The First World War was a new type of war. It brought about horrific scenes of violence on an unprecedented scale, never before witnessed.
The First World War was a new type of war. It brought about horrific scenes of violence on an
unprecedented scale, never before witnessed. It became the cause of millions of deaths, and many
more casualties. It affected everyone, failing to discriminate on the grounds of race, class, colour or
nationality. New types of weapons were invented, capable of inflicting horrific injuries. A wave of
blood thirsty patriotism spread throughout Europe and for the first time civilians became a
legitimate target. For a war that was supposed to be over by Christmas, it lasted a long time.
There are four main factors which affected the final outcome of the war: the war at sea, the war in
the air, the home front and the western front. The following essay will compare and dissect the
aforementioned factors, demonstrating how each aspect was beneficial to the allies winning the war.
The War at Sea:
The navy was paramount to the success of the allies during the war. Britain relied (as an island)
heavily on its navy to supply the country with various supplies. The navy was used to guard
merchant ships and other vessels entering Britain, from the German U-boats and battle cruisers.
The Royal Navy guarded the path of the Merchant Navy and were often referred to as the soldiers
of the sea. If the Germans had been successful in trying to block supplies from entering Britain,
starvation would have been indefinite. The Royal Navy were the soldiers of the sea and they
guarded the path of the Merchant Navy, who carried the supplies. If the Royal Navy had been
beaten this in turn would have led to the destruction of the merchant navy. If the Merchant navy
was unable to supply Britain with supplies then all of the other fronts would suffer as a
consequence. The soldiers in the Western Front would starve enabling the Enemy Armies to
advance. The Pilots and Soldiers would have no ammunition as metal was imported and so they
would have nothing with which to attack the enemy. The Home Front would become demoralised
through lack of food and would be left with the choice of surrendering or starving to death.
When the war first began it was expected that all of the major battles at sea would be between the
dreadnought battleships. There was infac6 only one major naval battle; this was the Battle of
Jutland in May 1916. The Battle was between ships 15 kilometres away from each other. The
Germans had an advantage over the British as their gunners were more accurate and their shells
more destructive, and the British ships had thinly armoured gun turrets. At this battle the British
lost 14 ships, 3 of them powerful cruisers, and 6000 men killed. The German losses were 11 ships
but only one of these was a battle cruiser; 2550 German men died. The Germans claimed victory as
they had fewer losses.
The Germans were desperate to break the blockade of their ports by the British fleets, and to set up
their own blockades of the British Fleet. The Germans could not do it, and the British blockade
continued up until the end of the war, which starved Germany, that could be why the Germans last
offensive failed. The German soldiers were weak and the last of them were inexperienced. This is
one reason why the allies won the war.
Submarines became a key feature of the war at sea. Germans combated British sea power with its
submarines called u-boats. In 1915 the Germans declared they would attack any boat that tied to get
through their blockade of the British Isles. There after U-boats destroyed a great number of boats
heading for Britain.
It was a new weapon called the torpedo that made submarine warfare so effective. Even the
mightiest battleship was vulnerable to a torpedo from the smallest submarine. The mine also came
into its own as a devastatingly affective weapon in the war at sea. Another tactic was for submarines
to lay mines in harbours to catch enemy ships by surprise as the set out to sea.
In May 1915 a U-boat torpedo, without warning the British passenger liner the Lusitania off the
coast of Ireland. Among the 11987 [passengers that died were 128 Americans. This caused
tremendous outrage in Britain and the USA. The British government new that there was illegal
ammunition on the ship, but basically lied to the public. This was one of the factors that brought the
USA into the war. The Germans made a disastrous mistake by bombing many more American
cargo and passenger ships. A German general also tried to plot against the USA by attempting to get
Mexico to invade America. The Americans were made aware of this and so came into the war and
helped the western front. With them they brought equipment and thousands of strong healthy men.
