Weapons and Equitment in World War I

World War I is considered the first ''modern war" due to industrialized powers fighting each other with industrialized militaries and weapons. New, advanced weapons and equipment were used during the war such as:

• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Gas
• Blimps (Zeppelin)
• Tanks
• Planes and Torpedoes
• Bayonet
• Pistols
• Grenades and Mortars
• Cannons

RIFLES
Rifles were the standard weapons for fighters in each country. Rifles were so abundant because they were cheap to produce, accurate and easy to carry. The British soldiers, unlike the Germans, used Lee-Enfield 300s and the Germans used 7.29 Mausers. Both guns were reliable and could fire 15 rounds in a minute, however, the Enfield was better for long distances. Unfortunately the Enfield gave little advantage because most battles were fought in trenches as close as 40 meters apart.

German Mauser

British Lee Enfield

MACHINE GUNS
Machine guns were less mobile than rifles, requiring 4-6 men to work on them and needing to be on a flat surface. However, machine guns had the fire power of 100 guns. In the beginning of war the German army were heavily equipped with accurate machine guns and could fire 500 rounds in a minute. However, the heavy machine guns often overheated and required cooling systems in order to prevent jamming or exploding.

GAS
Chlorine gas, which causes burning sensations, throat and chest pains, was first used by the German army at the battle of Ypres. One downside of using gas, was the fact that you needed to ensure the wind was just right so the gas did not blow back at your own troops. A colorless, sulfur gas, called Mustard gas, was often used in trench warfare. This deadly gas was fired into trenches in shells and caused a long painful death. However, in the long run, gas did not kill a large percentage of people because all soldiers began to wear protective masks to prevent death.

TANKS

These modern machines were first used in the Battle of Somme and only reached a slow 3 mph, holding only 3 men. Tanks were first created to use in the stationary conditions of the Western Front. British armies built offensive tanks and brought one of their first tanks, "Mark I" to battle only to see it break down and prove useless. However,  British engineers later developed more tanks and by the end of the war a tank could hold 10 men and could travel 4 mph. 

"Little Willie" the first tank

PLANES and TORPEDOS

World War I was the first war to include fights between planes, know as "dogfights." Planes were initially used to drop bombs and spy on other countries, but later became equipped with machine guns and became fighter planes. Some planes could also drop torpedoes into the sea. Torpedoes were self-propelled missiles launched from submarines and ships. Torpedoes were first slow and inaccurate, but later were developed by the Germans and could travel up to 47 mph. Torpedoes were especially used by and against German U-boats.

BAYONET

A bayonet is a bracketed dagger that is attached to the end of a riffle barrel. It was a thrusting weapon, but was also used for psychological reasons. Armies would march in rows thrusting their bayonets to intimidate their enemies. Also, when not it battle bayonets were used for tools to dig or open cans. 

PISTOLS

Pistols or revolvers were mainly given to officers, instead of soldiers in World War I. Pistols were used in situations were rifles would be too untamed. The most famous pistol in World War I was the Luger. It was made my the Germans and had a 7 shot magazine. The British used a pistol called a Webley Mark IV. This pistol was reliable, however it was heavy and bulky. For this reason the British army often used stolen German Lugers as their pistols. 

GRENADES AND MORTARS 

Grenades are small bombs that are thrown by hand or by a mortar and explode on impact or by a timer. Germany excelled in grenade development as the Allies struggled. They first used Mark I grenades, which were essentially a cylinder shaped bomb on top of a short stick. These often exploded unexpectedly and soon mill bombs were created. These pineapple shaped bombs had safety pins and had to be hurled at the enemies by arm. Armies then began to used mortars, which  launched grenades short distances and were especially useful in trench warfare because they could lob grenades from a protected position. 

Mill Bomb

CANNONS

Cannons had the greatest effect of all the weapons used in WWI. Huge cannons were able to fire explosive rounds that not only caused death to enemy soldiers, but also damaged enemy equipment and land. During the war these reliable cannons became mobile. 

WORKS CITED

"Weapons of World War I." Alpha History. Alpha History, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. 
     <http://alphahistory.com/worldwar1/weapons/>. 

"World War One- Weapons." History on the Net. History on the Net, Nov. 2000. 
     Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.historyonthenet.com/ww1/weapons.htm

Images

http://www.deactivated-guns.co.uk/images/uploads/zzzzzmills/zzzzzmills-038683.jpghttp://www.guns.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/g8-g81.jpg

http://www.dublin-fusiliers.com/weapons/Lee-enfield-mkIII.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/U.S._Hotchkiss_Machine_Gun.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Mustard_gas_ww2_poster.jpg

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47146000/jpg/_47146524_littlew010.jpg

http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/10387/11028273_1.jpg?v=8CE3D172C03B040
>.

