Gas was another new technology that was used in the breaking of the stalemate. The first country to use gas was Germany; this was mainly down the fact that Germany was a main manufacturer of chemicals. It accounted for more than 80% of the world's dye and chemical industry. This was foul play by the German as the use of gas had been banned in the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. Chlorine gas was the first to be used by the Germans in April 1915 at the second battle of Ypres in Belgium, after this came mustard gas and phosgene and other different gases. After Germany used gas Britain and France had no choice but to retaliate with gas also. The first of the defences against gas was wet rags, after this came issued gas masks which worked but their were still some deaths. Gas caused over a million deaths but had no major impact on the war. I think that gas added a more terrible way of dyeing and gave no great advantage the country using it except for causing great paint and torture to the enemy soldiers.
Another new technology was Aviation. As other technologies it made many different changes through the war and progressed greatly. The early planes in war were unarmed but this quickly changed, they started to use spears and handheld weapons. This quickly led to an arms race between the two sides. A key change to the plane was the interrupter gear which allowed the pilot to have a machine gun mounted directly behind the propeller and shoot on the planes line if sight. As stalemate began neither sides were able to advance much before being pushed back into their original trenches by the enemy. Planes quickly took on the role collecting intelligence on enemy positions and bombing enemy supplies. Bomber planes were much bigger than fighter planes so were an easy target to fighters. Observer planes now started to take fighters as protection on its missions. Next to enter the war in the way of aviation was the Germans with Zeppelin’s. These were to take out bombings on British city's to lower moral at home and let them know they are not safe in their own homes. Another part of war aviation was balloons which had two men in that observed enemy positions but the size of balloons made them an easy target. I think that aviation made a contribution to keeping the western front in stalemate because it gave away enemy positions regularly which helped each side become aware of what its enemy was doing.
New technology did contribute to the breaking of the stalemate on the western front especially the tank, this new invention was never used before in war and helped the British get a great upper hand on Germany but it did not help to make the winning tactics that helped the German break stalemate.
Another of the four points that helped break the stalemate was the entry of America into the war. America since the start of the war had isolated themselves and tried to stay out of it. When British ships blockaded the German ports, they cut off the supply to the USA with put them in a state that was putting pressure on their economy and state of living. This therefore forced the USA in to World War 1. At first the USA only sent they’re AEF (American Expedition Forces) which had little numbers at not much effect on the state on fighting. Nine months later America declared war and started to send over troops at constant rate by 1918 USA had 1.5 million troops in Europe. On the 18th July 1918 the French made a huge attack on Germany from the Forest of Villers-Cotterêts. This attack on Germany involved USA with two divisions of men amounting to 54,000. The allies were now planning a major attack on Germany that would be headed by a 100 divisions of American soldiers. Germany could only gather 300,000 youths to defend from this attack, so now Germany needed to find a way to not fight and loose more soldier in a loosing battle. This lead to the armistice in November 1918 which then lead to The Treaty of Versailles.
Another main factor to the breaking of the stalemate was the blockading of German ports. The idea of the British navy was to block off German ports and not allow ships to pass in or out without being searched by the British for contraband supplies. This action caused a war of attrition and hunger in Germany and its allied countries. This hunger lasted until the treaty of Versailles had been signed. This helped to break the stalemate because it weakened the Germans for attack which made them more venerable against the allies.
The German offensive was the last of the four major aspects that helped break stalemate on the western front. In the spring of 1918 the Germans had had 500,000 added to the western front from Russia. The allies expected an attack from the German but they did not know where it would be. The British strengthen the north of the western front and the French did as much as they could with the southern part of the line. The weakest part of the line was in the British part near Cambria. Where there were not many reserves and the trench systems were either not complete or inadequate. The Germans knew this from their reconnaissance planes. The Germans fired one million artillery shells at the British lines held by the Fifth Army – over 3000 shells fired every minute. This was shortly followed by a storm trooper attack; storm troopers were hard hitting soldiers which quickly moved on the next target. At the end of the first attack 21,000 British prisoners were captured. The Germans also opened up Paris as a target for artillery, which they bombarded the city with. The Germans had done exceptionally well up to know but know their own speed was killing them. The storm troopers were moving that fast that the supplies could not keep up with them so they were ill equipped and dieing of starvation. This was a major factor in the breaking of the stalemate which started out bad for the allies but ended up playing to their advantage.
In conclusion I think that the German offensive was the most important aspect in breaking stalemate in 1918. I think this because this was the major attack on the western front that helped both side at certain times and helped either side to play to their advantage and to use their resources best. Once the German attack had penetrated the western front it allowed for the German army to pass either side of the line an flank their enemy, but also when the Germans broke through the line they covered too much ground too quickly which did not help in getting supplies to the German soldiers. I think that if all four aspects had not talked place the outcome of the war may not have been as drastic or maybe not even the same. If the British did not blockade the ports America would not have joined the war, the Germans would have supplies and they would be a lot more efficient and ready to fight. Overall I think that for the outcome that took place it needed a combination of all four of the different parts to break the stalemate.
