Europe & The Great War

(1890-1920)

Do Now

“Modern”

What does it mean?

Is it a good thing? A bad thing? Can it be both?

Modern

HISTORY DEFINITIONA term used to describe…

• quicker pace of life• the rise of mass politics• decline of rural life / more urban life

…from the late 1800s on.

ModernGENERAL DEFINITION• a sharp break from the past and tradition• can refer to literature, art, politics, ideas,

etc.

Kandinsky,

Russian painter

Modern

We will be looking at how Europe became more “modern” in both ways…

Europe Modernized

Industrialization- Railroads- Commercial agriculture- AutomobilesTechnology- Indoor plumbing- Electricity- Telephones- Photography

Modern Thought & Culture

• “modern” ideas go back to the Enlightenment: you can solve any problem through rational thought and science

• But “modern” thinkers of late 1800s / early 1900s use science to look at humanity more negatively

Modern Thought & Culture

Review what these terms mean…• Realpolitik

– Politics not based on ideals (ex: rights) / based on what is good for the state

• Social Darwinism– Some groups of people more “fit” to

survive than others / should therefore be in charge

Modern Thought & Culture

Sigmund Freud• Begins field of

psychology• Believes humans act

out of self-interest / humans not always reasonable

Modern Thought & Culture

Max Weber• Pessimistic about

governments’ ability to deal with modern problems (large populations, etc.)

• Get rid of bureaucracy • Need a strong and

powerful leader to act decisively

Modern Thought & Culture

Friedrich Nietzsche• People like rationalism and

science because it is easier to deal with

• But the truth about humans is more disturbing

• Moves away from ideas of the Enlightenment / human instincts are important

• His ideas inspiring at first, but later used to justify racism, nationalism,

militarism, etc.

Modern Thought & Culture

What do these thinkers have in common?

The old rules and ideas no longer apply or work.

Universal vs. Relative

The world is a crazy place, and crazy actions may be necessary.

Modern Thought & CultureIgor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (1913)• Extremely jarring new music• Awkward poses and dances to intense rhythms• Attempting to depict “primitive” non-European peoples

“Audience began shouting its indignation… Fighting actually broke out among the spectators” - a Paris reporter

Watch this clip

Discuss

• How does The Rite of Spring express the idea of “modern”?

• How can modernism be seen as a positive thing?

• How can it be seen as negative?• How do these thinkers move away from

the ideas of the Enlightenment?• What problems could these modern ideas

pose in terms of human rights?

Do Now

• What does the term “modern” mean?

• What were some modern ideas at the turn of the 20th century?

The Road to World War I

Use this mnemonic device to help you take notes…

• Militarism

• Alliances

• Imperialism

• Nationalism

Nationalism: Population & “Race”

• Population boom in cities at this time (lower death rates, more sanitation, etc.)

• But lower birth rates (less children needed for help on farms / agriculture more efficient)

• Social Darwinists concerned about this / want to see their nations win in “survival of the fittest”

• People become more racist and anti-immigrant

Nationalism• Labor & Socialist parties gain strength / challenge

conservatives• Nationalism [and racism] provide a way for the far

right to mobilize people• Feel like their nation is “threatened” / Social

Darwinism as a way of motivating people

Imperialism• European states’ attempts to maintain colonies

abroad makes relations difficult in Europe• EX: British have problems in South Africa / Germany

cheers on the resistance

Militarism• European countries massively build up their

militaries to protect their overseas colonies• Industrial factories make this possible• People of these countries support this (thanks

to nationalism)

Alliance

Is an agreement between two countries to help each other. It can include aid in the form of money, food, weapons, etc. Or it can mean a promise for military

action.

Alliances

Late 1800s, European nation-states form several alliances…

• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy• Triple Entente: France, Russia, Great Britain

“entente” means a less formal promise than an alliance (can be broken more easily)

Alliances

AlliancesLeaders thought that these alliances would keep

the peace because no single nation would dare to attack another and bring about a total war

Actively Read

…this primary source about the Dreyfus Affair.

Use vocabulary from previous units in this class, or from today, to annotate your texts.

What long-term cause of World War I might we associate this with?

What are some possible connections?

Do Now

CAUSE and EFFECT:

How does this work?

What do you think is the difference between a long-term CAUSE and a short-term CAUSE?

What were some long-term causes that led to World War I?

Review: Alliances

AlliancesLeaders thought that these alliances would keep

the peace because no single nation would dare to attack another and bring about a total war

Alliances

BUT there is a place called the Balkans…

The Balkan Crisis

1912-13:• Nationalist ethnic

groups in this region want their own nation-states

• Revolt against the Ottoman Empire who had ruled them for hundreds of years and mostly win

The Balkan Crisis• One of these new nation-

states is Serbia• Nationalism is very big here,

but many ethnic Serbs are stuck living under Austria-Hungary’s Empire

• Serbian nationalist leaders want to expand their borders and unite the Serbian people

• Austria-Hungary very concerned about this / a rebellion may cause other uprisings in their empire

Balkan Crisis• June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand decides to

visit Sarajevo, a city in Bosnia (in the Balkans)• Ferdinand is assassinated by a young Serbian

named Gavrilo Princip

Balkan Crisis• Princip is arrested and Austria-Hungary uses

this as an excuse to punish Serbia• Austria-Hungary makes humiliating demands

and declares war on Serbia July 28, 1914

Balkan Crisis• Russia promised to support Serbia if attacked

(considered close because both peoples identify with Slavic ethnicity… nationalism!) / Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary

• Germany sees Russia as a threat to German nationalism (Austrians also speak German) / Germany declares war on Russia, then on France

• Etc. etc. etc.

