World War I

Chapter 14

Section 1

• Recap----What are some of the major events that happened in Europe so far?

• What do you think the general mindset is in Europe?

Mindset • By 1914

– Relative peace has settled in over the last 50 years

• Idealists look for permanent peace• International events…any guesses?

– World’s Fair: 7 events between 1850-1914– 1896: Olympics – Universal Peace Conf. 1899: “the future belongs to peace”

• “I shall not live to see the Great War, but you will see it and it will start in the east”-Bismarck

The Alliance SystemThe Alliance SystemTriple Entente:Triple Entente: Triple Alliance:Triple Alliance:

Alliances

• Triple Alliance– Franco-Prussian

War• Knew France

would need help if they would attack again

• Germany signs a treaty with Aust.-Hungary and Italy in 1882

• Triple Entente – 1893 France and

Russia united – Sign a entente

• A nonbinding agreement to follow common policies

• 1904 with GB

Peace Alliances made but it created two huge alliances

Increasing Tension• Competition in Europe, Economy, Colonies • Which Euro country was quickly growing into a super

power?– Germany….who do you think is worried about this?

• Great Britain • Germany feared Russia…why?

– Large pop.

• International tension w/ colonies – Imperialism, trading, land, wealth

Imperialism and the Balance of Power

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                       

Militarism Pride in fighting for

country, glory, heroism Increased build-up of

military spending & military forces

1. Germany: naval forces to rival England

2. Increase size of most Euro armies

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1914

94 130 154 268 289 398

Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.]

in millions

1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures

France 10%

Britain 13%

Russia 39%

Germany 73%

Militarism Increase

Nationalism

• This was high in Germany and France – Fr. Wants land back

lost in the F-P war• Alsace and Lorraine

• Pan-Slavism– Russia’s duty to

protect Slavic countries

Nationalism

• Which old empire feared that the minority population would rebel?– Austria-Hungary

• Ottoman feared a Slavic rebellion

• 1912– Balkan states attacked Turkey

and gained land

• 1914– Tensions rise between Balkan

states

• Bosnian-Slavs want self rule

Stage is Set

• Nationalism in Bosnia and Serbia• Competition for Bosnia

– Russia and A-H compete for control of Balkan Peninsula– 1908, A-H annexes Bosnia; – Serbia wants independencefor Bosnia!– Serbian Nationalists scheme to assassinate Archduke of Austria-Hungary (heir to the thrown)

Powder Kegs Ignites• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand • June 28,1914• Serbian Nationalist Group called the Black Hand• July 5, 1914 Germany issues A-H “blank check”

– pledging military assistance if A-H goes to war against Russia

ADFF Gavrilo Princip

Who is to Blame?

Austria

• Sends Serbia an Ultimatum- final set of demands– Serbia ends anti-Austrian views – Allow Austrians in to investigate the

assassination and punishment for the crime

• Serbia partial refuses • Austria declares war July 28, 1914

• Thinking back what will happen to Europe?

Timeline• AH and Germany vs Serbia• Russia defends Slavic

country of Serbia• France supports ally

Russia • Germany invades Belgium

(“Belgium is a country, not a road”)

• Belgium gains British support

• Germany declares war on Russia

What plan do you think Germany had to end the war?

“Race to the Sea”

• Paris then Moscow• von Schlieffen Plan• Belgium. . . Britain• 1st Battle of the Marne

Mobilization

• Mindset…home by Christmas (August 1914)• No major war in Europe in 50 years

French Troops

A-H TroopsGerman Soldier

What does this image show?

Soldiers Mobilized

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

France Germany Russia Britain

Mil

lio

ns

Reaction to War

• European nations suffered domestic unrest • Fighting for justice and a better world

• “The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not seem them lit again in our lifetime”- Edward Grey

Section 2-Technology

• “One out of every four men who went out to the World War didn’t come back again and of those who came back, many are maimed and blind and some are mad”-WWI survivor

Western Front

• What was Germany’s plan for the Western Front?– Plan didn’t work, to ambitious and Russia

mobilized quicker than expected • Battle of the Marne

– Stalemate is established– Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare

• Dug themselves into the ground

• Horrible conditions– Dead bodies– Rats– Lice Trench Fever– Diseases

• Caused the war to drag on

Trench Warfare

Airplanes

• First were used to observe enemy activity

• Then were able to drop small bombs or grenades

• Next machine guns were added

The Zeppelin

Gases

• First used by the Germans

• Mustard and Chlorine – Caused vomiting,

blindness, and suffocation

• Allies began to use gas and issue gas masks

Poison GasPoison Gas

Machine GunMachine Gun

Tanks• First used by the British

in 1916– They were slow and easy

to destroy

• Helped the soldiers because of their ability to roll over barbed wire and trenches

See The Difference?

World War I Tank World War II Tank

U-Boats

• Unterseeboots• Attacked merchant

ships • Allies create a convoy

– Group of merchant ships protected by warships

$155.00 to Outfit a Soldier Serving in France

• What 500,000 soldiers need• 400,000 rifles and bayonets• 4,000 machine guns• 1,100 field guns• 80,000,000 cartridges for each battle• 1,250,000 shells and shrapnel per hour• 100,000 horses• 65,000 mules• 4,000 wagons and trucks• 500,000 first-aid packets• 500,000 canteens• 1,000,000 uniforms - coats, breeches,

puttees, underwear, belts• 500,000 caps• 500,000 steel helmets• 500,000 gas masks

• 1,000,000 pairs of leather boots• 500,000 pairs of rubber boots• 500,000 haversacks• 500,000 rubber ground-sheets, to keep

them dry• 1,000,000 blankets• 2,000,000 pairs of socks• 500,000 lbs. of meat per day• 500,000 lbs. of bread per day• 250,000 lbs. of vegetables per day• 1,000,000 pints of tea or coffee per day• 500,000 cups• 500,000 plates• 500,000 knives• 500,000 forks• 500,000 spoons

The Western Front

• Battle of the Marne

• Battle of Verdun

• Battle of the Somme

• Battle of Ypres

“All Quiet on the Western Front”• Stalemate. . .• Battle of Verdun – (1916) Huge battle for the French. . .

