Essay 2.

• Essay Question - Why did the Central powers lose WWI (including other factors)
• • Major reason for defeat = British Blockade (= damaging effects.)
  • Began day British joined war, Aug 4th 1914, progressively worse for 5 years to July 1919; after armistice officially signed. 
• • Winter 1916-7, nation = at its worst (referred to as the Turnip Winter.) - severe rations
  • March 1918 Germany = on its knees; general consensus 
• • 760k starved to death, → A. Bryant
• • Economy under stress, estimated 55% decrease in production, as well as its industry, relied upon imports to manufacture goods and war items.
• • Germany now relied on digging up pipes/metals in their own country, as no new materials being delivered into their borders.
  • Seen with amount of tanks produced compared to their opponents.
  • Germany produced only about 20, Br/allies produced over 4,000.
  • Lack of industry/raw materials, meant military leaders had to be cautious of usage, necessary to make compromises on the fronts, leading to weak defences in the essential last months of the war.
• • Huge amounts of starvation/lack of imports = main cause of Central Powers losing.
  • Because of, citizens became anxious/opposed to war, causing extremist parties to flourish in the once proud German state. 
• • One of the most important of these was the communist party of the time.
  • Held demonstrations throughout Germany.
  • Gov. responded, sending rebels to front lines = punish them/deter future attempts.
  • Unknowingly of circumstance it would cause, leading to communist ideals spreading through army (result = splitting military and population at home)
  • Caused country to become more frail, as would have to 'please' more than one variety of people.
• • Another effect of blockade = laid foundation for America (involved)
  • Inclusion of US on allies side = final straw in falling of Germany/her allies.
• • As situation worsened Germany decided only way to combat = unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic, North Sea, and English Channel (hopes of deterring Britain's navy)
  • Arguably brought America into war, specifically German sinking of Lusitania.
  • Other factors ie. ‘'Zimmerman Telegram' and American loans given to allies, played a part.
  • Inclusion of US was devastating for the already weak central powers. 
  • US brought 2 million fresh troops to western front, that same number of Germans, 2 million had died in war. 
• • Though US were fairly new to war in Europe = were godsend to allies, seen with the 'Hundred Day Offence:' ( last 100 days of war were allies launched a series of offensives that lead to the final defeat of Germany.)
  • Series of allied offensives would not have been possible without American troops, however Germany may have lost later due to growing severity of its domestic problems/lack of nationalism. 
  • Could be debunked as new 'German states' formed under Treaty of Brest-Litovsk = great amount of food following year, dampening starvation.
• • Role/underestimated weakness of Central powers = leading cause of the failure of the war.
  • Though Germany formed around same time/similar in uniting different states, they did not suffer as much as Austria-Hungary, as AH had more diverse cultures/gained territory by aggression.
  • Always a problem within relatively young empire, time wore on, became detrimental to war effort/state of the empire.
  • 1918, empire was falling apart when Germany needed them most.
• • By end of war, AH’s domestic problems led to putting alliance with Germany on sidelines. 
  • Seen when AH commandeered a ship headed to Bavaria with food.
  • Escalated strong tensions between the two/made two 'allies' come nerve-racking close to war.
• • Ottoman Empire suffered similar history, much weaker as empire was already starting to fall
  • Were of little help to the main power, Germany.
  • Yet did keep Br busy, was buffer in Middle East.
• • Germany/allies did not cooperate well/weak, offering little to Germans fight.
  • Schlieffen Plan = severe failure for powers and led to War.
  • B.H. Liddel → “Schlieffen Plan was infeasible for its time”, and was why it failed.
  • “would be possible in next generation when air power could paralyse an army/fast mechanical vehicles could encircle enemy quicker than traditional war tactics in 1900s.”
• • D. Fromkin →  “Schlieffen Plan had too many changes made by Moltke prior to the war to be successful”,
• 1. Palmer → the plan was flawed from the start, and no sizable changes were made prior to the war.”

  • Main flaws of plan = unrealistic expectations of speed/reliance on rapid movement.
  • J. Keegan ^ 
• • Russians mobilised quicker than anticipated, pulling troops away from Western Front to Eastern Front - slowing down advance in West, creating a stalemate.
• • Plan fail, leadership of time, Hindenburg/Ludendorff failed to react until near the end of the war. 
  • Though they wanted to break through the stalemate, could not create a military tactic that would create a hole in the line.
  • Passage of time of stalemate = played further to the defeat, due to its lack of domestic resources and the small industries of its allies.
• • Once army got so far in, supply line could not keep up due to long distances, deserting platoons in France causing a less organised and supplied military
  • Shows how leadership of the time was anything but competent.
  • Not only Ludendorff/Hindenburg, other leaders in Central Powers are also to blame: i.e. von Kühlmann/Hoffmann of Germany, Czernin of AH, and Mehmed Talat of the Ottoman Empire.
  • All leaders signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk =  labelled as their 'Greatest achievement, and greatest failure.' 
  • Result = land given to Germany and AH = short lived success
• • Major effect of treaty = impact on the western allies.
  • Br/allies = losing morale/wanted war to be over, this treaty was a shock to them
  • Served as a warning to what would come if the Central Powers won the war.
  • Central Powers that signed Treaty for this land, failed to recognize they would have to use significant force to keep them at bay.
  • Disastrous for German army; not only did they have to keep its new territory, but also fight and win in the West, spreading its resources even thinner than it should have been if they decided to not take as much land.
• • Culmination of many varied points = lead to defeat
  • From domestic problems, lack of resources, weak allies, and alliances, to poor leadership and military strategies.