World War I
War to end all wars
1914 – 1918
World War I
• Began on July 28, 1914
• Ended on November 11, 1918
• United States joined in April 1917
Causes of WWI – MANIA
• Militarism - policy of building up a strong military to prepare for war
• Alliances – agreements between nations to provide aid and protect one another
• Nationalism – extreme pride or loyalty in one’s country
• Imperialism – when a stronger country takes over a weaker country economically and politically.
• Assassination – of Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand
Militarism
Country 1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenses
France 10%
Britain 13%
Russia 39%
Germany 73%
Alliances
Triple Alliance Triple Entente
Nationalism• Pride or loyalty to one’s nation
• At the Congress of Vienna in 1815 nationalism was ignored in favor of preserving the peace.
• Germany and Italy were left as divided states, but strong nationalist movements and revolutions led to the independence of Italy in 1861 and Germany in 1871.
• France lost Alsace-Lorraine to Germany, and regaining it was a major goal of the French.
• Nationalism was a problem for Austria-Hungary and the Balkans, areas of many conflicting national groups.
Imperialism
• Control of influence a stronger country has over a weaker country.
• Great Britain, Germany and France needed foreign markets and raw materials after the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial Revolution
• These countries also competed for Africa
• In the Middle East, the crumbling Ottoman Empire was wanted by Austria-Hungary, the Balkans, and Russia.
European Conquest of
Africa
Assassination
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie at Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28th, 1914.
Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand
was killed in Bosnia by a
Serbian nationalist
group called the Black Hand who believed that Bosnia
should belong to Serbia.
Domino Effect
• Austria blamed Serbia for Ferdinand’s death and declared war on Serbia.
• Germany pledged their support for Austria-Hungary.
• Russia pledged their support for Serbia.
Domino Effect
• Germany declares war on Russia
• France pledges their support for Russia
• Germany declares war on France
• Germany invades Belgium on the way to France
• Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on Germany
War World I
Central Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
Allied Powers
Great Britain
France
Russia
United States and WWI
• President Woodrow Wilson tried to keep us out of WWI and we were a neutral country at the beginning of the war.
• Sinking of the “Lusitania” in 1915
• In 1917, Germany began unrestricted warfare in waters around Britain – meaning they would sink any ship even ones from neutral countries
• Germany tried to get Mexico to side with Germany and against the United States
• April 6, 1917 the United States declared war on Germany
New weapons used in WWI
• Machine gun
• Poison gas
• Submarine
• Airplane
• Tank
• Why these weapons? Why now?
• INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION!!
Why was WWI a Stalemate?
• What is a stalemate?• Neither side can make a move to
win
• Machine gun. How did this change war? How was it fought before?
• Trench Warfare = “solution”
• Millions die without gaining ground.
What were the results?
• Germany surrendered
• Allies impose Treaty of Versailles• Declares Germany guilty for war• Germany must pay reparations to Allies
• This sets the stage for WWII!
• League of Nations formed to try to prevent war in the future
Casualties
• Total troops dead - 8,556,315
• Total troops mobilized - 65,038,810
• Total troops wounded - 21,219,452
• Total missing or POWs - 7,750,945