Unit 6: Stars and Stripes Forever
A Unit on World War I
Topic 2: "It Begins!"
A Unit on World War I
Topic 2: "It Begins!"
Lesson Module 6
Making Plans
~ ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY ~
Delivery of the Daily Mission & Challenges
Lesson Mission
The Lesson Mission is what you (the student) will be able to do after the lesson is over.
I can describe how nations planned to fight in World War I.
I can describe how nations planned to fight in World War I.
Lesson Challenges
The lesson mission is made up of all the day's challenges. The challenges are the activities that you will complete to achieve the lesson outcomes. The challenges for this lesson are:
Challenge 1: The Focus Activity - Tackle Important Vocabulary and Map Skills
Challenge 2: The Teaching Activity - Hack through the Class Reading: "Big Plans"
Challenge 3: The Small Group Activity - Battle for Understanding: Chart It!
Challenge 4: The Individual Activity - Prove Yourself Quiz
Challenge 2: The Teaching Activity - Hack through the Class Reading: "Big Plans"
Challenge 3: The Small Group Activity - Battle for Understanding: Chart It!
Challenge 4: The Individual Activity - Prove Yourself Quiz
~ CHALLENGE 1 ~
Teaching Activity - Tackle Important Vocabulary
In this activity, you will listen as I explain the vocabulary words of the lesson. And you will look at the maps as we discuss them as a class. Then, you will type your definitions into your Lesson 6 Portfolio and answer the questions about the maps. Download the template below to get started. Then, save it as Lesson 6 in your World War I Portfolio on your desktop.
~ CHALLENGE 2 ~
Whole Group Activity - Hack Through The Reading
~ BIG PLANS ~Fear Leads to Anger
Ever since Germany defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, every country knew that another war would come. Each country in Europe had a goal for their nation and their goal seemed to always conflict with the goals of at least one other European country. The conflicts created a fear that infested all of Europe. This fear led the major nations of Europe to begin planning for the next war. That war did come. During this time, the people of the world called it "The Great War." Today, we know that the war they were preparing for was World War I. These are the stories of each country's plans for victory.
France - Plan XVII
The chief aim of Plan XVII was the recapture of the territory of Alsace and Lorraine. This was an offensive plan fueled by one thing - revenge! France hoped that each soldier would be so angry about losing the Franco - Prussian War that they would have a fighting spirit capable of turning back any enemy just by its sheer power - like William Wallace and the Scots in Braveheart! France went so far with trying to instill this spirit - that if you did not show an aggressive spirit and hatred for Germany, you were kicked out of the army!
Plan XVII was to surround and enter the territories of Alsace and Lorraine by advancing four French armies on either side of the fort that was occupied by Germans there since 1871. The southern wing of the invasion forces would capture Alsace and Lorraine while the northern wing would advance into Germany through the southern Ardennes forests if the Germans attacked through the north, or move north-east into Luxembourg and Belgium if the Germans entered through the south. Unfortunately, there were many problems with Plan XVII. The first problem with this plan is that the French never considered that Germany would attack them through Belgium. When the French did hear of the German plan to come through Belgium, just before war broke out, France was sure that it was a bluff. This was because Britain and Belgium had a treaty that said that Britain would attack anyone who threatened the neutral country of Belgium. With Britain having such power in Europe, the French did not think Germany would dare challenge Britain. So, the French Plan XVII did not make accommodations for this situation. The second problem was that the French did not consider that Germany would use so many of their reserve troops. This miscalculation would almost cause France to be taken by Germany. Within just a few weeks of the beginning of the war, the French attack into Alsace and Lorraine proved to be a major disaster! The were pushed back by the German defenses. By the time Germany put their plan, the Schlieffen Plan, into action - the French were thrown into a defensive war as opposed to the offensive war they had originally planned. Germany - The Schlieffen Plan
Germany's Schlieffen Plan was the German plan for fighting the Great War. It was both an offensive and a defensive plan. Because France and Russia were in an alliance Germany knew if war came, it would have to fight France on its western border and Russia on its eastern border. The Germans did not want to split their army because they would surely lose. Germany predicted it would take Russia about six weeks to get their troops ready for war. So the plan was to attack France through Belgium; knock France out of the war within those six weeks; then swing around and take the elaborate train system that they had built crossing Germany to fight the Russians on their eastern border. The Germans hoped that the element of surprise when attacking France through Belgium would throw the French off and result in a German victory quickly because the French had not defended their border next to Belgium. Germany hoped that the Schlieffen Plan would also ensure that the fighting would not be on German soil but on French soil.
