HSC Modern History Year 2016 Mark 90.00 Pages 44 Published Dec 28, 2016 HSC Modern History World War 1 Notes By Patrick (98.05 ATAR)
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Your notes author, Patrick. Patrick achieved an ATAR of 98.05 in 2016 while attending Macarthur Anglican School Currently studying Commerce (Liberal Studies) at The University of Sydney Achievements: HSC Allrounder 2016 HSC State Ranking - 4th in Indonesian Continuers Patrick says: Graduated the HSC in 2016, received Band 6 results in English Advanced, General Mathematics, Modern History, Geography, Indonesian Continuers and Studies of Religion 1. HSC Allrounder for 11 units worth of Band 6 results and a state ranking of 4th in Indonesian Continuers.
CORE STUDY: WORLD WAR ONE 1914-18 I. War on the Western Front the reasons for stalemate on the Western Front Expectations of War - - When war broke out in August 1914 the feeling across Europe was the the war would be over by Christmas. - Military staff had faith in the idea of the knockout blow and the importance of speed and mobility. - All nations believed that they would be able to easily defeat their enemies and very quickly as well ->the idea of establishing defensive positions and holding them for years was not contemplated. - Complex mobilisation plans were formed -> involving the placing of a country s armed forces in a state of readiness for military action as soon as possible (needed to be quick to surprise enemy and be able to deliver the knockout blow). - Germany s mobilisation plans involved war against both France and Russia -> no difference between mobilisation and war in their eyes, there was no turning back. The Schlieffen Plan - - Plan put into action by the Germans due to the possibility of having to fight a war on two fronts between France and Russia simultaneously. - Based on pre-war European democracy, geography of Western Europe, railway communications and pre-war military leaders. - Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany before the outbreak of war, secured the diplomatic isolation of France and thus avoided the possibility of a war on two fronts. - However, after Kaiser Wilhelm II took over foreign policy in 1890 due to his lack of political skill by 1893 France and Russia had formed the Franco-Russian Alliance, which stated assistance if attacked by Germany. - This reality forced Germany to develop the plan. - Plan was based upon the assumption that it was possible to defeat France within six weeks then make way to the Eastern Front where the slow-mobilising Russia would attack.
- Germans sought to knock out France with a lightning attack and then with them defeated, focus the campaign on Russia. - Plan was created by Count von Schlieffen, Chief of General Staff, and was completed in 1905. - Forested highlands on the French-German border meant the Schlieffen planned a rapid advance through Belgium and Holland, then swing west and take Paris. - This motion is described by English historian David Thomson as the hammer-swing, and the German protective positions on the Eastern border as the hinge. - Danger wth the plan was that Britain signed the Treaty of London in 1839 which guaranteed Belgian neutrality, meaning this movement would bring war with Britain -> however was believed they would not honour this agreement. - Schlieffen realised success was dependent on hammer-swing being massive and rapid, only having 48 divisions on the hinge. - Schlieffen s successor Moltke made a series of crucial changes that proved disastrous. - Decided troops wouldn't move through Holland which restricted them to a narrow area to move through (bottleneck formed). - Also weakened the hammer-swing to strengthen hinge, which made it harder to reach the west of Paris and take the city. - Plan failed -> delays due to reduced area meant French and Belgians could mobilise and gave Britain time to send troops. Moltke then further weakened the hammer-swing, and therefore the thrust through Belgium. - Belgian resistance was strong, and British forces at Mons further slowed the offensive. - Moltke then ordered forces to swing East of Paris, where they were halted at the Battle of the Marne after France s mobilisation. - Germany failed to knock out France and faced a war on two fronts. The Battle of the Marne - - The German advance through France came to an end at the Battle of the Marne (fought near the Marne river; east of Paris) - Moltke had been forced to abandon the plan of attacking Paris from the West. - There were five German armies in France, with the First army s right flank exposed and the French attacking it was decided they would retreat. - However, this caused a gap between the First and Second armies that Britain prepared to enter and encircle the Germans.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) - With rumours that more British and now Russian troops had landed in Belgium and the French attacking at the Marne all the German troops were forced to retreat to the Aisne River. - Here they dug trenches to defend themselves. - This was the beginning of trench warfare, as the Germans aimed to defend their position. - Battle left one-tenth of France and the majority of their coal and iron under German control, however their advance had been halted. The Race to the Sea - - As each side dug trenches they attempted to outflank (go around enemy lines and attack from behind) their opposition. - Each attempt continued to fail and as a result the trenches were extended until November 1914 when they reached the sea and then fought the Battle of Ypres in Belgium. - Battle of Ypres ended in an allied victory as the Germans were denied control of the ports of Calais and Dunkirk, however its conclusion brought about the completion of the Western Front. - By early 1915, a line of trenches extended from the English channel in the North to the Swiss Alps in the South. Stalemate on the Western Front - - A stalemate occurs when neither side in a conflict can inflict a winning blow. - Another cause is defensive machinery outlaying attacking options -> machine guns. - After the formation of a line of trenches that made up the Western Front, there was a stalemate that would last for four years. - Both sides attempted to raid the enemy trenches in mass raids in order to try and break through but in most areas trenches remained static for the rest of the war. - Some areas saw hardly any fighting, others were bitterly contested.