WW1 Essay

WW1 was one of the most significant wars in history, it is made up of many significant battles

causing many deaths and many injuries. The question is which battle of WW1 was the most

significant?` Each battle of WW1 had some sort of significance but I believe that some battles

mattered more than others in the grand scheme of things, that's why the topic of my essay will be

on the three most significant battles of WW1 to see which battles had the most influence and

what affects did they have on not only the war but their effects on the world in general.

The first battle that I think was most significant in WW1 is the battle of Liege because

not only was it the first battle of WW1 but it was the first battle that cemented everyone's view

that Germany was the villain of WW1. The Battle of Liège was the first battle of World War I

and it lasted from the 5th of August to the 16th of August. The battle was fought between

Germany and Belgium and the battle happened had come up with a plan to defeat its rivals

France and Russia. They believe that Russia will take a while to get ready for war because of

how big it is so the plan is to send all Germanys troops into France while Russia is getting ready,

Defeat France then move all the troops to Russia and defeat Russia but the problem is that

France has loads of forts and defenses along its German border. And Germany can't waste any

time fighting them so Germany decides to go around them. Through Belgium. Belgium was a

neutral country during WW1 so when Germany starts marching troops through the Belgium

countryside while killing civilians like, during the burning of Louvain, the rest of the world see

them as villains. Another reason that the battle of Liège was so significant is that this battle is the

reason Britain declared war on Germany so there is a chance that Germany and its allies could

have won if this war didn't happen. (Youtube.com Oversimplified )

 The second battle on my list is the battle of Amiens because this was the last battle before

the central powers collapsed and the war ended. the Battle of Amiens also known as the Hundred

Days Offensive, sees one of the most successful advances of World War I, with Allied troops

securing more than eight miles in the first day of the conflict. Catching the Germans by surprise,

the Allies attack with the help of 2,000 guns, 1,900 planes, and 500 tanks, causing large-scale

German casualties and a fatal blow to morale. (History.com Editors)

The Battle of Somme was the bloodiest battle of WW1 killing over 1.5 million troops.

This battle showed people just how brutal and destructive war is and because of this, this is the

battle that I think was the most significant of WW1. The Battle of Somme is also known for

being an immense improvement for the British Army, because of their improved

communications and battle tactics. An example of a tactic the British mastered during this battle

was the “creeping barrage”, in which they fired artillery just ahead of their preceding soldiers to

aid their advancement. (Norwich University Online). This battle was also known for it being the

first battle of WW1 that America lost.

In conclusion, the most significant battles of WW1 in my opinion were the battle of Liege, the

battle of Amiens, and the battle of Somme, the running theme of these battles being that they all

showed just how evil war is.

Works Cited

History.com Editors. “World War I Battles: Timeline.” HISTORY, 8 Apr. 2021,

www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-battles-timeline. Accessed 3 Feb. 2022.

John Graham Royde-Smith, and Dennis E Showalter. “World War I | Facts, Causes, & History.”

Encyclopædia Britannica, 23 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I. Accessed 4

Feb. 2022.

Norwich University Online. “6 Important Battles of World War I.” Norwich University Online, 1

Feb. 2017,

online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/6-important-battles-of-world-war-i#:~:text=O

n%20July%201%2C%201916%2C%20the%20Battle%20of%20Somme%2C. Accessed 4 Feb.

2022.

OverSimplified. “WW1 - Oversimplified (Part 1).” YouTube, 21 Oct. 2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHSQAEam2yc. Accessed 1 Feb. 2022.