The Schlieffen Plan had a major weakness though - the rigid timescale. To be successful, the German army had to capture Paris within the time allotted. The timescale was a terrible underestimation. Another problem was communicating strategy from Berlin, to the front. The Allied forces could rush troops to the front by use of the railway faster than the Germans could arrange fresh supplies of food and reserve troops. Finally, the plan did not adequately account for the amount of reserve troops it would need. Austria - Hungary - Plans B and R
Austria-Hungary's plans for war were terribly miscalculated. They assumed they would only be fighting a war with Serbia. They did not make any plans to attack or defend themselves from any other country but Serbia. Plan B stood for Plan Balkans. It would send six Austro-Hungarian armies in the field. Three would invade Serbia and three would guard the Russian border.
Plan R stood for Plan Russia. It was basically a revised Plan B. It allowed for a greater number of troops to guard against Russia to prevent them from helping the Serbs in the south. They would use their ally to the north - Germany to block Russia from helping the Serbs in the north. The flaw of the plan was depending on Germany. Germany had already began putting the Schlieffen Plan into motion and could not help Austria - Hungary keep the Russians from helping Serbia. Russia - Plans G and 19
Russia, meanwhile, put together two very different plans for war. Plan G for Plan Germany assumed that Germany would launch a full-scale attack against Russia. This is the opposite of what actually happened. The Russian military assumed that the country could stand to lose a few defeats at the start of the war, as they mobilized a larger "surprise" army to come in after the first couple of defeats. The large army would destroy the German army because the Germans would believe themselves to be winning and not be ready for the large army.
Plan 19 - also known as Plan A - assumed that Germany would open the war with an attack against France rather than Russia. If this were the case, and it turns out it was, two Russian armies would invade central Germany by entering through East Prussia. Russia would at the same time make use of a fortress defence against invading forces. Britain - We'll Just Back Belgium If We Have To!
The British did not devise a war strategy in the same way as France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. Unlike these powers, Britain had no desire for war to break out, and had no plans for expanding their empire. Britain simply wanted to keep their empire the way it was and protect the land within their empire including areas not in their empire in which they had to pass through to get to all of the parts of their empire.
Things changed when Germany attacked Belgium. Britain had an alliance with Belgium and promised to protect their choice to be neutral. Britain declared war on Germany only after the Germans invaded Belgium. Britain's plan for war in the event Germany attacked Belgium was weak because they did not think Germany would dare invade Belgium. In the event Germany invaded Belgium, the British Expeditionary Force (or BEF) was to be transported by rail to Belgium and France. Britain estimated that it would take three full weeks to mobilise the BEF. The problem was that Britain did not realize that Germany and France would be fighting within 2 weeks. Belgium - War? What War?
Belgium was neutral. So obviously, it did not plan for war because it did not think it would be engaged in war. They only had a defensive army and a very small defensive army at that. The Belgium army was only equipped to defend their forts in the unlikely event of attack. Serbia - Be Ready To Double!
The Serbian plan for war was simple. If Austria - Hungary declared war on them, the army would be doubled from five to ten divisions and placed along their border with Austria-Hungary. They would strike only when Austria - Hungary struck first. They would develop the plan further as they got a better idea of how the war would progress. The United States - Peace, Love, and Oh No You Didn't!
The U.S. was determined to remain neutral in the war. President Wilson announced this shortly after war broke out, on 19 August 1914 because it was what the people of the U.S. wanted. The United States would maintain trade relations with both sides and did not want either side to interfere with their neutrality.
As the war went on though, the U.S. began exporting more supplies to the Allied Powers that the Central Powers. The Central Powers grew angry because they felt the U.S. favored the Allies. The Central Powers felt that the U.S. was trying to indirectly help the Allies win the war. The truth is when Germany attacked Belgium, the U.S. became aware that Germany did not honor neutrality and the people of the U.S. did begin to favor the Allies over the Central Powers. Another reason Americans began to favor the Allies over the Central Powers was because Germany had a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. This meant that the Germans would use submarines to attack any ship they felt was hurting Germany. This policy led to the sinking of the Lusitania and the Sussex - two British passenger ships carrying many American citizens. These acts of aggression nearly brought the U.S. into the war. When the United States intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram, the U.S. ended their neutrality and declared war on Germany. The Zimmerman Telegram was a telegram sent from Germany to Mexico, asking Mexico to join in war on the side of the Central Powers. The telegram also encouraged attacking the United States as well. Once in the war Wilson proposed a plan. His plan was not a war strategy but a plan to be put in place once peace had set in. The plan became known as the Fourteen Points. The Fourteen Points suggested that there be no more secret peace treaties; that the oceans and seas outside of a nation's territorial borders be neutral; called for the removal of international trade barriers; advised a reduction of arms; suggested Polish independence; and encouraged arbitration of disputes over colonies. Wilson also called for the establishment of a League of Nations to keep the peace in all the world. The weakness of this plan was that it could not predict that Americans would want to be isolated from Europe once again after the war and that congress would not ratify the Fourteen Points that Wilson suggested. Challenge 2 Question1. Describe France's Plan for World War I. What were its strengths and
weaknesses? 2. Describe Germany's Plan for World War I. What were its strengths and weaknesses? 3. What was the difference in Russia's Plan B and Plan 19? 4. Why were both of Austria - Hungary's plans for war flawed? 5. How was the British plan different from the other countries plans? 6. Why did Belgium not have a plan for the Great War? 7. Was Serbia's plan an offensive plan or a defensive plan? Explain your answer using evidence from the reading. 8. How did America's plan change during the course of World War I? Why did it change? ~ CHALLENGE 3 ~
|
Tool Box
People To KnowBritish Expeditionary Force: the British military sent to aid France and Belgium in World War I.
