3 Battles That Changed the Course of World War I
World War I was the largest and most devastating war to ever be fought by humanity. It encapsulated the entire world and was mainly fought in mainland Europe and North Africa. During the four years it took place, 1914-1918, over 100 million soldiers and sailors died or were injured. Today, we are discussing three main battles of significance during this period, as these battles emphasize the grit and subsequent victory for the Allied forces, during what was known as The War to End All Wars.
The Gallipoli Campaign
The Gallipoli Campaign began in April 1915, when Allied troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Ottoman Turkey. If this battle had been successful, the British Allied Forces would have pushed back the enemy in the Middle East and opened a passage to Russia. Unfortunately, the Turkish Ottoman army reacted quickly, and a swift victory was not on the cards for the British Allies.
The main plan was for Allied Forces ships to sail through the Dardanelles and then take control of Constantinople, which is now Istanbul. This seizure would essentially knock Turkey out of the war and would be a massive win.
The allied forces within this battle were primarily from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. They landed at two areas, Cape Helles and Anzac Cove, which were both quickly controlled by the Turkish, ensuring the allies were not able to carry out their full plan. This spilled into trench warfare, in which intense fighting and heavy casualties were incurred on both sides.
The following August, a new attack was executed in Anzac Cove and a new attack on Suvla Bay, but unfortunately, the same outcome occurred, and in December of the same year, it was decided that evacuation was the best plan.
This is an important moment in WWI as it shows the character of the Allied forces and their sheer determination, teamwork, and grit to keep fighting. For the Turkish Ottomans, the Gallipoli Campaign was a brief halt in the decline of their empire.
First Battle of the Marne
The First Battle of Marne was between the 6th and 10th September 1914, and it was a turning point in the war for the Allied forces against the Germans. This battle occurred in France, and it was speculated in August that France could fall and the Allied forces would lose control of Paris.
But in a change of wind, this was not to be the case, as the French and British armies exploited a split in German lines, and it was the beginning of defeat for the army.
The battle plan for the German army, known as the Schlieffen Plan, would have their army attack the French allies on their own soil, thus bypassing any of the main French defences. In theory, this would lead to the surrender of France in less than six weeks.
But French troops in Lorraine went on the attack, and this move strengthened their attack and redistributed their strength. Several more attacks by the French and British on the German soldiers weakened this attack overall, and by 11th September, they retreated.
This was a great success for the French as they managed to push back the Germans 72 km and could still continue in the war. But the Germans still managed to capture a large area in Northern France, which would start a deadlock that would take nearly four years to break.
The Battles of the Isonzo
The battles of the Isonzo refer to twelve battles between the Italians and Austrians along the Isonzo River. These battles were significant as they show Italy’s main offensive efforts throughout World War I.
The Isonzo River, which is now in Slovenia, ran just inside the Austrian border with Italy and the Austrians had fortified this area prior to Italy joining the war in 1915, giving them a major advantage. When Italy launched its first attack in June, they tried for 14 days to cross the river but to no avail. They tried another three times over the next six months and could only penetrate a few miles into the border and suffered heavy losses.
They tried again in March but failed, and it was only in their sixth attempt that Italy managed to secure a bridgehead across the Isonzo, the first positive outcome. In the next three battles over four months, the Italians changed their tactics to short battles but still could not break the Austrian barricades.
It was only on their 11th attempt that they finally gained some headway and started to push the Austrians back. They were so successful that it gained the attention of the Germans, who sent reinforcements to the Austrians. In October 1917, the Austrian-German forces started a heavy bombardment on the Italian troops, forcing them to admit defeat and retreat towards the Piave River, where they held a line for another two weeks. It was one of the worst Italian defeats in their history.
Reflecting on World War I
Reflecting on these three very significant battles in World War I, it shows not only that it takes relentless determination for each army to face and their endless sacrifice. The bravery of all the people who fought during this period is commendable, and it is important to never forget these events and the people behind them.
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Written by: Ryan Clancy, Mechanical Engineer
