Trench warfare
The British and French were also getting defeated at some stages in the war. Churchill who is in charge of the entire British navy (First Lord of the Admiralty). Churchill’s war tactics were diversion, weak southern front, sea power, he wanted to attack Germany from the East (this was similar to the Schlieffen plan; war of movement). He wanted to break the deadlock. He also wanted to knock Turkey out of the war and keep Russia in the war. He wanted to open up a new front so an attack from the East can be made possible. February 1915, the naval force heads towards the Dardanelles. British, Australian and New Zealanders composed the navy. The Dardanelle campaign failed and because of this, Churchill had to resign from the government.
More to add to the reasons, another reason was the balance of alliances. In the late 1914s the Ottoman Empire joins the triple alliance. While on the other hand Italy joins the triple entente in March 1915. Bulgaria also joined the triple alliance. Romania who disliked Bulgaria joined the triple alliance in the late 1916.
A reason for why the central powers were defeated was the British naval blockade. The first stage was the imposition of the British Blockade under Winston Churchill. British battleships sail up and down the German coast, maintaining the Blockade. The problem was however is that Germany borders more land than it does by sea, therefore it can get resources from other neighboring countries so it was not as effective as blockading an island. Moreover maintaining a blockade is an expensive task. The blockade nonetheless had an effect it did help bring the war to an end however it is a long term weapon.
The Germans reacted to the blockade by sending warships, U-boats and submarines in order to destroy British communications, food supplies and to kill soldiers. The Germans were sinking a lot of ships. However in May 1915 the Germans sank a ship call Lusitania were 115 American citizens were killed. After the sinking of Lusitania, the Germans had to end submarine warfare in order to prevent America from entering the war and fighting against Germany. The British blockade was operating permanently after that.
On January 1917 Hindenburg, a German general, seized the Kaiser and convinced him to undergo unrestricted submarine warfare. This was very successful at the beginning as many British ships were sinking and Germany and the central powers looked as if they were going to win the war.
As a response to the new war in the Atlantic, the Untied States entered the war in March 1917 and declared war against Germany this changed everything. The Americans entered the war because of the resumption of the submarine warfare and the Zimmerman telegram. The Zimmerman telegram was a telegram from the Germans encouraging the Mexicans to invade Texas. The British however intercepted the telegram and gave it to the Americans. The entry of the Americans played a critical role in the victory of the entente.
The war at sea lasted very long and the British were losing a lot of ships to the German U- boats. In April 1917 875,000 tons was the total weight of British sunk ships. However in 1918 the effects of the blockade were starting to come in place. Nitrate and pork supply in Germany was decreasing. In 1916 the meat ration in Germany was equivalent to two burgers a week. Between 1914- 1918 300,000 Germans died of malnutrition, this shows the effect of the blockade. By the summer of 1918 many Germans were close to starvation. In November 1918 there were social and political revolutions in Hamburg, Kiel, Berlin, and Wilhelmshaven. So in conclusion the war at sea played a vital role in the defeat of the central powers as because it brought America to fight against Germany and despite the U boat campaign the British blockade was much more effective and was a key factor in the defeat of Germany and the central powers.
One of the main reasons for the defeat of the central powers was the USA entering the war. The United States entered as an associated power. Although the USA had one of the smallest armies in the world, it was economically prosperous (food supplies, good equipment, etc…), industrially strong (iron, steel, guns, engines) and they could send a liberty ship every day. Moreover, US troops were “fresh”, young, fit and optimistic, they were trained efficiently and well equipped and thus could fight more effectively. The US joining the war also elevated the morale of British and French fighting soldiers. By the summer of 1918 250,000 American troops were going to Europe every month.
A reason for why the central powers lost the war was the change of leadership in Britain and France. On December 1916, As Quith resigned as Prime Minister. David Lloyd George replaces him. Lloyd George promised a knockout blow against Germany. In France the army seemed to be on the verge of collapse and at this stage in November 1917, George Clemenceau became Prime Minister of France. He said “Je fais le Guerre” – “I make war” Clemenceau hated the Germans because he was the French mayor when France was under siege he restored leadership in the French army. He was dedicated to the defeat of Germany.
Another reason for the central powers were defeated in the war was the defeat of the Germans in the war in the air. In spring 1918 Boron Von Richthofen a famous German pilot was shot down. The British had also built new and improved aircrafts such as the Sopwith pup Camel, SE 12. And in 1918 the Royal Flying Corps became the Royal Air Force and the RAF contained 23,000 fighters.
More to add a reason for why the central powers were defeated in the war was because of the German spring offensive also known as the Ludendorff offensive. The whole philosophy of the Spring Offensive is an all out attack on Britain and France before America really gets her men involved. The Ludendorff offensive was very effective; the Germans were successful in pushing back the French and the British. In July the offensive was held at the River Marne the Germans committed all their front line troops and their reserves. The Germans haven’t got any troops to call on anymore.
A vital reason for why the central powers were defeated in the war was that in 1918, the allies had a new united military leadership; under Marshall Foch (the Great French General), Haig (British) and Pershing (America). The three generals coordinated their attack; this was more effective because instead of each military leader following his own plan, the plans were unanimous. Even while the Ludendorff offensive was going on, Foch, Haig and Pershing were storing ammunition and resources. After the German retreat, the allies launched their counter attack By 1918. Haig implemented new tactics such as the creeping barrage (the artillery can keep moving forward while the troops move forward). By 1916 tanks were used and this greatly contributed to the loss of the Germans, the tanks could go over the barbed wire. The counter attack lasted almost 100 days The Germans were pushed back into the German borders and the Germans were out of artillery, ammunition and reserve troops. The Germans couldn’t understand the new tactics. This psychologically destroyed the Germany army.
Another vital reason for the central powers were defeated in the First World War was the collapse of Germany’s allies. Firstly, was the collapse of Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary did well against Italy. However in the end they were defeated by Italy in the battle of Veneto. Austria-Hungary had also faced problems fighting Russia. Austria-Hungary was also a multi-national empire and so people the Czechs, the Serbs, the Bosnians refused to fight for Austria-Hungary. And when Austria-Hungary new emperor Charles became emperor he wanted to make peace and so he surrendered. Secondly was the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire did well in the Dardanelles in 1915. However the Christians in the Balkans and the Arab revolt in the Middle East had forced the Ottoman Empire to collapse. Thirdly, there was Bulgaria. Bulgaria had too many enemies (the Greeks, the Romanians, the South Slavs and many other). The Bulgarians were also not too happy to be fighting on the same side of the Ottoman Empire. And finally by 1918 Bulgaria was suffering great hardship, and economic difficulties. And so the Bulgarians also collapsed. So Germany now had to choices either to surrender or to fight Britain, USA, and France alone.
In the end Hindenburg advised the Kaiser to surrender. The Germans surrendered to America in the end they thought they would get the best deal from Presidents Wilson fourteen points. The British and French could have easily taken Berlin but they refused to do that, they wanted to do peace. So in conclusion there are many reasons for the defeat of the central powers. But the main reasons were the British naval blockade, the entry of the USA into the war, and the collapse of the German allies. 60 million European troops were mobilised for the war. 8 million were killed, 7 million were permanently disabled, and 15 million were seriously injured.
