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Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg lasted from August 26 to 30 of 1914. It was fought between Russia and Germany, and it is the first battle of World War I to be fought on the Eastern Front. Since Russia was larger and more powerful, they were favored to win easily, but the Germans were victorious in the end. This battle is significant because while Russia lost 250,000 men, it diverted the Germans from attacking France, which allowed France to counterattack at the First Battle of the Marne. -
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Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg was fought between Russia and Germany, and it is the first battle of World War I to be fought on the Eastern Front. Since Russia was larger and more powerful, they were favored to win easily, but the Germans were victorious in the end. This battle is significant because while Russia lost 250,000 men, it diverted the Germans from attacking France, which allowed France to counterattack at the First Battle of the Marne. -
First Battle of the Marne
The First Battle of the Marne was fought from September 6 to 10, 1914. It was between France and Germany and was significant because it marked the beginning of trench warfare. German armies intended to capture Paris but withdrew northwards along Lower Aisne River because they were short supplies and worn from counterattacks. The battle resulted in France saving Paris from German capture and pushing them 45 miles away and was a great strategic victory. -
Battle of Gallipoli
The Battle of Gallipoli was fought from April 25, 1915, to January 9, 1916. It was launched by Allied forces knock out the Turkish Ottoman Empire that sided with Germany. The Allies sailed a huge fleet across the Mediterranean towards Istanbul in hopes of capturing it but failed miserably as many ships were sunk by Ottoman cannons. This battle was significant because the Ottoman victory propelled lieutenant colonel of the 19th Turkish division Mustafa Kemal Ataturk to prominence. -
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun lasted from February 21 to December 18, 1916. It was one of the longest of the war and it began with Germans on the offensive as they breached the French front lines. They captured Fort Vaux but in the fall France counterattacked and recaptured Fort Vaux which the Germans had deserted. From December 15th to 18th, the French retook territory they had lost since February 21st. After the battle ended there were over 700,000 victims from both sides. -
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was fought from May 31 to June 1 of 1916. It was between the British and Germans, and was the biggest naval battle of WWI, involving 250 ships and about 100,000 troops. It occurred in the North Sea. Eventually, the outgunned Germans retreated to home. From then on, the Germans never seriously challenged the British control of the North Sea. It also secured the British control of shipping lanes so they put a blockade in place that caused Germany to be defeated in 1918. -
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme took place in 1916, from July 1 to November 18. It was a joint operation between British and French forces against the Germans. Taking place in northern France, the British tried to capture the German trenches, but for 141 days they captured only three square miles of territory. The British underestimated the Germans, so they regrouped to reclaim lost territory. In five months, over a million soldiers from the French, British and German armies were killed or wounded. -
Battle of Passchendaele
The Battle of Passchendaele was fought from July 31 to November 10, 1917, in Ypres, a town along the British lines, between Germany and Britain. It is known for the sheer amount of widespread mud. In August the heaviest rains in 30 years turned the loose soil into mud which clogged rifles and halted tanks’ movements. Many men and horses drowned in this mud. On November 6 the little of what remained of Passchendaele village was captured by the British and Canadian forces. -
Battle of Cambrai
This battle took place from November 20 to December 4 in 1917. It happened in northern France between the British and Germans. Britain advanced 5 miles before Germany launched a counteroffensive which forced the British army to retreat. It is significant because it is the first time battle tanks were used on a mass scale in battle. This opened the way for use of sophisticated arms tactics and armored warfare in years that followed. Both the German and British each had casualties of about 45,000. -
Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Amiens took place from August 8 to 11, 1918. It was the opening phase of the Hundred Days Offensive, which is significant because it ultimately led to the end of the war. It was also one of the first major battles involving armored warfare. German forces advanced on Amiens, thinking it would hamper the British and their allies. The Allied counterattacks began and they fought for 4 days. It resulted in a large number of surrendering German forces.
