During World War I, the Schlieffen Plan, devised by the Germans, failed as they were unable to defeat the French within the anticipated six weeks. The failure indicated that the war would be protracted. The war was characterized by trench warfare and naval battles.
- Trench Warfare: Trench warfare took place primarily in France. Both sides dug trenches, from which soldiers fired their weapons. When troops left the trenches to attack the enemy, they became vulnerable in open fields and were easy targets. This led to significant casualties on both sides. A standoff ensued as both armies remained entrenched. Life in the trenches was miserable due to waterlogging, leading to diseases and deaths.
- War at Sea:
a) Blockade Policy: Both Britain and Germany followed the blockade policy. The objectives were to: i. Block rival trade routes, thereby starving the enemy of supplies and forcing them to surrender. ii. Secure their own trade routes, ensuring their country did not face shortages. iii. Facilitate the movement of troops.
Britain successfully destroyed many of Germany's surface warships.
b) The Allied blockade posed problems for the United States because the British stopped and searched all ships to prevent Germany from obtaining supplies, slowing down the movement of US merchant ships. The US wanted to trade with both sides and disapproved of the Allied blockade.
c) In retaliation, the Germans deployed sea mines and submarine attacks after their surface warships suffered significant damage at the hands of the British navy. These actions infuriated the United States, particularly an incident where many US citizens died when their ship was sunk. From this point, US public opinion became more pro-British.
d) Battle of Jutland (1916): This naval battle further strengthened British control of surface waters, leaving Germany with no option but to resort to submarine attacks and sea mines. The British blockade had limited German surface warships, and Germany aimed to blockade the Allies by initiating unrestricted submarine warfare.
e) Unrestricted Submarine Warfare in the Atlantic Ocean (1917): Germany started attacking "all" ships in the Atlantic without discrimination between neutral and Allied ships. This infuriated the United States even more. However, Germany believed that it could starve the Allied Powers into surrender before the United States entered the war. Unrestricted submarine warfare was a significant factor that led the United States to join the war on the side of the Allied powers.
