<P> In the east, only one Field Army defended East Prussia and when Russia attacked in this region it diverted German forces intended for the Western Front . Germany defeated Russia in a series of battles collectively known as the First Battle of Tannenberg (17 August--2 September), but this diversion exacerbated problems of insufficient speed of advance from rail - heads not foreseen by the German General Staff . The Central Powers were thereby denied a quick victory and forced to fight a war on two fronts . The German army had fought its way into a good defensive position inside France and had permanently incapacitated 230,000 more French and British troops than it had lost itself . Despite this, communications problems and questionable command decisions cost Germany the chance of obtaining an early victory . </P> <P> 1916 was characterized by two great battles on the Western front, at Verdun and Somme . They each lasted most of the year, achieved minimal gains, and drained away the best soldiers of both sides . Verdun became the iconic symbol of the murderous power of modern defensive weapons, with 280,000 German casualties, and 315,000 French . At Somme, there were over 400,000 German casualties, against over 600,000 Allied casualties . At Verdun, the Germans attacked what they considered to be a weak French salient which nevertheless the French would defend for reasons of national pride . The Somme was part of a multinational plan of the Allies to attack on different fronts simultaneously . German woes were also compounded by Russia's grand "Brusilov offensive", where although Germany suffered less than their allies with ~ 150,000 of the ~ 770,000 Central powers casualties, were simultaneous to the Somme offensive and with German already committed to the Verdun offensive . German experts are divided in their interpretation of the Somme . Some say it was a standoff, but most see it as a British victory and argue it marked the point at which German morale began a permanent decline and the strategic initiative was lost, along with irreplaceable veterans and confidence . </P> <P> In early 1917 the SPD leadership became concerned about the activity of its anti-war left - wing which had been organising as the Sozialdemokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (SAG, "Social Democratic Working Group"). On 17 January they expelled them, and on April1917 the left - wing went on to form the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: Unabhängige Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands). The remaining faction was then known as the Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany . This happened as the enthusiasm for war faded with the enormous numbers of casualties, the dwindling supply of manpower, the mounting difficulties on the homefront, and the never - ending flow of casualty reports . A grimmer and grimmer attitude began to prevail amongst the general population . The highlight only was the first use of mustard gas in warfare, in the Battle of Ypres . </P> <P> After, morale was helped by victories against Serbia, Greece, Italy, and Russia which made great gains for the Central Powers . Morale was at its greatest since 1914 at the end of 1917 and beginning of 1918 with the defeat of Russia following her rise into revolution, and the German people braced for what Ludendorff said would be the "Peace Offensive" in the west . </P>

What was life like in germany during ww1