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Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg was fought between Russia and Germany. Two Russian armies invaded German East Prussia but advanced too quickly and separated. Due to the separation, German commanders attacked one of the armies near the Prussian village of Tannenberg. Injury and death casualties included around 30,000 Russian soldiers and 13,000 Germans. Germany defeated Russia in the battle, causing the Russian loss of half of the Second Russian Army and the suicide of General Alexander Samsonov. -
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First Battle of the Marne
The First Battle of the Marne was caused by the German advance towards Paris. Germany sought to invade Paris through Belgium and surround the French army to succeed in their "Schlieffen Plan". The First Battle of the Marne resulted in an estimated 250,000 casualties for both the French and German armies, and the British army suffered around 12,733 casualties. The French and British side won the battle, resulting in a prevention of the German advance and early success in World War I. -
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Battle of Gallipoli
The Battle of Gallipoli (Gallipoli Campaign) was a military operation on the Gallipoli peninsula in Ottoman Turkey. British, Australian, and New Zealand troops sought to gain control of the Turkish Dardanelles Strait to force the Ottoman Empire out of the war. There was an estimated amount of over 146,000 Allied casualties and around 250,000 Ottoman Empire casualties. The Ottoman Empire won this battle, resulting in a major loss of soldiers and causing the resignation of Churchill and Asquith. -
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Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres took place in the Ypres Salient of Belgium. This battle was triggered by the first broad use of Germany's new chemical weapon, chlorine gas, which was meant to position troops to the Eastern Front and gain territory to advance towards the English Channel. There were around 59,000 British casualties and 10,000 French casualties due to poison gas, compared to the 35,000 German casualties. The Allies won this battle, but Germany gained valuable high ground advantages. -
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Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun in France was fought between the French and German armies. The French fortress of Verdun held a symbolic significance to France, and Germany targeted Verdun to demoralize the French army and decrease French military numbers. There were over 375,000 French casualties and around 337,000 German casualties. France won the Battle of Verdun over Germany. The battle resulted in extreme casualties, damages to the city, and neither sides gained significant geographical progress. -
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Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was the largest naval battle of World War I. The British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet fought this battle off the coast of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The German fleet aimed to challenge the British fleet, causing the conflict of the battle. Britain suffered 6,097 casualties, and Germany suffered 2,551 casualties. Neither side won the naval battle, but as a result of the conflict, the British maintained military control and dominance of the seas. -
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Brusilov Offensive
In early 1916, France requested that the Allies divert Germany from the siege of Verdun by initiating attacks in other areas. This led to the Brusilov Offensive, a Russian attack on Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front. According to historical estimates, there were 500,000 to 1,000,000 Russian casualties and around 1.5 million casualties among the Central Powers. Russia won the Brusilov Offensive, resulting in a great loss for Austria-Hungary and some pressure relieved for France at Verdun. -
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Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was a joint effort between Britain and France to defeat Germany on the Western Front. The Allies formed a plan to attack Germany along the Somme River in France. The British army suffered nearly 420,000 casualties, the French army suffered around 200,000 casualties, and the German army suffered at least 450,000 casualties. The Allies won the battle, resulting in great losses for both sides, damage to the German position, and a morale boost that led to the German retreat. -
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Battle of Passchendaele
The Battle of Passchendaele was a conflict where Allied forces sought to take over the village of Passchendaele from Germany. The village was a crucial part of strategy in World War I, causing the battle for the village's advantages. Britain suffered around 275,000 casualties, and Germany suffered about 220,000 casualties. The Allied forces won the battle when Canadian forces captured the village. Following the battle, there was limited geographical progress after the high number of casualties. -
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Battle of Caporetto
The Central Powers targeted Caporetto for an attack due to the weakness of Italian forces near Kobarid. This led to conflict between the Central Powers and Italy. Italy suffered 40,000 casualties killed or injured with nearly 280,000 captured, and the Central Powers suffered around 50,000 casualties killed or injured. The Central Powers won the battle, resulting in the resignation of Italian Chief of General Staff, Luigi Cadorna, as well as Austro-German territorial progress to the Piave River. -
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Battle of Cambrai
The Battle of Cambrai was fought between Britain and Germany in northern France. The forces fought to capture both the St. Quentin Canal and the French town of Cambrai. There was an estimate of around 45,000 casualties for both sides. The Allies won the battle by pushing through Germany's Hindenburg Line defenses. This battle resulted in Britain's gain of Cambrai; however, they were later forced to retreat at Gonnelieu. The battle also marked the first broad use of tanks in World War I. -
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Spring Offensive
The Spring Offensive was a chain of major German attacks on the Western Front. Germany sought to undoubtedly defeat the Allies in these attacks. America's entry to World War I and Russia's withdrawal from the war led to the Spring Offensive. The Allies suffered about 250,000 casualties, and Germany suffered roughly 240,000 casualties. The Allies won the Spring Offensive; consequently, Germany failed to achieve strategic goals, which eventually led to their final defeat in World War I. -
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Second Battle of the Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne was Germany's last major attack on the Western Front. The German scheme to draw French troops away from Flanders in Belgium caused the conflict. Germany suffered over 168,000 casualties, while the Allies suffered near the same amount with Britain losing around 13,000, America losing about 12,000, and France losing roughly 95,000. The Allies won the battle; as a result, German forces were greatly weakened, and the Allies gained another major victory in World War I. -
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Battle of Belleau Wood
The Battle of Belleau Wood was fought between the Allies (America, Britain, and France) and Germany. The Spring Offensive, which was a series of German attacks on the Allies, eventually led to the Battle of Belleau Wood when American forces arrived on the Western Front. America suffered 9,777 casualties, while Germany suffered 9,500 casualties. The Allies won the battle; consequently, German forces were geographically pushed back. This victory gave the Allies a major hope in winning the war. -
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Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was a chain of Allied attacks on the Western Front that led to the end of World War I. The German Spring Offensive in early 1918 triggered the Allied attacks and led to the Hundred Days Offensive. The Allies suffered around 1,070,000 casualties, and Germany suffered close to 1,172,075 casualties. The Allies won this battle, which pushed back the German army and ended World War I. This Allied win resulted in their final victory of World War I on Armistice Day.