Battlefield Orders

I am a man of facts, and I like to know things point blank. So, I guess that is how I have learned so much about the war. This war is revolutionary in that extreme advances in technology have developed and are being tested for the first time in actual battles. Such advances include the flamethrower, tank, machine gun, submarine, airplane, and 3" mortar.

First off, the flamethrower was invented by a German engineer named Richard Fiedler in 1901. However, due to controversy it was not fully accepted in Germany until 1911 and was not used in combat until 1915. Due to the fact that the flamethrower allowed the German army to kill numerous amounts of the opposing side at one time, it was a sensation. After its success, it was accepted as a vital weapon for the German army.

The tank was established as an alternative to armored cars, which could not travel off road or provide sufficient protection. The British were the first to introduce these “tanks” in 1916. The name is attributed to what they were labeled when shipped to the troops, in order to trick the enemy. The D1 was the first tank to enter battle, and was somewhat of a success, however it needed many improvements. After an update, these tanks also became quite popular on the warfront.

Originally, the machine gun was invented in 1881 by Hiram Maxim. This gun enabled a much higher rate of fire, because it shot bullets automatically and allowed soldiers to reload their guns less.

It is interesting to discover that submarines were not officially used in warfare until WWI, because I remember Kantorek teaching us that the idea of a submarine was introduced by Alexander the Great, and finally invented by Cornelius Jacobszoon Drebbel in 1620. Submarines made a considerable impact combat techniques in this war. With the ability to view underwater without being seen on the surface, submarnies enabled the element of surprise. So far, the most noted use of the submarine in WWI must be the Lusitania occurrence.




This war is the first time airplanes have been allowed in combat, and they have become extremely useful. They are also quite frightening, because planes will hover around an area, and you will never know when one had the intention droping bombs. In fatc, the war is full of planes, blimps, and tethered ballons.

The Mortar is an old weapon that has been improved for this war, in order to make it more efficient. A mortar is actually quite similar to a cannon, except it is thinner and made specifically for trench warfare. It has enabled soldiers to fire at steep angles to hit the enemy dead on. As you can see the improved 3” Mortar was incredibly fundamental to WWI warfare.

No man’s land is a nickname used by soldiers for the large area between two opposing sides. In thia war, these areas are normally 250 yards wide. No man’s land is the area you are most likely to be killed in, and usually contains a considerable amount of barbed wire for protection.

The use of poisonous gases in is very controversial because of the argument that it is uncivilized, since it causes slow painful deaths. However, when gases were finally in use they caused many non-fatal casualties and backfired on some armies when the wind blew the wrong way. The French were the first army to use gas, and other countries soon followed suit. But gas masks were not supplied until after the first German chlorine gas attack, and they only consisted of cotton pads that had been soaked in urine, the only alternative was a handkerchief covered in a solution of bicarbonate of soda. It was not until July 1915 that soldiers were given efficient gas masks and anti-asphyxiation respirators.



The Red Baron is a German fighter pilot of the Western Front. He was renowned for being the most famous war ace in Germany because he shot down 80 allied aircrafts which was more than any other pilot in WWI. His name was Manfred von Richthofen and he was born in Schweidnitz, Germany in 1882. He was initially a cavalry officer in the German Army, but transferred to the German Air Force in May 1915. Richthofen died when he was brought down to ground fire in August of 1918.

The Schlieffen Plan is a German ideal stating that in order to win a two-front war expeditiously, you must first achieve success in west. Yet, the plan’s triumph depended on France being defeated by Germany before France could defend itself, and then for Germany to attack Russia before they were ready. Still, the plan failed due to the French’s counter attack.

Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria, Prince Imperial of Austria, Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The Archduke and his wife were killed while riding in a car in Serbia. Due to the circumstances of his assassination, Austria-Hungary believed that it was planned by the Serbian government. This disagreement escalated, and caused the countries allied with Austria-Hungary (the Central Powers) and countries allied with Serbia (the Entente Powers) to declare war on each other, thus starting WWI.

Helen Burrey volunteered to serve as an army nurse, and was one of the first to be sent to France. She was interested in the medical advances she saw in hospitals and trains, having just come from nursing school at St. Francis Hospital. She worked mainly in a train transporting the wounded soldiers to hospitals. She was very interested in helping the soldiers and found it quite unsettling to see some of their gruesome wounds.

Pals battalions are army troops of people that volunteer to serve alongside eachother, including friends, coworkers, and family members (hints the term “pals”) who enlisted in the army with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside the people they value most. This was a great incentive to get men to enlist, but I’m not so sure it was a good strategy for any country. Reason being, when you were fighting beside your dad and he gets shot, you’re going to stop, try to help him, and if he’s dead you’re not going to fight anymore.