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World War 1 Battles
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Serbian Campaign
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After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princep, Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia. The Campaign opened with the a shelling of Belgrade on July 29, 1914, followed by the invasion of Serbia on August 12. Although outnumbered, Serbia held their enemies through 1914 and into 1915. They were finally defeated when the Germans and Bulgarians joined the Austrians in the Battle of Kosovo in late 1915. -
Battle of Tannenberg
VideoFollowing the failed Russian invasion of East Prussia, the Russians managed to defeat the Germans at Gumbinnen and push West. The Germans quickly moved to join the German Eight Army to halt the Russian advance. Despite being outnumbered, the Germans were able to inflict a huge defeat on the Russians at Tannenberg, considered by some to be the most lopsided defeat in the war. The Russians suffered 170,000 casualties to the Germans 12,000.
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Battle of Marnes
InfoDesperate to stop German forces, British and French forces met on the Marnes River, just outside Paris. The Allies were finally able to stop Germans pushing into France in a counterattack against the Germans, and forcing them to abandon their plan and retreat. This event is called the “Miracle on the Marnes”. Despite the Allied victory, the battle was a costly one; the Allied forces suffered 263,000 casualties, and the Germans 220,000. -
Battle of Gallipoli
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The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915-16 was an unsuccessful attempt by the Allied Powers to control the sea route from Europe to Russia. The campaign began with a failed naval attack by British and French ships on the Dardanelles Straits in February-March 1915 and continued with a major land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula on April 25. The Allies struggled to get the upper hand and suffered heavy casualties. They began evacuating December 15. -
Battle of Verdun
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The Germans staged a massive attack against the French fortress near the town of Verdun-sur-Meuse. Though the German goal was to capture the town, their main goal was to kill so many French they would be forced to retreat. The French, though, stubbornly defended Verdun resulting in heavy casualties for both sides. Nearly 40 million artillery shells were exchanged during the battle. The French lost 542,000 casualties, while the Germans lost 435,000. -
Battle of the Somme
InfoThe British prepared for the offensive with a massive several day artillery barrage on the German lines. They learned they failed when the British suffered 60,000 casualties on the first day of battle. The battle was ultimately indecisive as there was no breakthrough. But it forced the Germans to withdraw 40 miles and later set the stage for the final Allied victory in 1918. The Allies lost a total of 623,906 casualties, including 100 tanks and 782 aircraft. The Germans lost nearly 600,000 men. -
Battle of Gorizia
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Referred to as the Battle of Gorizia and proved easily the most successful of the eleven Isonzo attacks. In the wake of the near-disaster at Trentino, Chief Luigi Cadorna directed his forces towards the capture of Gorizia. An attack at Monfalcone became a confrontation and five days of fighting followed. The sixth battle proved the single noteworthy success of the Isonzo campaign. -
Battle of Guillemont
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An attack of the Somme Offensive, the Battle of Guillemont was intended to distract Germans away from the Romanian front, although the capture of Guillemont had been repeatedly attempted (and failed). A maze of underground tunnels, dug outs and concrete emplacements, Guillemont was a tough nut to crack.The attack finally saw Guillemont fall to the British. -
Battle of Shiala
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The Battle of Shiala comprised an action that was to rescue outnumbered British cavalry during the Samarrah Offensive. British Commander, Sir Frederick Maude, had determination to defeat a Turkish force. Meeting up with another Turkish Commander Khalil Pasha, he despatched cavalry to assist with attacks. A scramble for the high ground ensued, with the British reaching it first, and the Turkish arriving shortly after, they were beaten off. -
Battle of Ramadi
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Turk forces try to seize control of the Suez Canal. The British force (Australian, and New Zealand troops began to move towards him. Meanwhile the Turks, under German commander Kressenstein, were planning an attack on the canal. In response, the British deployed their forces. Kressenstein led his force back to El Arish where the Turks. had a victory. The British secured El Arish, clearing the Peninsula of Turks. -
Battle of Cambrai
VideoInfo
The Battle of Cambrai, was the first time tanks were used in significant force. Lieutenant-Colonel John Fuller of the Tank Corps persuaded Commander in Chief Sir Douglas Haig to use tanks at Cambrai in France. While neither side could claim a victory in the Battle of Cambrai, the offensive established the efficacy of the tanks. The battle provided a boost to the development of tanks in Britain. -
Spring Offensive
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Also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I. The Germans had realised that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the United States could be deployed.The strategic goals of the operation were lacking. By late April 1918, the danger of a German breakthrough had passed. The German Army had suffered heavy casualties. -
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
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The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was the last decisive battle in northern Italy of World War One. To push the Austro-Hungarian army out of Italy, victory at Vittorio Veneto was vital. Vittorio Veneto was chosen as the primary target as the town’s capture would split the Austro-Hungarians in two. At the start of the battle, the Italians had a marked advantage in artillery weapons. In just ten days into the campaign, the Italians had recaptured much lost land. -
Battle of Sharqat
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The final fight on the Mesopotamian Front, the Battle of Sharqat saw British Commander, Sir William Marshall secure control of the oilfields north of Baghdad. Lloyd George's government in London ordered Marshall to remove as much remaining Turkish influence. Its progress was swift: within two days it had covered 120km. There was a fight with Turkish Commander, Hakki. Within a day Hakki surrendered.
