1. Weapons and Fighting in World
War I

2. Schlieffen Plan Stalls &
Stalemate
 Germany was not able to sweep through
the west and fight on the east as quickly
as they planned – they were defeated in
the Battle of the Marne on the Western
Front (border of France and Germany
where most of the fighting took place).
 Germany was forced to split their troops
and fight on two fronts.
 This led to a stalemate where neither
side was winning.

3. Trench Warfare
 Starting in 1915 along
the Western Front
troops dug trenches
or ditches to protect
themselves while
fighting.
 Trenches created an
even worse stalemate
and made the soldiers
fight and live in
miserable conditions.
 It was difficult to gain
land, and many lives
were lost.

5. Machine Guns
 The machine guns of
WWI required 4 – 6
men to shoot and had
to be on a flat surface.
They had the fire
power of 100 regular
guns.
 Large field guns were
also used, and they
fired shells which
would explode on
impact. They could
fire over a longer
range but needed 12
men to operate.

6. Poison Gas
 Germans first used
chlorine gas in the
battle of Ypres (1915).
This worked by burning
out the lungs of people
who inhaled it.
 Mustard gas was used
later on, and it would be
fired into the trenches.
It took a while to work
and caused blistering,
vomiting, sore eyes and
bleeding. It could take
up to a month to die as

7. Airplanes
 This was the first time
planes were used in
battle. They were first
used to deliver
supplies and for
spying.
 It was quickly
discovered that guns
could be affixed to
airplanes as well as
bombs and cannons
and they could fight in
the sky.

8. Zeppelins
 Zeppelins were flying
aircraft that were used
by Germans at the
beginning of the war
to drop bombs.
 They were quickly
abandoned because it
was way too easy to
shoot them down.

9. Submarines/ϋnterseeboot
 At the beginning of
WWI most navies had
submarines but were
hesitant about their
uses.
 Germans tend to be
known most for their
use of
submarines/torpedoes
but at the beginning of
the war the British
sank 17 German
submarines with their

10. Torpedoes
 Torpedoes were used
by Germans on their
submarines.
 Unrestricted
submarine warfare
was a major issue in
the war, and the
Germans sunk many
US ships that were
carrying supplies to
Britain, including the
Lusitania.

11. Tanks!
 The first tanks were
used in WWI at the
battle of Somme.
 Tanks at first could not
exceed 3mph, could
only hold 3 men, and
could not handle
trenches.
 By the end of the war
a tank could carry 10
men, had a revolving
turret and could travel
at 4 mph!

12. Tanks!