The Americans turned the war around for the allied forces. The convoy system was introduced by
the Royal Navy in April 1917 which meant that merchant ships were grouped and protected by anti
submarine warships called 'destroyers'. This was affective because the Germans chance of shooting
a merchant ship was only one in twenty when all the other ships were surrounding it. The rest of
the convoy could then make their escape.
The war at sea had an impact as expected on the outcome of the war, but no more so than any of the
other factors. The advantage was that without it the Americans might not have entered the war as
soon as they did. The war at sea boosted the morale of people at home, as battles at sea were
exciting to read and hear about. During the war, victories were crucial but not decisive. The war at
sea successfully brought ...
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the convoy could then make their escape.
The war at sea had an impact as expected on the outcome of the war, but no more so than any of the
other factors. The advantage was that without it the Americans might not have entered the war as
soon as they did. The war at sea boosted the morale of people at home, as battles at sea were
exciting to read and hear about. During the war, victories were crucial but not decisive. The war at
sea successfully brought Germany to its knees, as the country like most of Europe, was both
starving and weak. After four years of suffering Germany like all of the others involved in the war
also wanted an end to the suffering. The last German offensive was a failure due to a shortage of
food, a flu epidemic and the weakness of its men. The war at sea was beneficial to the allies
winning, but would not have been a success without the other fronts.
The War in the Air:
The Allies and the central powers during World War One made great advances in aviation. Each side
competed to have better aeroplanes than the other side. Aeroplanes were used mainly to observe
enemy activities. Pilots carried guns to shoot enemy planes but a pilot risked shooting himself if a
bullet bounced off a propeller. The aeroplanes were highly unreliable and dangerous, and the loss
of pilots was high. At the beginning of the war they did the same job as observation balloons. Soon
their mobility meant that commanders used them for detailed reconnaissance work over enemy
trenches. The photographs they took were very valuable. At the battle of the Marne they spotted a
potential break in the allied lines which could have been fatal for the allies.
Enemy aircraft would be sent to shoot down reconnaissance flights and in the early days of the war
the dog fight emerged. In the beginning of the war pilots used pistols and rifles as it was not until
planes were successfully fitted with machine guns. These guns were synchronized so that they did
not shoot through their own propeller. By 1918 spectacular dog fights were common over the
western front. The rickety early planes had given way to sleek fighters like the 'Sopwith camel' and
the 'Fokker Triplane'.
In 1915 Germany developed a machine gun timed to fire between an aeroplanes revolving propeller
blades. The invention led to more deadly air combat and dog fights. A pilot who shot down five or
more enemy planes was called an 'Ace'. Many aces became national heroes. This aspect of fighting
captured the publics imagination. It seemed to give people what they were looking for in 1914;
honourable one against one combat between handsome young men. This boosted morale. The
newspapers picked up on stories about flying aces from early on in the war. The war in the air was
ideal for propaganda. It gave the public something else to look to instead of the darker and more
horrific side of the war. It was a retreat back to what was considered to be an honourable way of
fighting.
Each country had their own heroes: the most famous was probably Baron Von Richtofen and his
squadron or 'flying circus'. He shot down 80 Allied planes. The planes were a popular subject at the
time and were later the subject of many Hollywood movies.
In the early stages of the war airships were the most important form of flight. They were called
Zeppelins and were a key weapon in the war at sea. They flew higher and faster than any other
planes at the time, and it wasn't long before Germany saw their use as bombers. They were not large
enough to carry sufficient supplies of explosives to cause much damage. However they stirred up
fear among the civilians in cities and made it necessary to introduce blackouts. For the first time
in a war civilians were a legitimate target. The British government pulled back fighters to defend
Britain from the attacks. Once air defences improved it became clear that zeppelins were
vulnerable. By 1918 speedy, powerful fighter planes and accurate antiaircraft fire took a heavy
toll on these giant aircraft. The German bombing of London during the First World War on the final
outcome of the war.
War in the air had an equal affect on the outcome of the war as all of the other factors. What it
brought to the war was technological advancement. This furthered the war by allowing the allies to
know what the Germans were doing and if anything, powered the war at sea through
reconnaissance. Despite this fact they were only a side show to the Western Front. Aeroplanes were
significant to the war effort as they brought glamour and gave civilians and soldiers on the Western
front hope as well as heroes to believe in. This boosted the morale of the nation and helped the war at
sea, on the home Front and on the Western Front.
