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The Start of the War
The war started after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. During the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States (Allied Powers). Thanks to new military technologies and trench warfare, World War I saw the millions of casualties, civilians included. -
Machine Guns
They were ere portable and easy to use because of that Germans were the first to use machine guns. The French and the British still saw war as a "gentlemen's game" so they were reluctant to use them. German machine gunners exploited the weapon’s long-range accuracy, power, and ability to fire more rounds per minute allowed them to have an advantage for a little time. Once the Allied powers started using machine guns it became a stalemate because of trench warfare to avoid the machine guns. -
Trench Warfare
Trenches are long, deep ditches dug used as defenses against attack. But they became a fundamental part of the strategy with the influx of modern weapons of war. Long, narrow trenches dug into the ground at the front, usually by the infantry soldiers who would occupy them for weeks at a time. People also thought it would provide some protection against gases. It was horrible living conditions, often times it flooded or it was very cold. There was little to no room to walk around. -
Poisonous gas
The first major gas attack dropped 18,000 gas shells on the Russian lines, each one filled with the chemical xylyl bromide, an early form of tear gas. It didn't have much effect but Germans soon learned from it and dropped chlorine on the French. While Germany, Britain, and France strove to develop new and more effective gases, it continued to be thought of as a "dirty weapon". There were three different gases that caused people to drop out or die, like Phosgene, Mustard gas, and Chlorine gas. -
Gas Masks
They were used to protect people from inhaling toxic gases. The mask has a cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes. From the first gas attacks, a response was cotton wool wrapped in muslin. As more and more gases were used they created the Black Veil Respirator, which was a cotton pad soaked in an absorbent solution secured over the mouth using black cotton ceiling. As better masks were developed they also developed masks for animals like horses and, dogs. -
Flamethrowers
Only the German army deployed flamethrowers in the early use, they were regarded as siege equipment and issued to pioneer units, But later recalled. Some officers were convinced of the potential of the flamethrower as a weapon and a technological advance. Officer Bernhard Reddemann (German) was tasked with setting up a flamethrower sector. People were convinced that the flamethrower was best used to add a shock-effect to infantry assaults. The first attack was against the French at Malancourt. -
Interrupter Gear
It wasn’t quite clear how it would work since the propeller blades got in the way but in the first attempt, the U.S. Army tied a gun to the plane with a leather strap, requiring two people to operate. Another solution was mounting the gun above the pilot but this made it hard to aim. In 1913 a Dutch designer created a cam that attached to the propeller shaft allowing the gun to fire between the blades. in 1915 Allies and Central powers created their own versions. -
Tanks
Tanks were used in previous wars but the technology itself has improved. They were first used in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, the British sent out twenty-eight tanks. Because the tanks were so heavy they never reached above four miles per hour. They were important because they increased mobility and broke the standoff of trench warfare. By 1918 the two sides produced more than 6,500 tanks but most were destroyed during one of the last wars. -
Tracer Bullets
Fighting at night was hard because there was no way to see where you were shooting. This was made easier by the British invention of tracer bullets. Tracer bullets are rounds which emitted small amounts of flammable material that left a phosphorescent trail. The first attempt, in 1915, was limited to 100 meters and there was little to no trail. The second tracer model developed in 1916, had a light green trail. The unexpected benefit from these is the flammable agent could ignite hydrogen. -
The End of the War
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that brought World War I to an end. It was signed on 28 June 1919. There was an armistice, signed on 11 November 1918, that ended the actual fighting. It took a long time to figure out a few things in order to sign the treaty. This Treaty forced Germany to accept their responsibilities, required them to disarm, make ample territorial concessions, and pay reparations to certain countries.
