to literally starve the Germans into surrendering 13. The blockade led to Germany not having enough food to feed her population by itself, nor enough supplies of raw materials to produce all the goods necessary to sustain a war effort 14. The only way these resources could reach the country was primarily by sea. The blockade prevented them from being imported. Due to the blockade, starvation, cold and fatigue were deteriorating the health of the German population and in 1918 the Spanish Influenza Epidemic struck and killed thousands of people, making Germany's dire economic situation much worse. Due to the critical lack of resources, and therefore the suffering of the German economy, the country had reached the end of her tether and became extremely weak and susceptible to defeat in war. Without this blockage Germany may have been able to be advantageous in 1918. However, because of the technological advancements her enemy possessed and the fact that they were able to create a blockade with such an effect, Germany essentially could not physically or financially continue in the war 15.
Another factor that helped determine the result of World War I was the entry of the USA, in 1917. When war erupted in 1914, the United States attempted to remain neutral. However, the US did eventually enter the war as a result from an attack from Germany on the USA's RMS Lusitania and HMS Sussex. As a result of these attacks and great encouragement from America's suffering allies, France and Britain, the USA entered the war to battle Germany. The fact that America's soldiers were strong, healthy and were equipped with modern weapons as well as substantial resources was extremely advantageous for the allies whose armies were exactly the opposite - exhausted from years of battle and lacking in artillery and food 16. The fact that Germany's military was suffering even more so than its opponents made her defeat in 1918 easier since the allies had a powerful army joining them and fighting against the Germans17.
In conclusion, the extreme advancements in technology that was used and adopted by the allies in trench warfare and the Allied and the occurrences on the Western front in 1918 had immense impact in deciding the outcome of the Great War. Without the utilization of modern weaponry and other technology the allies may have not been able to break deadlocks as successfully as they did and perhaps may not have been victorious over the Germans in October of 1918. However, trench warfare did not ultimately decide the outcome as the allied naval blockade of Germany and entry of the USA into the war contributed just as much to the overall result of the war.
...
Reference List:
Electronic Sources:
* 'The Impact of the USA's Entry into WWI', accessed 8 April 2010,
<http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/5/31/536/60271>
* 'Why Did a Stalemate Form on the Western Front', accessed 20 April 2010,
<http://www.coursework.info/GCSE/History/Modern_World_History/International_relations_1900-1939/Why_did_a__stalemate_form_on_the_Western_L120030.html>
* 'Germnay's 1918 Offensive', accessed 20 April 2010,
<http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch08b.htm>
* 'Allied Naval Blockade of Germany', accessed 8 April 2010,
<http://www.historyman.co.uk/ww1/Blockade.html>
* 'World War One - End of the War', accessed 20 April 2010,
<http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/end_of_war.htm>'
* 'The German Offensive March 1918', accessed April 2010,
<http://www.pap-to-pass.org/Offensive.htm>
* 'The Western Front', accessed 7 April 2010,
<http://www.richthofen.com/ww1sum/>
* 'Reasons for Stalemate on the Western Front', accessed 20 April 2010,
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/23580895/Reasons-for-the-Stalemate-on-the-Western-Front>
* 'Advancements In Weapons Technology in WWI', accessed 19 April 2010,
<http://studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=230>
* 'United States Enters World War One, 1917', accessed 13 April 2010,
<www.thenagain.info/webchron/world/uswwi.html>
* 'How did the blockade on Germany's ports help the Allies to win World War 1?', accessed 13 April 2010,
<http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_blockade_on_Germany's_ports_help_the_Allies_to_win_World_War_1>
* 'Trench Warfare', accessed 8 April 2010,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_warfare>
Material Sources:
* McCallum, A, 2005, 'Evidence of War', Henieman
* Shermer, D, 1975, 'World War I', Octopus Books LTD
* Spencer C. Tucker et al, 2005, 'The Encyclopedia of World War I : A Political, Social, and Military History', ABC-CLIO
en.wikipedia.org
2 studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com
3 McCallum, A, 2005
4 www.coursework.info
5 www.scribd.com
6 studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com
7 studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com
8 studenteducationforum.ipbhost.com
9 www.historyonthenet.com
0 www.fsmitha.com
1 www.historyonthenet.com
2 www.pap-to-pass.org
3 wiki.answers.com
4 wiki.answers.com
5 www.historylearningsite.co.uk
6 www.bookrags.com
7 www.historyonthenet.com
Stage Two Modern History - Topic: The Great War
Research Based Essay - The Nature and Impact of World War One
Hayley Radford 2010 Word Count: 1346
