IDs and Definitions

• “between the hammer and the anvil”• “Miracle of the Marne”• armistice• Reparations

Questions and Imperatives

• When did Russia pull out of WWI and America enter WWI, and what were the reasons for their actions?

• Are nation-states inherently adversarial? Give examples. (Class discussion)

WWI

• Between the Hammer and the anvil means Germany striking France through Belgium

• the miracle of Marne is that this did not happen• Marne, in north of France is where French put up all

they had (even by taxi) and held the Germans (September 1914)

• Chancellor of Germany, von Moltke, resigned over this fiasco and Falkenhaym replaced him as Chancellor

• Falkenhaym said “we’ll attack the French at Verdun, the carnage point in the war ==>

Battles and loss of life• between February 1916 and December 1916, 360,000

French and 335,000 Germans were killed at Verdun• In July-mid November 1916, the Battle of Somme, lost

many troops• 400,000 Germans, 200,000 French, 400,000 English• on this 28 mile front, they had penetrated only 7

miles• romance was taken out of the war• both sides started using poison gas• there was rationing because of the blockades

Trench Latrines (from the internet)• regulation Trench Latrine was supposed to be dug in pits 4-5 feet deep often at the rear

of the Trench, but sometimes at the frontline, forward, so that men did not linger longer than was necessary.

• A bucket was placed in the pit. Each company would have two 'Sanitary personnel,' whose job it was to empty the Latrine buckets, bury the contents, and dig new pits.

• Obviously this was not a particularly pleasant duty, and was often reserved as a punishment for defaulters.

• This duty was understandably most objectionable and there were even cases of it leading to desertion.

• Defecating in a fighting or communication trench being a punishable offence. • The most favourite type of Latrine at the front was the 'Two-holer' which was

considered superior to the 'One-holer' as mates could sit side by side and chat.• Because of the smell, many officers and some soldiers chose to go out into No-mans-

Land with a spade after dark. It was wise if taking this option to first warn the sentries that you were doing so, to avoid being accidently shot as you crept back.

• Before units changed over at the front, the Latrine pits were supposed to be filled in and new ones dug for the incoming unit. In practice this consisted of just

chucking the contents of the bucket into the nearest shell hole, or as far as possible.

German High Command• In 1916, the German high command changed• von Hindenburg in command with Ludendorf as his second in

command (on paper)• von indicates that von Hindenburg was a Junker from the Aristocracy• Ludendorf was from the lower classes but was the military brains,

the two had fought together• Ludendorf was given the title quartermaster general• Ludendorf ran the show, pushing everyone around• he ran the show at home and abroad• he organized supplies for his army• was a beastly character, even pushed around the Kaiser, was a

natural born Fascist (would fight with Hitler at the beer hall in 1922)

• these two men were a shot in the arm for Germany

Back in German society...

• the war effort was more important than anything

• freedoms could be set aside, whatever was best for the war

• during the harshest times of war/weather, Germans were almost starving

Russia pulls out of the War• On the Eastern front the Russians were faltering in 1915-16• lacked medical supplies, were outmanned, were dying from enemy

fire and disease• only one out of three had a weapon, had to find one from the dead• Germany gave Lenin free transport (sealed railroad car) back into

Russia so he could launch a revolution there• the Tsar abdicated in March 1917 and the provisional government

took over (Korinsky’s government)• the provisional government wanted to stay in the war• the Bolsheviks stormed the palace in November and took over the

provisional government• Lenin signed the Brest-Litovsk Treaty with Germany, March 1918 (a

bitter treaty), giving the Russia people “peace”• end of fighting in the East allowed for German troops to be

strengthened on Western front by General Ludendorff

USA enters War• US had remained “neutral”• May 1915, a German U-boat sank the British passenger ship

(Lusitania) off the coast of Ireland, killing nearly 1200 passengers, including 128 Americans

• Wilson still preached neutrality• June 1916, National Defense Act passed which allowed for an

increase in the size of the American army• Zimmerman Telegram 1917• American ships sunk by u-boats • Declares war May 1917• 5,000,000 American doughboys support

the allies and stop Germany• 350,000 killed or wounded

Last Gasp German Effort

• The Germans transported all that they could from the eastern front to the western front

• ...big push...March 17, 1918...France and Britain held up against the Germans...and in July 1918, it was a last gasp attack for Germany...they were spent...US sending more troops for France and Britain

• In October, 1918, the high command: “The German army is no longer capable to defend the fatherland, it behooves the council to beg for peace”…

ARMISTICE

• Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate in order to create a republic (Wilhelm went to

Holland)• November 11th at 11:00 AM (1918), there was a

cease fire• armistice (Nov 11) took place in a railroad car at

Compiègne (Hitler would use this same car) • World War I claimed nearly 38 million casualties

among all nations

New Germany• Elections after the war• a republic was declared in Germany• Social Democrat Friedrich Ebert became president with

Philipp Scheidemann as his Chancellor• the president was elected by a popular vote (men and women

20 and older)• there had been fighting in northern France, now all was quiet• the allied representative (commander in chief of the allied

forces), General Foch, met the Germans to discuss the armistice• Germans were told to stack arms and march home• made the Germans extremely angry (made them look bad)• with no arms they lost their ability to negotiate

Paris Peace Conference• Began January 19, 1919• Wilson (USA...landed in France December 1918)• David Lloyd George (England)• George Clemenceau (France)...the tiger• Italy was one of the big four but didn’t really play a part• Russia was still involved in Bolshevik revolution and Lenin didn’t want to go• Germany was left out altogether.• French delegation made up of Prime Minister Clemenceau, President of the

French Republic, Poincaré, General Foch (leader of the allied forces)

• French hated the Germans and it was obvious at the conference• the bulk of the war was fought in Northern France (was leveled)• there was still feelings about Alsace-Lorraine• there had been acts of wanton violence as the Germans had retreated

through France and this intensified the hatred• too many Germans and a good German is a dead German• wanted to drill the Germans for every reparation

Treaty of Versailles• About 500 pages• down to 100,000 troops from 4,000,000• no heavy weapons (artillery, tanks, air force)• lost territory (Alsace-Lorraine to France, newly created Poland (mostly Germans),

including Danzig Corridor cutting strip through Germany• German’s loss of land

– Poland (poles and ethnic minorities of Russians, Jews and Ukrainians)– Czechoslovakia– Yugoslavia,– Romania was enlarged– Austria/Hungary were losers and reduced in size– with a large Poland, Germany and Russia had less land and now someone top stand

against them• open ended reparations...initially 1,000,000,000 francs• an admission of guilt (war guilt clause...you started WWI)• Germany had 24 hours to sign after presented with the treaty...they signed since they

had no weapons and were demobilized (because of Armistice)...signed at Versailles (hall of 1000 mirrors)

Stab-in-the-back

• Stab-in-the-back theory began• The Versailles Treaty was signed June 28,

1919...Scheidemann would not sign...said “the hand must wither that signs this paper.”

• Was it a harsh treaty?• SIGNIFICANCE OF WWI

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Why do most scholars consider WWI the

most significant event of the twentieth century? Do You?