The Home Front:
The war of 1914-1918 was the first war that had an impact on everyone. No longer did a war involve
soldiers or men in the armed forces alone. Helpless civilians were also affected. The first world
War touched everyone at some point throughout its duration, and people who lived in cities were
the victims of bombardments by enemy planes.
The First World War was the fist time that blackouts were introduced, this was so German planes
would not know when they were over a city. The alarm would sound and everyone would take
cover in their bomb shelters until a second alarm sounded to say it was safe to come out.
When the war started Britain had only a small professional army. The government decided to invest
a lot of money into advertising aspects of the war; fighting for ones country and trying to encourage
patriotism. Posters and leaflets were plastered everywhere to promote and encourage recruitment to
the armed forces. Propaganda was vital to ensure men signed up. The British press reinforced the
governments recruitment drive with tales of German atrocities such as the murder of babies and
nurses and the raping of HELPLESS WOME. One of the most popular stories of the time was that
of German factories making soap from boiled corpses. The campaign to enrol men was very
successful and by 1916 over 2 million had enlisted. In 1916 the government introduced conscription
for men between the ages of 16 and 40 for the first time. This was due to many reasons; the number
of men volunteering for the war was dropping, the lower classes were conscribing which was
crippling the agricultural system whilst the upper classes did not volunteer. The war effort was only
attracting certain people and it was felt by most that not all men were playing their part.
Conscription meant that everyone, from all walks of life, helped their country.
Not everyone agreed with conscription, many members of parliament voted against it. Others did
not go to war due to political or religious beliefs. They were called conscientious objectors or
conchies. They had to appear in front of a tribunal to prove that they had valid reasons. If not they
were often put in prison where they were badly treated. Some chinches helped at the front as
stretcher bearers; these men had a life expectancy of about 3 days.
In 1914 the government introduced DORA this stood for the defence of the Realm Act. This gave
the government a wide range of powers, some of which included censorship of what the
public found out about the war and what enemy countries found out about the allies, thus ensuring
no piece of information got into the wrong hands. The government was able to use any building as
part of the war effort and to take over various industries including the coal industry, ensuring that
business men did not profit from production.
In 1915 the munitions crisis occurred due to the stalemate on the Western Front as armament and
weapons were running out. Men had to train with wooden sticks as there were insufficient rifles to
equip each man. The bombardment of enemy trenches could not continue if there were no shells.
Some soldiers were only allowed to use 3 rounds of shot per day. The situation was looking dire for
the government at this time. The daily male put the national scandal into circulation and as a result a
coalition government was formed so that all parties could work together. Lloyd George was made
Minister of Munitions.
One of the initial problems of the munitions crisis was that too many skilled young workers had
gone to war in search of better pay. The government had to recall many of these men. Another key
constituent of Lloyd Georges plan was to introduce women to the work force. In 1915 100,000
women enlisted for work however only 5,000 of these got jobs. The unions were worried that when
women took the jobs they would dilute the salary of the men's jobs. Lloyd George clearly stated that
women would earn the same amount as men and that their jobs would be complete when the war
was over. Many women worked in the munitions factories and by 1915 the situation had improved
and helped all fronts. It is recognised that without the assistance of the women the war would
probably been lost.
As men left for war an increasing number of women went into the professions usually dominated by
men. Women went into all fields of work including ship, coal , steel, transport and agricultural (land
girls) industries. However their made impact was in the munitions factories. Here the women were
in high risk jobs which affected both their skins and their lives. Toxic chemicals turned their skin
yellow and they were often labelled canaries as a consequence. Women paid the ultimate price as
many of the died of the cancer these toxic chemicals caused.
