New Weapons in World War I

1. New Weapons in World War I

2. World War I has been called the “first modern war”because it saw the introduction of MANY new and devastating weapons.

3. WEAPON #1: Trench warfare

4. WEAPON #1: Trench warfare ●Throughout much of the war, Allied troops and Germany fought each other from trenches—or large holes in the ground.

5. WEAPON #1: Trench warfare ●Throughout much of the war, Allied troops and Germany fought each other from trenches—or large holes in the ground. ●Soldiers would dig holes and lay barbed wire on top of them.

6. WEAPON #1: Trench warfare ●Throughout much of the war, Allied troops and Germany fought each other from trenches—or large holes in the ground. ●Soldiers would dig holes and lay barbed wire on top of them. ●Both sides would fire weapons into the other sides’ trenches. Because each side was underground, they could not escape the fire, and many, many, many men lost their lives.

15. ●However, neither side was usually able to capture the other side’s trench.

16. ●However, neither side was usually able to capture the other side’s trench. ● For most of the war, Allies and the Germans sat in their trenches, firing their weapons and killing each other without making any progress.

17. Warm-Up 1-27 • 5. Why was WWI more deadly than previous wars? • Technology • Advanced weapons • 6. Which weapon contributed to the stalemates of WWI? • Machine gun • 7. Which weapon turned WWI into a global war? • Submarine

18. WEAPON #1: MUSTARD GAS

19. WEAPON #1: MUSTARD GAS ●In 1917, the German army began using bombs filled with mustard gas against the Allies.

20. WEAPON #1: MUSTARD GAS ●In 1915, the German army began using bombs filled with mustard gas against the Allies. ●The poisonous gas causes the following: ●Blisters all over the body ●Damage to the lungs ●Temporary or permanent blindness.

21. A Deadly Weapon GAS • As World War I went on, poison gas was used more often everyday. • Introduced by the German army in 1915 at the Battle of Ypres, the gas could be shot out of a special gun or be bombed from planes. • The gas was made up of many different chemicals, including Chlorine and Phosgene and (Mustard Gas). Anyone breathing it could become very sick or even be killed instantly. German warning bell for gas. Australian infantry with gas masks, Ypres, 1917.

23. WEAPON #2: MACHINE GUNS ●The British Army introduced machine guns in World War I and shared them with their French and American allies.

24. WEAPON #2: MACHINE GUNS ●The British Army introduced machine guns in World War I and shared them with their French and American allies. ●For the first time, soldiers could fire hundreds of bullets at a time without reloading.

25. WEAPON #2: MACHINE GUNS ●The British Army introduced machine guns in World War I and shared them with their French and American allies. ● For the first time, soldiers could fire hundreds of bullets at a time without reloading. • ● The German Army soon developed its own machine gun, so both sides had them. • Rapid-fire made it nearly impossible to cross into no man’s land-leading to stalemates

28. WEAPON #3: Submarines

29. WEAPON #3: Submarines ●During World War I, the German Navy used submarines for the first time.

30. WEAPON #3: Submarines ●During World War I, the German Navy used submarines for the first time. • ●Submarines could go underwater and sink any other ship—military or regular—without warning. • They often sank merchant ships that were carrying vital supplies • Since submarines could go anywhere, they helped turn WWI into a global war.

34. WEAPON #4: Airplanes World War I was the first armed conflict in which airplanes played a major role.  When the war began, it was fought largely between ground forces, but as it progressed, the airplane began playing a larger and larger role. 

35. WEAPON #4: Airplanes • At first, airplanes simply observed enemy troop movements. • In 1915, Germany used zeppelins to bomb England. • Later, both sides used airplanes equipped with machine guns. • These dogfights were spectacular but had little impact on the war.

38. WEAPON #5: The TANK German Schwerer Kampfwagen A7V Gunners and drivers of a Canadian Army motor machine gun detachment cleaning their weapons and vehicles after a successful operation in the Somme area. Idea of the tank inspired by farming vehicles that used caterpillar tracks. Armored vehicles were already made, but they weren’t able to cross trenches. The first tank was used by the British at the Battle of Somme. The name tank came when the British tried to hide the armored cars in crates marked as “Tanks”. Maximum speed 3 mph. Breaking through Germans with a captured British tank; the tracks at the front are higher in order to climb obstacles, and the side-mounted guns keep the centre of gravity low. Climbing and crossing

39. The Tank The tanks were designed to move across broken ground and over barbed wire They moved very slowly They broke down often Did little to end the stalemate

40. RAFT Role: Soldier Audience: Loved one back home Format: Letter Topic: New weapons, life in the trenches, life at war