HIS242H5 Lecture 2: HIS242 Lecture 2
Document Summary
Explain the main causes of the great war: nationalism, celebration of war, entangling alliances, military timetables. Should be intense & short august 1st germany declared war on russia. August 23rd japan declared war on germany. Darwinism (social darwinians) was the perfect example for war survival of the fittest, the weak will perish . The french were able to get troops back in time. First battle of the marne (6-10 sept 1914) 5 soldiers per taxi to get them to the front lines. How civilian population is part of war & necessary component. Before 1914, soldiers were trained for a war of movement. But in 1914 technology arrested movement both sides were armed with machine guns. Both sides shoveled out trenches four feet deep piled up sandbags, mounted machine guns & maintained a stale mate. But both sides tried to break each other. Trenches costed the lives of 10 million men, battle of verdun ( feb- dec 1916)
