Final answer:
Defining "winning" in WW1 was challenging due to new war technologies that favored defense and led to a stalemate with high casualties. This resulted in a shift to a war of attrition strategy, where victory was measured by the ability to outproduce and outlast the enemy in resources and manpower.
Step-by-step explanation:
During World War I, it was difficult to define "winning" for the Central and Allied Powers due to the new technologies of war such as trenches, machine guns, mines, and modern rifles, which made traditional offensive strategies ineffective and the defensive strategies superior. This led to a tactical problem where immense casualties occurred for minor territorial gains, typified by costly charges known as "going over the top."
World War I also exacerbated international tensions and failed to resolve underlying conflicts, which only became more intense with the modern devastation of war. For example, the Stab in the Back myth in Germany, and Russia's military struggles stemming from poor leadership and resource scarcity, reflected these difficulties.
Because a quick victory was unattainable, the warring nations switched to a war of attrition, where winning was redefined as outlasting the enemy by producing more supplies, drafting more soldiers, and absorbing higher casualties. These facts signal a transition in the methods of fighting from direct confrontation to economic and resource management to achieve victory.