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welcome to episode 2 of eqa GCSE history
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the first world war in our last episode
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we explored the alliance system and the
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outbreak of the first world war in this
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episode we will explore the early onset
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of the war stalemate and crucial
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battles following the July crisis which
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led to the start of the war Germany
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found itself in a dangerous position
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sandwiched between two large militaries
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the French and the Russians but Germany
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had a plan general vlien of the German
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Army created the SLI plan intended to
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invade France as as fast as possible
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before Russia could mobilize its forces
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the plan required a rapid invasion of
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Belgium to encircle Paris and capitulate
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France theoretically after defeating the
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French the Germans can send the Army
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East to deal with Russia let's take a
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look at the timeline of the July crisis
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of 1914 as we saw in the last episode on
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the 28th of June the heir of the austr
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Hungarian Throne France Fernand and his
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wife were assassinated by a Bosnian
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nationalist in Sako austrial Hungary
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believing that Serbia was behind it and
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with the backup of the German Empire
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sent a humiliating ultimate on the 23rd
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of July 5 days later despite Serbia
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agreeing to almost all demands austrial
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Hungary declared a war on Serbia on the
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30th of July Russia began mobilizing its
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troops on the 1st of August Germany
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declared war on Russia 2 Days Later
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Germany invaded Belgium which led to
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France declaring war on Germany the next
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day Britain which was guaranteeing
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Belgian Independence after the 1839
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Treaty of London declared war on Germany
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and finally 2 Days Later austrial
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Hungary declared war on Russia so
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Germany found its s surrounded by
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Britain France and Russia but if you
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remember they had a plan the schen plan
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let's take a look at why this didn't
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happen first the Germans didn't
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anticipate any level of Belgian
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resistance the Germans needed a Swift
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and accurate advance for the plan to
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succeed which the Belgian Army and
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people did not allow although Germany
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Advanced heavy Belgian resistance and
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Guerilla Warfare led to frustration for
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many in the German Army who resorted to
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the inhumane and brutal treatment of
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Belgian civilians after the Belgian
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delayed German advances the French
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activated plan 177 a strategy that saw
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France launch an allout attack across
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the Franco German border into the
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formerly held territory of alen Lorraine
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this attack was a disaster with the
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French losing 200,000 troops in 12 days
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but these attacks still delayed German
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advances finally the British
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expeditionary force or the bef also
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helped slow down the German Advance
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these British forces were well trained
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and well equipped which caused
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significant delays and supported the
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French efforts to mount a the defense by
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September 1914 everything was on the
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line as the Germans had made progress
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but began slowing down however to
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everyone's surprise the Russians
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mobilized their forces far quicker than
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anyone expected and started successfully
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invading Germany and austrial Hungary
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because of this Germany had to move an
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estimated 100,000 troops from the West
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to the east since the Schon plan was out
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of the window Germany prepared an allout
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attack against France as the French and
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British troops mounted their defenses
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near Paris Germany successfully pushed
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through Belgium reaching the river M
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only 48 km from the French capital of
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Paris General von cluck of the right
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wing of the German forces had received
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an order to attack around the west and
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south of Paris to encircle the French
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and British armies instead he decided to
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turn to his right flank to encounter the
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sixth French army this action proved a
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mistake exposing a gap in the German
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Advance the French and British
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expeditionary Force exploited this error
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forcing the German line to fall back
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where German soldiers successfully dug
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in ready to defend themselves this led
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to a stable Western Front filled with
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tunnels barbed wire and trenches from
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the English Channel to the Swiss Alps by
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1915 these complex tunnel systems led to
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trench warfare the German French and
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British armies had perfected the
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defensive positions by digging deep
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trenches with dugouts battling between
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both sides became quite repetitive
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armies were heavily fortified with
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barbed wire lines long range artillery
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and machine guns separated by no man's
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land after hours days or even weeks of
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artil bombardment soldiers would leave
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their positions to attempt to take
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control of enemy trenches if this wasn't
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hard and horrifying enough the Germans
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introduced the use of poison gas in 1915
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while tanks were first used by the