300,000 total killed!• Battle of the Somme – (1916) Fr and Br fight. . . Worst single

day in Brit history (20,000 killed) and over 2 million troops will participate with 750,000 Br and Fr being killed

• Battle of Ypres – (1915-1917) Attempts to push Germans out of Belgium (failed numerous times)

Ottoman Joins

• Central Powers• Cut off the Black sea

– Russia impacted• Armenians join

• Turks move Armenians to Syria killing 600,000 to 1.5 mil on the way

• GB sent T.E. Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia– Support Arab revolt

• Successful

Colonies• Euro colonies involved

– What would be their reason to fight?• Hope to gain freedom

• Mixed support– Joined right away– Refused bc of mistreatment

Section 3 • 1917

– Stalemate – Shortages – Low morale home front and front lines

• What should the gov’t do?– Total War: gov’t takes over economic and cultural

way of life

Economy

• Conscription– The Draft

• Gov’t raises taxes – Rationed

• Food, gas, boots

– Set prices – Outlawed strikes

Econ Warfare

• German cruisers disrupted trade everywhere

• British blockade of North Sea

What would you do? NOTICE!

TRAVELLERS intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies; that the zone of

war includes the waters adjacent to the British Isles; that, in accordance with formal notice given by the Imperial German Government, vessels flying the flag of Great Britain, or any of her allies, are liable to destruction in those waters and that

travelers sailing in the war zone on the ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.

IMPERIAL GERMAN EMBASSY,Washington, D.C. April 22, 1915

Lusitania

• May 7, 1915- British passenger ship – Carrying weapons– 1,200 passengers died

• Media – Ran wild with this issue

• Wilson= patience – Germany repay the families

Tensions with Russia• Desire to overthrow Tsar Nicholas II• Czar is overthrown by Bolsheviks (Commies)• Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin• Russia makes peace with Central Powers• Allies are concerned… why?

Lenin

Tsar Nicholas

One Front War

• “The Great Retreat” of Russian forces – Battle of Tannenberg

• Russian Revolution• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk –

treaty is ONE sided!• Eastern Front done. . .

Final efforts in the West

Preparation and Peace

• GB urged US to prepare– To help aid: supplies or troops

• US’ reaction– 1914: Patriotic Education– 1915: Gov’t setup camps to train– 1916: Congress ok’d an increase in armed forces – Peace

• Progressives, women, Congress

Zimmerman Telegram

• To: Mex Gov’t• From: German Foreign

Minister Arthur Zimmerman

• Date: Feb 1917• Reference: Mexico

helping the Central Powers in return for lost lands

• US is VERY concerned

Moral Diplomacy

• (WWI) 1917 to today

• US has a responsibility to “make the world safe for democracy”

“Spring Offensive”

• Germany’s last attempt in 1918• Goal – take the West (Br and Fr)• Failed• 270,000 Germ casualties in 1 month• Turmoil at home• Peace begins to be made

In other places. . .

• Sept 1918 – Bulgaria nervous and quits• Oct 1918 - Ottoman Empire falling to Allies• Middle East, minus Turkey, will fall to Br and Fr• Oct 1918 – AH falls• Germany alone!• 11th hour, 11th day, 11th month, 1918 – armistice

(cease-fire / truce) signed• War Over. . . Peace begins

Why did Germany lose the war?

• Goal of winning over Russia, Fr, and Brit too big

• Couldn’t control lands they won• Trench warfare caused war to last too long

and be too costly (man power and wealth)• Schlieffen Plan too ambitious• British blockade and limited foreign trade hurt

Germ Econ

Wilson Enters

• Moral Diplomacy: “Make the world safe for democracy”

• Presents Fourteen Points of Peace to Allied and Central Powers

• British and French happy about American troops and money entering the war, but not Wilson’s meddling

• Treaty of Versailles LONG process

Fourteen Points

• Wilson’s 14 ideas, based on the causes of the war, needed to prevent future great wars

• Freedom of the Seas• Self-determination• Limits of nat’l armaments• No secret alliances• End of colonization• Open trade• League of Nations

League of Nations

• Forum to settle disputes• All nations have equal vote• All nations tie themselves to military

engagements against warring states• Precursor to our United Nations

New Russia• Russia makes peace with Central Powers• Russia left-out of the treaty process• Allies lose an ally

Lenin

Tsar Nicholas

Reactions

• Germany– Willing to support the 14 points– Open seas and trade– Bond of Nations– Dealing with land, Germany disagreed

• Great Britain– Liked the idea but, disagreed with the wording– Felt Germany was getting off easy

Treaty of Versailles

• Harsh Terms:– Germ loses land– Germ pays reparations ($ for damages)– Germ cannot have mechanized army

• WWI causes WWII?– Loss of land- want to regain– High reparations- causes depression– Embarrassment- Rise of Adolf Hitler

New Europe

Cost of War

• Money– Allies: 125 Billion– Central: 60 Billion

• Casualties – Over 40 million civilians

and soldiers

Spanish Flu

• AKA 1918 flu pandemic • Around 50 million

deaths worldwide– Young healthy adults

Spanish Flu

• US lost 500,000 to 675,000

• GB-250,000• France-400,000