How did fighting differ on the world wars?

There were many differences in fighting in the first world war.

Firstly the locations of the two world wars were very different. The First World War was fought mainly in France with trenches dug for over 400 miles in length.

However the Second World War was fought worldwide in every continent excluding America in places such as the Pacific, North Africa, Europe, Norway/Finland, the Middle East, South East Asia, and China. It was fought on the ground, sea and in the sky. With World War 1 and trench warfare the strategy of both sides was more to defence than attack. They would guard themselves in the trenches and launch sudden attacks on the enemy. Chemical warfare was created in World War 1 for example the German’s used mustard gas to kill the enemy in the trenches.

Weapons such as tanks, mines, gas, artillery, planes and submarines were all fairer new. People did not really know how to use them many of them efficiently.

In World War 2 this machinery were much more developed and people were trained to use them. Hitler used the technique of “lighting war” or “blitzkrieg” where he used tanks, planes and artillery in a coordinated attack to immobilise the country he was invading. Radars were also used which allowed for example the Britain’s to see when the Germans were going to attack and stop them or get people to safety with ...

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Weapons such as tanks, mines, gas, artillery, planes and submarines were all fairer new. People did not really know how to use them many of them efficiently.

Other differences included that Churchill was prime minister in the Second World War and unlike Chamberlain he was not willing to negotiate. He was a motivational leader who did not underestimate Hitler. The Air force was also much more involved. In fact Britain’s first victory would come in the skies with the “Battle of Britain” In 2 weeks one quarter of all pilots had been killed or injured and all lacked rest but they were victorious in the end. Britain stood alone from 1940 to 1942 unlike when it fought with the allies, in World War 1. America stayed neutral through most of war and only joined when invaded in December 1941. They did however help Britain get supplies as Britain needed tools and food for the war effort and its people. In doing this the American’s suffered a loss of 921 ships in the Atlantic.

The most important and largest difference between the First and Second World Wars was that unlike the First World War the Second World War was a Total War. A Total War is when civilians as well as soldiers are affected and perish. Between 1939 and 1945 50 million people lost their lives making it the largest and most terrifying conflict ever seen. Compared to the whole of World War 1’s total of 22 million who were mainly soldiers, it really show you how much war can change after 21 years of supposed peace.

However a total war did allow people to be more involved in the war effort as they knew that many of them would die. The Home guard made up of those men who were too old or young to fight was set up and although they had a lack of artillery were ready to help their country.

In the First World War the horrors of the war were mainly hidden from the people at home but this could not be done in a total war.