The Great War Largest in history up to that point French mobilized 8.5 million British mobilized 9...
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Section 2: New Kind of War The Great War • Largest in history up to that point French mobilized 8.5 million British mobilized 9 million Russians mobilized 12 million Germans mobilized 11 million
The Great War Largest in history up to that point French mobilized 8.5 million British mobilized 9 million Russians mobilized 12 million Germans mobilized
The Great War Largest in history up to that point French
mobilized 8.5 million British mobilized 9 million Russians
mobilized 12 million Germans mobilized 11 million
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Schlieffen Plan failed Belgians resisted Russia mobilized more
quickly than expected First Battle of the Marne
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September 5-12, 1914 Culmination of German advance into France
British & French push Germany back Allied victory Sets stage
for trench warfare
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Stalemate Deadlock, neither side is able to defeat the other To
break stalemate, Both sides launched deadly offenses Germans at
Verdun Allies at Somme
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In total, estimates of up to 16 million died and 20 million
were wounded in WW1 Western front proved the destructive power of
modern weapons Long-range artillery Rapid-fire machine gun
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Poison gas 1915 First Germany, then Allies used it Blinded or
chocked victims Agonizing
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Tanks, airplanes and submarines 1916, Britain introduced first
armored tank 1915, Germany used zeppelins Designed to move across
no mans land
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Both sides equipped airplanes with machine guns Pilots, or
flying aces, fought dog fights in the sky
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Submarines proved more important than planes German U-boats Did
tremendous damage Allies developed Convoys
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13 By 1915 both sides had built trenches from the English
Channel to Switzerland The Western Front spanned 415 miles 6,250
miles of trenches total 6 to 8 feet deep Millions died and little
land was won
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Battle lines shifted back & forth over larger areas No
trench warfare but higher casualties Just as indecisive
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The Frozen Front lack of food and clothing; 100s froze to death
daily Russia not industrialized was always short on food, clothing,
weapons, and ammo Russias asset was its numbers Germany blockaded
the Baltic Sea and the Ottoman Empire controlled the Black Sea
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Though most fighting took place in Europe, WWI was a global
conflict Japan, allied with Britain, used war as excuse to seize
German outposts in China & the Pacific
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1915, Bulgaria joined Central Powers Helped defeat Balkan
rival, Serbia 1916, Romania joined Allies Hoped to gain some land
in Hungary Crushed by Central Powers 1915, Italy declared war on
Austria-Hungary & later Germany Secret treaty with Allies
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European colonies also dragged in Allies overran German
colonies in Africa & Asia Turned to their own colonies for
troops Colonies had mixed feelings Why serve rulers who treat you
unfairly? Maybe their service would be step towards citizenship or
independence?
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1917 Europeans cracking under strain of war Morale was low
Stalemate seemed unending One country will leave One country will
enter End the stalemate
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Modern war required all of nations resources Governments took
stronger role in directing economic and cultural lives of
people
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Conscription The draft All warring nations Germany Forced
civilian labor Governments raised taxes Rationed food, boots,
gasoline, etc. Forbade strikes
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British navy formed blockade in the North Sea International law
allows wartime blockades to stop contraband But British blockade
stopped everything Germans retaliate Unrestricted submarine
Warfare
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May 1915, German submarine torpedoed British liner About 1200
killed 128 Americans Germans stopped unrestricted submarine warfare
for the moment
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Total war included controlling public opinion Censored press
Hid discouraging news Propaganda was used to spread ideas to
promote a cause or to damage an opposing cause
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Women played critical role At home, kept national economies
going Nurses near front lines Helped women get voting rights after
the war
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Despite efforts, by 1917, morale of troops & civilians
plunged Germany was sending 15 year olds to fight Britain near
bankruptcy You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when
soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray youll never know The
hell where youth & laughter go - Siegfried Sassoon, Suicide in
the Trenches
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3 years of war hit Russia hard Incompetent generals Corruption
Food/supply shortages March 1917, Russians overthrow Tsar Allies
welcome the revolution New democratic nation would be a stronger
ally However
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Vladimir Lenin Promised to pull troops out of war Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk Early 1918 Signed with Germany Pulled Russia out of
WW1
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US Support Shared cultural history with Britain Same language
as Britain Same democracy as France German Americans favored
Central Powers Irish Americans resented British Russian Jewish
immigrants didnt want to ally with the Tsar
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Unrestricted submarine warfare stopped after Lusitania, 1915
Pressure from President Wilson 1917 Germans desperate Started again
Wilson angrily denounces Germany 1917, British intercept telegram
between German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann to Mexico
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April 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war 1918, about 2
million American soldiers join the Allied troops Brought much
needed morale boost & financial aid Wilson to Congress, We have
no selfish ends to serve- to make the world safe for democracy War
to end all Wars
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January 1918, Wilson issued 14 Points List of terms for
resolving this and future wars Self determination for Eastern
Europe
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Final showdown on Western Front, early 1918 Germans wanted
major victory before US showed up Launch huge offensive, push
Allies back 40 miles Efforts exhausted Central Powers Americans
arrived September, German generals told kaiser the war could not be
won William II stepped down & went to exile in Netherlands
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Austria-Hungary near collapse Bulgaria & Ottoman Empire ask
for peace 11 a.m. November 11, 1918 New German government sought an
armistice The Great War came to an end