In1917 women aged over 30 were given the right to vote. The war had helped the men of the
country to realise that women were a part of a functioning Britain and that they to had a voice that
needed to be heard. Asquith a former Prime Minister, supported votes for women during the war
although he had previously apposed this when in power. The attitude towards women and their role
changed as a result of the war.
Under DORA the government had the right to secure land and use it for farm production. In 1917
the government had a problem, there was a shortage of food. A quarter of British ships were being
sunk by German U-boats in April and there was supposedly only six weeks of wheat left. As
supplies ran low prices rose. Shops closed early as they ran out of food. Poorer families starved
whilst the rich hoarded all of the food they could get their hands on.
The government reacted in a variety of ways. The earnings of industry workers rose and in May
917 voluntary rationing was introduced. The Royal family led the way by stating that hey were
reducing their ingestion of bread and such products by 25%. Posters were designed to encourage
economical consumption and in November the nine penny loaf was introduced. None of these
measures were affective so in 1918 compulsory rationing was introduced for bread, sugar, meat,
butter and beer. Each family was given a ration which was stamped when anything was bought.
There were heavy fines for those who tried to break the rules. Rationing was welcomed by most
and even improved the health of poorer people by the end of the war.
The Defence of the Realm Act also controlled the news that flowed in and out of Britain. The
British press was heavily censored and even the House of Commons was not always kept informed
of the goings on at the Western Front. Journalists were banned from travelling with the troops in
case stories were leaked to the British public, thus maintaining morale amongst civilians.
In 1916 the British government had to overcome one of its greatest challenges, the filming of the
battle of the Somme. The battle had raged on and many lives had been lost for only a few square
miles of land. The film sold out in cinemas all over the country. The footage was unique and
showed dying soldiers, and men going 'over the top'. The nation appreciated the tone of the film
and although people were shocked they appreciated the films realism. The film was a huge success
and saluted as a great piece of cinematography. For the government it achieved its aim by showing
the public that despite the absurd and horrendous number of casualties, the war was a worthy cause.
Propaganda was used to keep up morale as well as uniting all against the enemy.
The Home Front was as important and as vital as the other fronts. It supplied the troops with
munitions and the patriotism to convince those at home that their sacrifice was for a deserving
cause. This would not have continued without the propaganda and the governments policy of
protecting the public from hearing news that would destroy their trust. The Home Front was
successful due to the efforts of many women who were able to show the men in power that they
were as good as them. On a political the Home Front gave women confidence and a certain amount
of admiration from the countries men. The war would not have been won without this and was
beneficial to the success of the Allies, but it also needed the help of the other three fronts to
succeed.
Western Front:
When the war was first declared in 1914 it was expected to be over by Christmas. The public
thought that it would revolve around gallant young men on horse back charging against the
Germans and thus winning a lightning victory. They could not have been more wrong.
As soon as war was declared the Germans put the Schlieffen Plan into operation. Their aim was to
secure victory over France within six weeks and then turn their attention to Russia in the East. All
would have gone according to plan if Belgium had not put up such heroic resistance against
Germany and delayed them. The German commander Moltke had also to send a 100,000 troops
towards Russia who had mobilised more quickly than anticipated. The Germans were heading
towards Paris but were held up quite dramatically by the British troops even though they
outnumbered the British. The French launched a direct and grand attack on Germany but were
halted by machine gun fire. The Germans gathered their troops and headed towards Paris. However
the German troops advance too quickly and ran out of supplies, the German soldiers were also
exhausted.
The Allied troops desperately tried to save Paris, without France; Britain's chief Ally, the war would
be over. The Germans decided not to advance on Paris and instead chose to go around and attack
the French from behind. The French stopped the German advance on the river Marne but were
unable to force them to retreat. By the 8th of September each side had dug in to protect themselves,
using barbed wire, snipers and machine guns as a means of defence. These were the first signs of
stalemate. This stalemate lasted until 1918 with millions of lives lost and no land gained. The
trenches stretched fro the sea in the North too the Alps in the South.
