Wednesday, January 31, 2007
This Day in the History of German War Mistakes
On this day in 1915, Germany first uses poison gas in an attack against Russian troops on the Eastern front in WWI. The Allies retaliate and casualties (which are surprisingly light in my view) are actually slightly worse for the Germans.Even though WWII was far more savage, gas was not used as a weapon, at least not widely (although it was part of our plans for the invasion of Japan). This is proof, to my mind, how ultimately ineffective a weapon poison gas is.
On this day in 1917, Germany announces that it will wage unrestricted submarine warfare. Germany was being starved by the blockade on the seas (indeed almost as many German civilians died of famine in WWI as died in the bombing in WWII--around 800,000) so this was a desperate move which backfired big time as its effects (on top of the Lusitania in 1915) finally got us into the war, much to the detriment of the German cause.
On this day in 1917, Germany announces that it will wage unrestricted submarine warfare. Germany was being starved by the blockade on the seas (indeed almost as many German civilians died of famine in WWI as died in the bombing in WWII--around 800,000) so this was a desperate move which backfired big time as its effects (on top of the Lusitania in 1915) finally got us into the war, much to the detriment of the German cause.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 8:21 AM 
