WW1

THE GREAT WAR

THE WAR TO END ALL WARS

GLOBAL WAR

28 JULY 1914- 11 NOVEMBER 1918

CASUALTIES 17 MILLION DEATHS 11 MILLION COMBATANTS 6 MILLION CIVILAINS 20 MILLION WOUNDED ONE OF THE DEADLIEST CONFLICTS

THE BELLIGERENTS ALLIED POWERS

• Russia

• France

• Britain

• USA (1917-1918)

• Japan

CENTRAL POWERS

• Austro-Hungarian empire

• Germany

• Ottoman empire

CAUSES

M - Militarism

A - Alliance system

I - Imperialism

N - Nationalism

Militarism Arms race Machine guns Tanks Large and new Naval ships Large armies Britain- Germany industrial complexes used for

military equipments

Alliances Multiple alliances in Europe since 19th century to maintain

balance of power. Triple alliance – 1882 Germany Austria-Hungary Italy Triple Entente -1907 France Britain Russia

The world at war- a glimpse

Imperialism

Scramble for Africa

Britain lead ,everyone else wanted to compete

Vast resources and manpower at disposal for the ‘great ‘ war.

Nationalism

Europe swept by a nationalistic wave in 19th century

Germany, Italy, Baltic states- nationalistic fervour

Belief in the ‘Glory of war’

OTHER CAUSES

Russian interest in influence over Straits of Dardanelles.

• Illusions of a short war • War Glorified, considered inevitable, a necessity for

nations to grow and develop

• Balkans-POWDER KEG of Europe Fights for Influence by Russia, A-H and Ottoman empire

. Nationalistic movements –multiple ethnicities

Immediate cause

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria –Hungary and his wife were assassinated by Bosnian nationalist Gavrilo princep and other members of ‘Black hand’ in SARAJEVO on 28 June 1914.

Events leading to war – July crisis • Austria Hungary sends humiliating terms to

SERBIA • Russia mobilises in support of Slavic Serbia • Germany gives A-H empire a ‘blank cheque’ • A-H & Germany declare war on Serbia • Russia declares war on Germany • France declares war on Germany

Events in the War

• German army marches into Belgium en route France.

• Britain declares war on Germany

• Germany gets initial success in France and great success against Russian armies on the Eastern front.

• OTTOMAN empire attacks Russia, tries to capture Suez canal (British link to India)

THE TRENCHES

• FRANCE –GERMANY front • Stalemate for 3 years • Trenches dug to protect from artillery shelling • Horrible conditions – health issues • Huge number of casualties for small gains

• Somme- 80000 dead in one day

1917 • USA got involved finally in April • Neutral earlier but supplied to both sides • ECONOMIC support- Arms, food and supplies • Joined the British on the western front

• Wilson’s 14 points – peace, freedom of

navigation, end to imperialism, League of nations

Revolution In Russia -1917

• February revolution – Tsar Nicholas II overthrown

• October revolution – Bolsheviks under Lenin come to power .

• Lenin signs peace agreement with Germany

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918

• War on the eastern front ends.

1918 • Allied armies push from Balkans ,Italy, Middle east and

soon overrun central powers.

• On the western front ,with fresh USA troops, allies defeat German army.

• Germany signs an armistice on 11 am, 11 November,1918

Treaty of Versailles-28 June 1919

• 6 months long negotiations held at the PALACE OF VERSAILLES,PARIS.

• The ‘guilt of war’ was placed upon central powers especially Germany.

• Borders of Central and eastern Europe, African colonies, Middle east were redrawn

• Heavy war reparations levied on Germany.

• Colonies of Germany divided by Britain and France

Graveyard of empires

• German empire - Hohenzollern

• A-H empire – Habsburgs

• Russian empire - Romanov

• Ottoman empire – Caliphate abolished

New Countries

• Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia,

• Estonia, Latvia ,Lithuania, Poland, Finland

• Mandate of Palestine – Balfour declaration

Other French, British and Russian protectorates from erstwhile Ottoman empire – SYKES-PICOT AGREEMENT

• Radio • Armoured cars • Tanks • Submarines- U boats • Machine guns • Mustard gas – Chemical warfare • Aeroplanes used for bombings

TECHNOLOGICAL WAR

Global war • Fighting in multiple colonies of Africa-

Togo,Tanzania,Cameroon

• Micronesian and Chinese colonies of Germany attacked by Japan

• Ottoman ships bombard black sea ports of Russia.

• Gallipoli campaign by allies

• Naval war- German U Boats attack allied ships

Indians in WW1

• 1.3 million Indians served under the British army

• France, Middle east (Mesopotamia),Egypt

• ~50,000 laid down their lives.

• India gate- memorial

AFTERMATH

HEALTH

• Millions dead due to disease

• Spanish flu – 50 million deaths

• Shell shocked soldiers-psychology

• Male populations declined in Europe

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL

• Writers – Ernest Hemingway ,JRR Tolkien

• The ‘glory’ and ‘romanticism’ of war was gone.

• Women in factories – social change

• Rise of Hitler In Germany in Weimar republic

ECONOMIC

• Great Britain went from an investor to debtor

• USA strengthened its economy immensely and had a great growth period in 1920s

POLITICAL British and French consolidated power USA- international power Rise of National Socialism (Hitler) in Germany Political movements in TURKEY League of Nations- first international group

Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore

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Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore

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