Trench Warfare and the Eastern Front February 07, 2015

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Teresa Newman
6 years ago
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1 The trench was a horrible sight. The dead were stretched out on one side, one on top of each other six feet high. I thought at the time I should never get the peculiar disgusting smell of the vapour of warm human blood heated by the sun out of my nostrils. I would rather have smelt gas a hundred times. I can never describe that faint sickening, horrible smell which several times nearly knocked me up altogether. British Captain Leeham (Battle of the Somme) 1

2 Trench Review, and Catching Up with the Eastern Front 2

3 What did we learn about the trenches? 3

4 4

5 What would we still like to know about the trenches? (I can do more research, or direct you to good resources) 5

6 Rats, lice, trench foot, funk holes, artillery, barbed wire, oh my! This place is not the best! 6

7 Rats can have 900 babies a year... :(((((( 7

8 The Eastern Front! Quite a bit different from the Western Front 8

9 Russian Invasion of Germany Remember the Schlieffen Plan? Need to stop the Russians for just long enough to knock out France. 9

10 The Big Picture 10

11 Trench Warfare and the Eastern Front The Russian Plan in Prussia Pincer move! 11

12 Russian Plan Northern pincer under command of Rennenkampf (Russian, I promise) Southern pincer under Samsonov (that's better) 12

13 Tannenberg Campaign Battle of Stalluponnen First action on Eastern Front Germans counterpunch advancing Russian forces, capture 3,000 men Fail to exploit surprise victory 13

14 Tannenberg Campaign, Cont. Battle of Gumbinnen Germans are excited by Stalluponnen, overconfident One half of army drives Russians back, other half gets smashed by artillery Russians take 6,000 prisoners 14

15 More on Gumbinnen German General Prittwitz orders retreat to River Vistula, conceding East Prussia to the Russians. Moltke is displeased, relieves Prittwitz of command. 15

16 Not "relieved" like this More like this Anyhoo... 16

17 Trench Warfare and the Eastern Front 17

18 Enter Paul von Hindenburg He knows Rennenkampf and Samsonov do not like each other. Why? Stops German retreat, attacks. Decides to use the ol' "defeat in detail." 18

19 Tannenburg! Hindenburg gambles, leaves fortifications lightly defended against Rennenkampf The importance of intelligence 19

20 More Tannenburg Germans intercept two telegrams #1 Rennenkampf is not heading south towards Samsonov #2 Samsonov sends his advance plan unencrypted Germans do not worry about Rennenkampf helping Samsonov 20

21 Trench Warfare and the Eastern Front What it looks like 21

22 Tannenburg Russian forces are totally encircled Samsonov orders a general retreat 95,000 Russian troops are captured 30,000 killed or wounded Germans suffer 20,000 casualties, total Samsonov takes his own life 600 trains required just to move the Russian gear back to Germany. 22

23 Paul von Hindenburg and Ludendorff Heroes! Later win lesser victories at the Masurian Lakes. No Russian forces will enter Germany again until

24 If this first blow were not final the danger for our Homeland would become like a lingering disease, the burnings and murders in East Prussia would remain unavenged, and our Allies in the south would wait for us in vain. Paul von Hindenburg 24

Be Careful What You Wish For:

Be Careful What You Wish For: Gambling on War and Economics In an Age of Catastrophe Roger L Ransom Professor of History and Economics, Emeritus, University of California, Riverside An Age of Catastrophes