The Germans launched several attacks on various Forts in Verdun and both sides resourced the
battle. By 1916 700,000 men had been killed and then French were close to collapsing. To help the
French the British led by Hague launched their offensive at the Somme, after a week of
bombardment the British advanced. There were 57,000 casualties on the first day and by November
.5 million men had died.
The atrocities of the battles of Verdun and the Somme were something the politicians and the public
were unprepared for. Military leadership was criticised and Hague became known as a bad
commander; a butcher who knew nothing about modern warfare. Hague was used to the old style of
war and was not prepared for the way things were in the new age of technology. At these battles
new technology and tactics, like the introduction of tanks and creeping ambush, set a president for
future wars. The Battles of Verdun and the Somme have since been recognised as a turning point
in the war although at the time they were thought of as a complete disaster.
In 1917 the Americans joined the war after the Germans declared unrestricted warfare on American
ships suspected of carrying armaments for the Allies, although America maintained neutrality. The
Germans accused the USA of having double standards. When the Germans tried to ally with Mexico
it was the last straw and America declared war on Germany on the 1st April 1917. Although this
was good news the Americans did not arrive immediately in force and the French continued to
struggle.
Top make matters worse the Russians had made peace with the Germans in 1917 as a result of the
Russian Revolution and the new communist regime. This was bad news for the Allies. It meant that
Germany could now mobilise hundreds of thousands of troops from the Eastern to the Western
Front. The German force increased as their army was no longer spread across Europe. A final attack
was planned under the command of Lundenhoff. However the power of Germany's army had
diminished as they were weak and tired. The troops were starved and their whole final offensive
failed largely due to the malnourishment of the troops.
Although the Germans had ended the stalemate it was the Allies who benefited. The Americans were
sending troops at a rate of 50,000 men per month. The troop were assisted by technologically
advanced tanks, aeroplanes and improved artillery.
In 1918 the Allied counter attack along the Western Front had reached the Hindenburg line and by
October the Germans were in full retreat. When the November Armistice came into effect the Great
War was finally over.
The Western Front was considered the most important by some. The public views of The Western
Front was far from reality. Letters from soldiers fighting on the front were censored and changed so
that the image of the heroic battles the Allies were fighting were not destroyed by the truth. It was
feared that if the truth were known it would result in havoc amongst the Allied Nations. Civilians
new nothing about the terrible conditions of the trenches and propaganda made the war look
much more glamorous than it really was News papers painted victorious pictures of trench war fare
and the public new no better as this was the first technically advanced war ever. The film of The
Battle of the Somme, changed that image and people became more aware of the tragedy of loss.
Recruitment numbers reduced during the war which was why conscription was introduced. Each of
the fronts played an important part in winning the war. The public viewed the Western Front as the
only War Front as this was where most of the soldiers were sent, although others were sent to
Gallipoli, The Balkans and the Middle East. The Western Front had the most casualties which is
why it will always be perceived as the most important.
The war in the air was vital for surveillance, advancements in aviation and morale boosting. It gave
the public something they could understand and believe in.
The war at sea proved to be a turning point for the Allies. The Allies starved the Germans into
surrendering, thus weakening them and rendering their last offensive unsuccessful. The war at sea
brought the Americans into the picture at a time when the Allies needed reinforcement. The
Americans brought with them artillery, equipment and strong healthy men at a time when they were
most needed. The war at sea also supplied the troops on various fronts with food and ammunitions
so that they were as strong as circumstances would permit.
The Home Front was the provider of men for enlistment, was the centre for propaganda and made
ammunitions and artillery to be used by the troops. DORA was introduced as part of the Home
Front offensive to protect civilians and information, and brought women into action replacing the
men who were away. The Home Front also provided nurses and kept the nation at Home running
smoothly so that the men could return to an organised country at the end of the war. The Western
front was where the fighting took place where thousands of men died and where some of the most
heroic and dangerous battles ever took place. The men on the Western Front clearly had the hardest
task with variable weather conditions and the dreaded over the top manoeuvre. It was also the most
traumatic but it would not have succeeded without the help and combination of the other three fronts.
The Allied victory was due to an amalgamation of effort from all the fronts.