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Battle of Tannenberg
Two Russian armies invaded German East Prussia
Germany won
The Russians lost 30,000 killed or wounded, while the Germans sustained a total of only 13,000 casualties -
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First Battle of the Marne
A French offensive in Lorraine prompted German counter-attacks that threw the French back onto a fortified barrier
France and Britain won
it prevented the German capture of Paris, effectively halting the German offensive based on the Schlieffen Plan, significantly prolonged the war by forcing both sides into a defensive posture, and led to the widespread development of trench warfare along the Western Front, transforming the nature of the conflict from a mobile war to one of attrition -
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Battle of Gallipoli
as part of an Allied strategy to knock Ottoman Turkey out of the war by capturing Constantinople by gaining control of the Dardanelles Strait
The Ottoman Empire Won
a significant Allied defeat, leading to high casualties for both sides, a major setback for the British war effort, and most notably, the emergence of a strong national identity for Australia and New Zealand, known as the "Anzac spirit" -
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Second Battle of Ypres
the German military's decision to use poison gas (chlorine) for the first time in warfare,
The Allies won
significantly impacted World War I by marking the first large-scale use of poison gas by the Germans, leading to a widespread adoption of chemical warfare by both sides, and resulted in heavy casualties for the Allies, particularly the British, while leaving the Ypres salient more vulnerable and constricted -
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Battle of Verdum
primarily instigated by German General Erich von Falkenhayn, who aimed to strategically bleed the French army by forcing them to defend the strategically important fortress of Verdun
France won
over 700,000 casualties, including some 300,000 killed -
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Battle of Jutland
an encounter off the Danish coast between the battlecruiser forces of Vice-Admiral Hipper and Vice-Admiral Beatty
inconclusive, with both the British and German sides claiming victory
solidified British naval dominance in the North Sea, allowing them to maintain their blockade of Germany which significantly contributed to the Allied victory in World War I -
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Brusilov Offensive
launched in response to the intense pressure on the French at Verdun, prompting Russia to mount a major offensive against the Austro-Hungarian forces in Galicia to divert German attention away from the Western Front
Russia won
a devastating blow to the Austro-Hungarian army, forcing Germany to divert troops from the Western Front to the East, contributing to the weakening of the Central Powers -
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Battle of the Somme
the stalemate on the Western Front during World War I, where both sides were locked in trench warfare, leading Allied commanders to plan a major offensive to break through German lines, with the Somme River in France
The Allies won
devastating casualties for both sides, significantly impacting morale, leading to a German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in 1917, and exposing the brutality of trench warfare, -
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Battle of Passchendaele
primarily triggered by British Commander-in-Chief, General Douglas Haig's desire to disrupt German submarine bases on the Belgian coast
The British and Canadian forces won
devastating casualties for both sides, significantly impacting the morale of the British troops, undermining confidence in their generals, and leaving a lasting legacy as a symbol of the futility and horror of trench warfare on the Western Front -
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Battle of Caporetto
exhaustion of Italian forces after repeated offensive attempts on the Isonzo River against the Austro-Hungarian army
The Austro-Germans won.
a devastating defeat for the Italian army, leading to huge military losses including thousands of dead and hundreds of thousands of prisoners, a significant loss of territory, a major drop in Italian morale, the forced resignation of General Cadorna, and the need for significant allied reinforcements to stabilize the Italian front on the Piave River -
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Battle of Cambrai
to capture the St Quentin Canal and break through the Hindenburg Line, which was held by the Germans
the Allies won
little strategic impact on the fighting on the Western Front -
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Spring Offensive
a series of major attacks launched by the German army on the Western Front
the allies won
nificant Allied losses of territory, heavy casualties for both sides, a shift in Allied command with General Foch taking control, the depletion of German manpower, and ultimately, the setting of the stage for the Allied counteroffensive that led to Germany's defeat -
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Second Battle of the Marne
the third major thrust of the great German offensive of 1918.
the allies won
major Allied victory that significantly boosted their morale, shifted their strategy to offensive operations, and ultimately paved the way for the end of the war by halting the last major German offensive and initiating a series of Allied counter-attacks that eventually led to Germany's defeat -
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Battle of Belleau Wood
primarily triggered by a major German offensive during World War I that pushed close to Paris, prompting the American Expeditionary Forces, including the U.S. Marines, to launch a counteroffensive to halt the German advance and drive them out of the Belleau Wood area
The Allies won
the adjacent villages of Vaux and Bouresche were also secured by the American forces as the Germans fell back to new positions -
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Hundred Days Offensive
a major Allied counter-attack following a failed German spring offensive in 1918
the allies
effective collapse of the German army, leading to their surrender and the end of World War I with an Allied victory