Armistices, The Treaty of Versailles, and the Aftermath

In early 1918, Germany was in a very strong position and expected they would win the war. Germany launched an attack in March of 1918 called the "Michael Offensive" where they pushed Britain far back across the Somme battlefield. This offensive attack went well for the Germans until Britain and France counter-attacked. Germany realized then that they would most likely lose the war. On top of that, many of their previous plans had failed, they were currently losing the battle in France, and the United States had joined Britain and France to make their opposing alliance much stronger. Eventually, the German government, Weimar Republic, was told by the leaders of the German army to end the fighting, and signed the armistice created by France and Great Britain in November. The war ended on September 11, 1918.

In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was created as a peace settlement for World War I. David Lloyd of Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States, known as the "Big Three", drafted the Treaty of Versailles and came up with the League of Nations, an international organization created in order to maintain peace and settle disputes. The terms of the treaty were very harshly directed at Germany and greatly restricted their nation. 

The Treaty included the "War Guilt Clause" that demanded that Germany take responsibility for all of the destruction of the war resulting in Germany being forced to pay for all of the damage. Germany also lost a good amount of its land, which then became under control of the League of Nations, distributed to Poland, and was used to create new states. The loss of this land caused Germany to suffer economically as well. The land provided them coal and other industrial advantages, so without it there was no hope for Germany. Finally, the treaty demanded that Germany's army was to be reduced significantly, they were not allowed tanks, or an air force, their navy was limited, and their army had boundaries.

After the war is over, and the Treaty of Versailles is made public, Adolf Hitler joined what will be known as the Nazi Party. They all hate the Treaty of Versailles, don't like the Weimar Republic, are ultra nationalists and therefore try to promote a pan Germanic state. Eventually, Hitler becomes the leader of this party, and decides to try to take over the Weimar Party. In 1929, the Great Depression makes things worse in Germany. Hitler is able to obtain the nation's love by promising the citizens he will improve their lives and their nation. By being the leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler is able to elect his supporters to be members of the Reichstag, and eventually gains control. Hitler is then invited by President Hindenburg to be chancellor of Germany. 

As chancellor of Germany, Hitler is able to suspend civil rights, has the power to enact laws, make all other political parties illegal, and choose to only accept his "perfect people" otherwise known as Aryans. This leads to the start of World War II.

External Links:
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005425

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/treaty_of_versailles.htm

Works Cited

"Nazi Party." History.com. History.com, 2009. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. 

     <http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nazi-party>. 

"Treaty of Versailles: The Full Text." Salem Press. N.p.: Salem Online, n.d. N. 

     pag. Salem. Web. 1 Feb. 2015. <http://online.salempress.com/ 

     articleDetails.do?bookId=304&articleName=mdwh_96b&searchText=treaty%20of%20versai 

     lles>. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25403869

"The League of Nations, 1920." US Department of State Office of the Historian. 

     Public Affairs, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <https://history.state.gov/ 

     milestones/1914-1920/league>. 

Images:
https://library.sc.edu/blogs/newspaper/2012/11/12/the-eleventh-hour-of-the-eleventh-day-of-the-eleventh-month-remembering-armistice-day/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/america/gallery_series2.shtml?select=07

http://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/adolf-hitler

Erich Maria Remarque

Osnabrück

Early Years

 Erich Remarque was born on June 22nd, 1898, in Osnabrück Germany.  His father was a book binder and a machinist. The Remarque's lived paycheck to paycheck and they moved to many different apartments while Erich was a child. He was a very talented musician and writer at an early age and he gave piano lessons to young girls to pay for books to get through school.  He had many poems and essays published into his local newspaper as a teenager. 

The Great War

Remarque was enlisted into the German army at the age of 17 as an infantryman. He did his basic Training in Osnabrück but was transferred to Celle soon after to visit his mother who died of cancer a few months later. After his basic training and his time in Celle, Remarque and his company marched to Flanders where they battled one of the worst fights of the war. Erich's best friend died during this fighting. Erich also got injured and was sent away from the war and wasn't declared fit for war until four days before the armistice. This quote sums up his feeling of the war it is taken out of All Quiet on the Western Front, “I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one ” 

Post War 

After the War Remarque suffered from Post Traumatic Stress disorder and depression. He had a difficult time coming to terms with the fact that he couldn't pursue his life long dream of becoming a concert pianist. He injured his arm during the war which made it difficult to play. Before he began working All Quiet on Western Front he wrote a book that he later would embarrassed by and change his name to distance himself from it. he played Organ for a church,  he sold fabric and he carved tombstones. He married 24 year old dancer and actress, Jutta "Jeanne" Zambonna. 