War BeginsGermany’s attack on a neutral country (Belgium),

brings Great Britain into the war

World War IWorld War IWorld War IWorld War I

Allied Powers Central Powers

Great Britain

France

Russia

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Italy

Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I

What does it mean to be cynical?

Watch this video from Crash Course in World History and complete the worksheet.

Homework

Actively read and answer questions on “The War Begins” and “A New Kind of

War”

Do Now

Take out last night’s reading on “The Great War Begins” and “A New Kind of War”

Be prepared to discuss.

Because the Kaiser’s moustache said so!

The Great War Begins

1. What were the major events of the fighting of 1914?

The Great War Begins

Battle of the Frontiers

The Great War Begins

Russian invasion of Germany = a disaster(prisoners of war at Tannenberg)

The Great War Begins

Battle of the Marne

The Great War Begins

Stalemate on the Western Front

The Great War Begins

2. How did the construction of the trenches affect the war in 1914?

The Great War Begins

A New Kind of War

1. How did World War I differ from all previous wars?

A New Kind of War

Trench warfare on a MASSIVE scale

A New Kind of War

Miserable trench life

A New Kind of War

Life in the trenches

A New Kind of War

Life in the trenches

A New Kind of War

Trench foot

A New Kind of War

2. How did new technology affect the World War I battlefield?

A New Kind of War

Poison gas

A New Kind of War

What dangers did soldiers have to worry about while fighting in the trenches?

What effect did all of this fighting have on the direction of the war?

Use evidence from the images to support your answer.

A New Kind of War

“no-man’s-land”

A New Kind of War

A New Kind of War

“shelling”

A New Kind of War

“Shell Shock”Psychological trauma as a

result of war experience

Symptoms include: • Constant anxiety• Facial muscle tics• Nightmares/daymares• Diarrhea• Loss of sight

Symptoms often directly linked to physical experiences during wartime

Paths of Glory (1957)

Fictional anti-war film by Stanley Kubrick that takes place with French troops during World War I. Watch these scenes…

A stroll through the trenchesWe’ll take the ant hillCharging the ant hill

Discussion• What is “shell shock”?• What do you think is the colonel’s

impression about human life in war?• What do you think the “ant hill”

represents?• What might be the connection

between what you see here and industrialism?

• What might be the connection between this and modernity?

Do Now

What is a “civilian”?

In what ways do you think civilians can be involved with a war effort?

War on the Home FrontIn what ways did “total war” affect life on the

home front?How did civilians support the war effort?

Women building a railroad in England

War on the Home Front

What is rationing?

War on the Home Front

What are sedition acts?

War on the Home Front

What is propaganda?

War on the Home FrontWhat effect did propaganda have on the war itself?

French war propaganda, 1915This poster reads “Never Forget!”

Is intended to incite anger against the Germans for “the rape of Belgium”

Propaganda offices send out reports to newspapers of women and children being attacked by German troops (sometimes not completely accurate)

Wrap-Up

• What is “total war”?

• Name some ways that civilians contributed to the war

• What is rationing?

• Sedition acts?

• Propaganda?

Do Now

“Why did the United States enter the first world war?”

Develop a hypothesis that answers this question.

Why did the United States enter the first world war?

• Share your hypothesis with the class

• As a class, let’s develop a list of possible reasons that we can explore together

• Record these reasons in the left column of your chart

Why did the United States enter the first world war?

• As a class, let’s work through the documents one at a time

• Use active reading skills to make notes in the margins

• Point to evidence that will support or refute your hypothesis

• As we discuss, record whether the evidence supports or refutes your hypothesis in the chart

Do Now

What should a peace treaty do?

Who should benefit from it?

What lessons could be learned from a war?

Read…

• Actively read this text on the end of World War I

• Then, respond to the questions for each section

The End of the Fighting

1. What was the outcome of Germany’s last offensive?

2. What effect did U.S. troops have on the war?

The End of the Fighting

1917: Russian tanks withdraw from the

Eastern Front. Their country going

through revolution and Civil War.

The End of the Fighting

1918: German “Spring” Offensive

The End of Fighting

BUT…American troops (AKA “doughboys”) had

arrived in large numbers

The End of the Fighting

Allied “Counter-Offensive” (Summer 1918)

The End of the Fighting

Armistice declared: November 11, 1918 (11/11 at 11 o’clock)

A Difficult Peace

1. How did various Allied goals for peace differ?

2. Why was it so difficult to work out a peace agreement?

A Difficult PeaceUSA: Woodrow Wilson’s 14

Points…• Worldwide reduction of

weapons• Free navigation of the

seas• “Self-determination”

(political independence) for all national groups (ex: Italy, Austria-Hungary, the Balkans, Poland, etc.)

• A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee independence for all nations

A Difficult Peace

FRANCE: Georges Clemenceau wants “reparations” (payments for war damages) from Germany

A Difficult Peace

BRITAIN: David Lloyd George - somewhere between Clemenceau and Wilson

A Difficult Peace

2. How did the Treaty of Versailles affect Germany?

A Difficult Peace

Treaty of Versailles

A Difficult Peace

League of Nations - membership map

A Difficult Peace

The Costs of the War

1. What event that began in 1918 added to the suffering caused by fighting?

The Costs of the War

Influenza pandemic (1918)

The Costs of the War

Economic Devastation (in this photo: Flanders, Belgium)

War Around the World

What role did “colonial peoples” play in the war? What did they hope they might gain in return?

The Costs of the War

Colonial Uprisings (in this photo: Egypt’s Revolution against British rule (1919-1922)

Homework

Study for the quiz on World War I!