What Caused a Stalemate in the First World War? (AQA GCSE History): Revision Note
What caused a Stalemate in the First World War? - Summary
The stalemate on the Western Front became a key feature of the First World War. A stalemate occurred in Europe for several reasons, including the failure of the Schlieffen Plan, the impact of trench warfare, and new weaponry.
Throughout most of the war, generals on both sides attempted to break the stalemate using various strategies, weapons, and tactics. The stalemate cost the lives of countless soldiers and led to the development of new weaponry and tactics, such as the tank.
However, in the spring of 1918, Germany finally broke the stalemate with the launch of the Spring Offensive (Ludendorff Offensive).
What does stalemate mean?
After the failure of the war plans made by European nations before the First World War, it was clear that the war had already reached a stalemate
A stalemate is a situation in war where neither side can win, or make progress
Stalemate along the Western Front occurred due to many different reasons, such as:
the failure of the Schlieffen Plan
trench warfare
weaponry
The stalemate of the First World War lasted from late 1914 to the spring of 1918
The German Spring Offensive (Ludendorff Offensive) resulted in the end of stalemate on the Western Front
How did the failure of the Schlieffen Plan cause a stalemate?
In 1905, Germany created a plan for war, called the Schlieffen Plan
This plan aimed to attack France, take Paris within six weeks then turn and attack Russia
This was to prevent a war on two fronts
Germany believed that it would take Russia six weeks to mobilise their army
The failure of the Schlieffen Plan caused a stalemate in Europe as the German Army were:
unable to take Paris as planned
exhausted from the warm weather, lack of food and supplies and rapid marching
slowed down, and stopped, by the French and Belgium Army and the BEF (British Expeditionary Force)
surprised by Russia's quick mobilisation
Russia mobilised within ten days
The Battle of Marne, 1914
The Battle of the Marne was fought from 5th - 12th September 1914
Before the battle, Germany was only 40 kilometres away from Paris
Despite their proximity, Germany failed to reach Paris
100,000 German soldiers were sent to fight against Russia in the east
General von Kluck moved southeast away from Paris
This resulted in the German Army marching into the valley of the River Marne, giving the French and British an opportunity to attack Germany
The French and British attacked the German Army stopping their advancement and eventually pushing the German Army back to the River Aisne
When the German Army retreated, this signalled the failure of the Schlieffen Plan
The German Army dug trenches
The French and the British armies did the same
This was the start of trench warfare, and stalemate on the Western Front
Examiner Tips and Tricks
There are several battles which you will need to learn about in the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War course. Students often find it difficult to remember what happened at which battle. An easy way to remember each battle is to assign one key feature or outcome to each battle.
For example, the Battle of Marne is significant as it resulted in a stalemate. Therefore, stalemate is the key feature or outcome that should be associated with this battle.
The 'Race to the Sea'
After the Battle of Marne, Germany, France and Britain dug trenches
Both sides found it increasingly difficult to advance
The armies attempted to outflank each other
As they tried to outflank each other, they created trenches and moved north
This became known as the 'Race to the Sea'
By November 1914, both sides had reached the English Channel and the Western Front had been formed
The Western Front was over 400 miles long
Stretching from the English Channel to the border of Switzerland
This front did not significantly change until 1918 and was the reason why this is called a stalemate
Military technology in 1914
Military technology contributed towards the establishment of a stalemate along the Western Front in 1914
Machine guns
Rapid fire prevented the opposing side from being able to attack each other
Helped to protect trench lines if an opposing side managed to get over the top of 'no-man's land'
Artillery
Large heavy guns protected the front lines from a considerable distance
They created large creators and churned up land making it hard to advance
Barbed wire
Barbed wire was placed at the top of the trenches as a form of protection
Barbed wire was somewhat resistant to artillery fire
Artillery shelling was not very successful at damaging barbed wire
If barbed wire was damaged it would tangle together and become harder to navigate around
Soldiers could not attack through barbed wire, they would get trapped
In the very early stages of the war, it prevented cavalry charges
Worked Example
Study Source A.
Source A supports the view that weaponry contributed towards a stalemate on the Western Front. How do you know?
[4 marks]
Source A: An image of two British soldiers with gas masks on working a Vickers machine gun on the Western Front during the Battle of the Somme, 1916.
Answer:
Source A supports the view that weaponry contributed towards a stalemate on the Western Front as the image was taken in 1916 during the Battle of the Somme (1). Machine gun fire during the Battle of the Somme prevented the British and Allied forces from advancing on and breaking the German lines on the first day of the battle. Resulting in a continued stalemate on the Western Front (1).
Source A supports the view that weaponry contributed towards a stalemate on the Western Front as the image shows two British soldiers with a machine gun and gas masks on (1). Gas was first used by Germany in an attempt to break through the Allied front lines, and break the stalemate. However, the creation of gas masks reduced the success rate of gas attacks, creating a continuation of stalemate on the Western Front (1).
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