Good Afternoon!!!

1. NVC

2. Experience of Civilians in WWI

3. Case Study: The Sack of Louvain

Essential Question: Was the Sack of Louvain a war crime or a legitimate military action?Homework: WWI Project DUE April 2/3

Civilians in WWI• Roughly 6.5 million

civilian deaths in WWI• The Allies– 3.4 million Civilians

• The Central Powers– 3.1 million Civilians

Famine

• Most civilian deaths due to Famine and Disease

• Famine: extreme hunger leading to starvation– Trenches and naval

blockades blocked trade routes preventing food from getting in

– Many farmers sent away to war decreasing food production

Disease• Trenches and blockades

also blocked medical supplies from entering countries

• Spanish Flu: First Pandemic (global disease) since the Dark Ages– spread by mass travel of

soldiers from country to country

– 50-100 million people dead = 1-3% of entire world’s population

Air Raids

• Zeppelin: German airships

• “Terror bombing”: attacks on civilians meant to weaken enemy morale– Introduced by the

Germans– Not yet very effective

Siege GunsParis Gun "It took about three minutes

for each giant shell to cover the distance to the city. The shells climbed so high that gunners, in calculating where the shells would land, had to take into account the rotation of the Earth. For the first time in warfare, deadly projectiles rained down on civilians from the stratosphere."

“Instead of terrorizing the people, shells of the great cannons, as well as the bombs dropped from the German airships, only serve to strengthen the resolve of the French to resist, to the last man if necessary, the invasion of such a foe.”—Charles Horneau, 1918

“The Rape of Belgium”

• 1914 Germany invades Belgium as part of Schlieffen Plan

• Reports of German atrocities against Belgian civilians soon follow– Used by Entente Powers

as propaganda– historians disagree if the

“rape” actually happened

Sack of Louvain—August 1914

The Sack of Louvain

Was the Sack of Louvain a war crime or a legitimate military action?– War Crime: the murder or intentional violent

mistreatment of civilians or prisoners– Legitimate Action: something strategically

necessary to win the war

• Team 1: The Sack of Louvain was a WAR CRIME!• Team 2: The Sack of Louvain was a LEGITIMATE

MILITARY ACTION!• 30 minutes: actively read each document and DISCUSS

whether it supports your argument WITH YOUR TEAMMATE– TOGETHER construct an ARGUMENT and find THREE

QUOTATIONS that support it. Write these down• 5 min: Team 1 presents, Team 2 listens and takes notes.

RESTATES Team 1’s position• 5 min: Team 2 presents, Team 1 listens and takes notes.

RESTATES Team 2’s position• 10 min: CONSENSUS! Abandon your role and discuss.

AGREE on and answer to the essential question

Exit Ticket

• To what extent are violent actions against civilians justified during a war? Are they ever justified? Explain, and provide examples