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British in 1916 aeroplanes also played a
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role in this type of warfare but we will
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discuss these type of developments in
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the next episode as you can imagine
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living and fighting in these trenches
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was a horrible experience although
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soldiers attempted to lighten up the
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Mood by making friends playing football
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and other midwar activities after
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watching fellow soldiers and Friends die
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and being in constant danger and fear
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multiple soldiers suffered from horrific
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experiences as many were left shell
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shocked and suffered from PTSD after
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returning
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home this type of warfare was not by
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choice both sides preferred a faster and
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more mobile War but both giant armies
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were already
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stationed Soldiers barraged by constant
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artillery and machine gun fire found it
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impossible to break each other's
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defenses leading to heavy death to for
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both sides on the Western Front this
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type of battle led to a war of attrition
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which is a war where both sides try to
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wear each other out until they win it
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was clear that this type of trench
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warfare and the war of attrition would
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benefit no one especially the soldiers
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suffering from the nightmarish
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conditions of the
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trenches the British were aware of that
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and looked outside of Europe for answers
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in November 1914 the Ottoman Empire
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declared war against the powers of the
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triple anant joining the Central Powers
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opening a new front for the Russians in
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the now World War
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around the same time Weston Churchill
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proposed an attack outside of the
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Western Front the plan was to attack
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this area in Turkey known as the dard
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danels captur Constantinople and removed
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the Ottoman Empire relieving a Russian
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front and significantly weakening the
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Central Powers this campaign however
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couldn't have gone any
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worse like the Germans in the schen plan
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the British needed a swift Naval
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Invasion to defeat and collapse the
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ottoman opposition however major
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logistical issues and a lack of planning
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turned the campaign from Hope to
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disaster the soldiers Landing in
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galipoli belonged to the 29th British
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Division and the Australian and New
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Zealand Army corpse or azac for short
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mirroring the Western Front trench
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warfare quickly took hold at gly the hot
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summer Shores saw countless rotting
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bodies and with them agonizing smells
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diseases and millions of
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flies hundreds of thousands of soldiers
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died on both sides and ultimately the
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British failed to conquer the Turkish
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Peninsula the campaign officially ended
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in January 1916 after the British forces
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evacuated after this failure both sides
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attempted to finish the war on the
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Western Front with large bloody and
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critical Battles by the start of 1916
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Germany had been successful in most of
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its battles but victory was nowhere
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closer than two years before with
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growing tensions and expectations back
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home Germany needed a new strategy
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Germany believed that if France would be
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struck with a shattering blow they would
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eventually ask Britain and Germany for
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peace in the Battle of Verdun Germany
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used the TR tactics to capture the
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strategically insignificant but
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historically important Fortress of
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Verdun in February 1916 therefore the
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French forces did not give up this fort
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easily after a bloody Battle of
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attrition both sides savagely attacked
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each other with no remorse making heavy
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use of artillery poison gas and
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flamethrowers the Battle of Verdun was a
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great victory for the French but
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destroyed a huge chunk of the army it
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was the first undeniable setback for the
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Germans which further intensified
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tensions with the starving civilian
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population at the same time in 1916
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Britain planned an assault to help pull
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German soldiers away from attacking the
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French at berdun the Battle of the sum
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which started in July 1916 saw the
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British learning from the failed
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galipoli Landing this time with
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meticulous preparation for the battle
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during a whole week before the attack
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the British fired around a million and a
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half shells of artillery however many of
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these shells were duts and the world
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Doug German soldiers avoided much of the
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Colossal bombardment when the British
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soldiers came out of the trenches to
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attack they were unexpectedly faced with
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heavy
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fire 20,000 British soldiers died on the
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first day of this battle which became
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the deadliest day in the history of the
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British army this battle saw the Allies
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lose around 600,000 men with the Germans
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experiencing similar losses all for an
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advancement of 16 km of land
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[Music]
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[Music]
