World War I:

Total War

By Art Lewandowski
Fostoria High School
 A New Type of War –total war
 By 1914 most of Europe is at war
 New technology combined with old tactics
(fighting in lines) produces horrible casualty rates
– Poison gas
– Machine guns
– Tanks
– Trench warfare: soldiers dig in and stay to maintain
lines, 100,000’s die to win a few hundred yards
– Wireless radio (Russian, German, Brit usage)
 A New Type of War –total war
 Europe, Asia, and Africa engaged in the largest,
bloodiest conflict the world has ever seen
– Gallipoli 1915: approx. 160k dead
– Verdun 1916: approx. 300k dead
– The Somme 1916: Brits lose 60k in 8hrs!
 See Maps:
– http://www.the-map-as-
history.com/demos/tome05/index.php
– Note where Allies and Central powers would conflict
 Just about trade?

“Over the top??”

Why fight????
Why die????
 Just about trade? Why fight?
 Nationalism,
– What is a “nation?”
 New Science
–Darwin, Malthus, Mahan
 For survival of your nation, your home