WWI: Course of the War Presentations
Course of the War Presentations
By the end of 1914: Germany had the better-trained armies, however it had also been revealed that Germany’s sole ally was very weak (Austria-Hungary). Ottoman Empire had also declared war. Germany was also now fighting a war on two fronts.
In the long run, the advantage lay with the other side, the Entente.
1915: Gallipoli Campaign
Till 1916
Complete fail attempt by the Allies to control the sea route from Europe-Russia
Winston Churchill’s idea. The Gallipoli campaign almost ruined his political career. (He’s a right-wing conservative who hated communism. Started his career, as a politician in the liberal party, became a conservative in the 1920s. Was an up and coming politician, minister in Herbert Asquith’s war cabinet. Essentially a naval minister.)
Purpose: glory of Britain. An attempt to defeat the Ottoman Empire and get them out of the war. It was a stalemate, they were desperate. Every attempt at reaching a breakthrough had failed. The war had dragged on for months. The idea was to think out of the box and do something different. Defeating the allies of Germany to make Germany easier to take down. Take down the “old sick man” – Turkey. Knock the ally out of the war clearly an advantage. Russia had no waterfront, and therefore could not sail in winter. The Ottoman Empire would declare war on Russia, and would come in from the Odessa Port, the only usable port – a major port in the Black Sea. Russia wants to access the Adriatic/Mediterranean and then on to the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean etc through the Suez Canal. However, in order to get to the Mediterranean, they have to pass through the Turkish straits, which they could block. Other problem: they could not sail out, and so nothing could come in either. The Britain and French could not get any supplies in to assist their ally, Russia, which was struggling badly. Final reason: by defeating Turkey, they were hoping that another country would enter the war: Bulgaria,
By the end of 1914: Germany had the better-trained armies, however it had also been revealed that Germany’s sole ally was very weak (Austria-Hungary). Ottoman Empire had also declared war. Germany was also now fighting a war on two fronts.
In the long run, the advantage lay with the other side, the Entente.
1915: Gallipoli Campaign
Till 1916
Complete fail attempt by the Allies to control the sea route from Europe-Russia
Winston Churchill’s idea. The Gallipoli campaign almost ruined his political career. (He’s a right-wing conservative who hated communism. Started his career, as a politician in the liberal party, became a conservative in the 1920s. Was an up and coming politician, minister in Herbert Asquith’s war cabinet. Essentially a naval minister.)
Purpose: glory of Britain. An attempt to defeat the Ottoman Empire and get them out of the war. It was a stalemate, they were desperate. Every attempt at reaching a breakthrough had failed. The war had dragged on for months. The idea was to think out of the box and do something different. Defeating the allies of Germany to make Germany easier to take down. Take down the “old sick man” – Turkey. Knock the ally out of the war clearly an advantage. Russia had no waterfront, and therefore could not sail in winter. The Ottoman Empire would declare war on Russia, and would come in from the Odessa Port, the only usable port – a major port in the Black Sea. Russia wants to access the Adriatic/Mediterranean and then on to the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean etc through the Suez Canal. However, in order to get to the Mediterranean, they have to pass through the Turkish straits, which they could block. Other problem: they could not sail out, and so nothing could come in either. The Britain and French could not get any supplies in to assist their ally, Russia, which was struggling badly. Final reason: by defeating Turkey, they were hoping that another country would enter the war: Bulgaria,