All Quiet on the Western Front

The story in German is called Im Westen nichts Neues and it was was originally serialized in a German magazine between November 10th to December 9th, 1928. In the next year it became a novel in English called All Quiet on the Western Front. The book was highly controversial and many Germans thought that he was misrepresenting Germany. But the book still sold a million and a half copies in one year. He soon made it into a black and white motion picture which was a huge success and won an academy award for best picture (All Quiet on the Western Front The Movie). The movie greatly unsettled the Nazi's and it was banned because they believed it misrepresented Germany. This was the beginning of a slew of propaganda against Remarque these included lies saying that he was a jew and that he supported Marxism. Despite this he came out with the sequel to All Quiet on the Western Front which was called The Three Comrades. In June of 1938 Remarque was stripped of his citizenship and was forced to move to the French Riviera where he drank heavily and lived with his companion Marlene Dietrich. When the war intensified he fled to america where he began a life and continued writing but with great sadness because his youngest sister was beheaded by the Nazi's. 

Paulette Goddard

Later Years 
Remarque continued writing and his work in  film  throughout the 50's and 60's. He finished his life living in Locarno,  Switzerland with his new wife Paulette Goddard Remarque. He died on September 25th, 1970. 


Works Cited

History.com staff. "Erich Maria Remarque." History.Com. A+E Networks, 2009. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/erich-maria-remarque-born>.

 Ink Drop Reviews. N.p., 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <https://inkdropsreviews.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/review-all-quiet-on-the-western-front-erich-maria-remarque/>.

"Paulette Goddard." Wikipedia. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Wikipedia. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulette_Goddard>.

Ruggenberg, Rob. "Extremes in No Man's Land." The Heritage of the Great War. N.p., 1994. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-hitlere.html>.

"Schloss Osnabrück." Wikipedia. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Wikpedia. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Osnabr%C3%BCck>.

Van Kirk, Susan. CliffsNotes on All Quiet on the Western Front. 18 Mar 2015

</literature/a/all-quiet-on-the-western-front/book-summary>.
The Charge- All Quiet on the Western Front. Youtube. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 
     2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ciq9ts02ci4>. 

World War I Topics

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

World War I and All Quiet on the Western Front Project

Either a pair or an individual has a topic and will create a blog post that curates information about that topic; the more information you can provide, the better - not just for the class' understanding and for your grade.

Topics:

World War I Presentation Topics

1. The Central Powers- their history and role in WWI - PAIR

2. The Allies- their history and role in WWI - PAIR

3. Causes of WWI - PAIR

4. World War I Propaganda

5. Trench warfare

6. War prisons and prisoners of war

7. Armistices/ Treaty of Versailles/ aftermath

8. The weapons and equipment of WWI

9. War along the Western Front 

10. Erich Maria Remarque

11. Chemical Weapons and their effects

Each blog post must include:

1. A breadth of quality information about your topic. (How you present the information is up to each individual.) 

2. Pictures of important aspects of your topic. Photos will bring your blog post to life and can reinforce certain aspects you hope to focus on. Pictures must be cited.

3. An embedded video related to your topic- the video should be able to be played within your blog post. For info on how to embed a video click here: embed a video or watch the video below.

4. A minimum of 2 external links- this is the minimum required; the best blog posts will include more than 2 links to insightful, meaningful information about your topic.

5. A works cited section- use MLA format to cite all information you used for your project.

Blog posts are due Wednesday, April 1st. 

6. PRESENTATION - Starting Wednesday, April 1 we will be having 5-7 minute presentations about your topic.  We will use this knowledge then when reading All Quiet on the Western Front.  Your presentation should include important talking points, pictures, a video if you like, and how your topic relates to the novel. Remember, your blog will be the tool you use to present- think about that as you create it.

7. Once the blog posts are published, each individual student is responsible for writing a paragraph response (minimum 5 sentences) in the comments section of each blog post, excluding your own. This paragraph should focus on what you have learned from exploring each blog and how it relates to World War I.  Do not just repeat information another classmate already said - add on to the content and expand the class' thought.

Comments for each blog are due Tuesday, April 7th.

Ala "A Family Supper" - "The Face of Japan is Changing but some aren't Ready"

"Change happens slowly in Japan, but it does happen. You wake up one day, and things that weren't possible years ago are happening today."

http://kotaku.com/the-face-of-japan-is-changing-but-some-arent-ready-1691234262/+emmacar

The fall of Communist China?

"The Coming Chinese Chrackup" from The Wall Street Journal

"... The endgame of Chinese communist rule has now begun, I believe, and it has progressed further than many think. We don’t know what the pathway from now until the end will look like, of course. It will probably be highly unstable and unsettled. But until the system begins to unravel in some obvious way, those inside of it will play along—thus contributing to the facade of stability... Communist rule in China is unlikely to end quietly."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coming-chinese-crack-up-1425659198

Iran's War Games?

Iran recently blew up a replica of a US aircraft carrier.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/26/world/iran-mock-carrier-destroyed/index.html