President Woodrow Wilson: The President of the United States during World War I who wrote the Fourteen points detailing how the world could avoid another global war in the future Vocabulary To KnowAny vocabulary words that you are not tested on or have already had in a previous lesson are at the bottom under other things to know.
act of aggression: a hostile action or invasion
arbitration: when two groups who are in a disagreement go to a third person or group to settle the dispute by listening to both sides of the argument and rendering a decision defensive war: a defense; when a nation or group of nations attempt to protect their territory from attack or invasion Fourteen Points: President Woodrow Wilson's plan to be put in place after World War I to keep peace and the establishment of a League of Nations front: battle - zone; area where armies are facing each other international trade barriers: when a nation denies another nation the right to freely trade in their country by denying them the right to trade with them or forcing the nation to pay a tariff, tax, or embargo invasion: when a foreign country's armed forces enter another country with the intentions of conquering it mobilize: preparing for war neutral: not taking a side in war or staying out of a war offensive war: an invasion; when a nation or group of nations initiate an attack with the intent of taking over territory from the nation they are attacking Plan 19: Russia's plan for World War I to invade central Germany by entering through East Prussia if Germany attacked France first Plan B: a.k.a Plan Balkan - Austria - Hungary's plan before World War I to send six armies to war; 3 would invade Serbia and 3 would guard the Russian border. Plan G: a.k.a. Plan Germany Russia's plan before World War I in the event that Germany launched a full-scale attack against Russia - by which Russia would lose a few battles on purpose at the start of the war, as they mobilized a larger "surprise" army to come in after the first couple of defeats Plan R: a.k.a. Plan Russia was Austria - Hungary's plan to send troops to invade Serbia and troops to guard the Russian border, as well as having Germany block Russia from helping Serbia Plan XVII: the French plan before World War I to surround and enter the territories of Alsace and Lorraine by advancing four French armies and recapture these territories from the Germans and then invade Germany through the south if the Germans attacked through the north, or move north-east into Luxembourg and Belgium if the Germans entered through the south ratify: to make something such as a law or treaty official by having all groups involved signing a document agreeing to put the law or treaty into action reserve troops: a group of military units which are held back from the fighting so they can help in the fighting later or to take advantages of other opportunities that might come up in war Schlieffen Plan: Germany's plan in World War I to invade Belgium and enter France on the Belgium - France border in hopes that the element of surprise would help them easily defeat the French and make it to the German - Russian border to fight before Russia could mobilize for war. strategy: plan for winning a game, battle, or war timescale: the time allowed for or taken by a process or sequence of events Zimmerman Telegram: telegram sent from the German Empire to Mexico asking them to join the Central Powers, in the event of the United States entered World War I - the telegram was intercepted and angered the U.S. into war Places To KnowGermany
France
Great Britain
Russia
Belgium
Austria-Hungary
Luxembourg
Alsace and Lorraine
Serbia
Balkans
The United States
Mexico
World War I Maps
Click on the icon below to see interactive maps by The Map as History Website. 
Events To Know1870:
Franco - Prussian War 1870 - war between France and Germany in which Germany won the French Territories of Alsace and Lorraine from France after winning the war. 1914 - 1918: The Great War - The name people called World War I before they knew there would be a World War II. World War I Timelines
Click on the icon below to see interactive timelines by The History Place Website. 
Other Things to KnowTwo Sides formed in World War I:
The Allied Powers France Great Britain Russia The Central Powers Germany Austria - Hungary Ottoman Empire Note about Italy Italy was in the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria - Hungary, but when it entered the war joined the side of the Allies. Note about Russia Russia withdrew from the war in 1918 when the royal family was killed and civil war began. Russia signed a treaty with Germany in Brest Litovsk (now Belarus) ending the war on the Eastern Front. Note about the U.S. The U.S. did not enter the war until 1917 after Germans sunk the Lusitania - a British passenger ship that was carrying Americans. 
More Info:
Can't get enough about World War I. Click on the icon below to visit an interactive website by PBS called, The Great War. 
|
No?Why Not?
Get It Done Today! 
|
Yes!Congratulations! Victory is yours!
You have completed the Topic 2 Lesson 6 Mission! 
|