World War I: From Movement to Stalemate

📋 Course Outline

1. Phases of WWI
2. 1914 Movement War
3. 1915-1917 Trench Warfare
4. 1918 Return to Movement
5. WWI Violence and Weapons
6. Civilian Impact

📖 1. Phases of WWI

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Movement War (1914): The initial phase of WWI characterized by rapid advances and mobile warfare. In August 1914, the German army invaded France, but their progress was halted at the Battle of the Marne in September 1914, leading to a stalemate. The Eastern front also saw German forces stopped by Russian and Allied resistance, marking the end of the movement phase.
• Trench Warfare (1915-1917): A period marked by the digging of trenches to defend positions and prevent enemy advances. Offensive attempts to break the deadlock resulted in high casualties and little territorial gain, exemplified by the Battle of Verdun in 1916, which caused over 300,000 deaths and 400,000 injuries with no significant territorial change.
• Return to Movement (1918): The final phase of WWI, initiated by the entry of the United States into the war in 1917. The strengthened Allied forces launched successful offensives, overcoming German resistance, culminating in the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918, and the end of the war.

📝 Essential Points