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The First World War Part 2: The War Begins

The First World War Part 2: The War Begins. Balkan Peninsula Unstable, weak Convenient corridor to Mediterranean for Russia, Austria- Hungary, or Ottoman

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The First World War

Part 2: The War Begins

Balkan Peninsula

• Unstable, weak• Convenient corridor

to Mediterranean for Russia, Austria-Hungary, or Ottoman Empire

• Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria all interested, too.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Next in line for Austrian crown

• Married to Sophia, a countess and duchess

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Diplomatic trip to visit Sarajevo

• June 28, 1914• Ceremonial

“inspection of the troops”

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Fourteenth wedding anniversary

• Rode together in royal splendor

• Treated like royalty

• http://www.firstworldwar.com/video/ferdinand.htm

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Group of seven• Ages 19 to 27• Members of secret

Serbian nationalist movement

• Mlada Bosna• “Young Bosnia”

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Despite heavy security measures

• Archduke and his wife shot

• Both die

After the Archduke’s death

• Archduke assassinated June 28, 1914

• Serbia is blamed.• July 5, 1914: Germany supports

Austria-Hungary against Serbia• July 23rd – Austria-Hungary

threatens Serbia

And then??

• July 25th – Serbia attempts peaceful resolution

• July 28th – Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

• July 30th – Russia rushes to support Serbia

The War Grows…

• July 30th – Russia mobilizes to help its ally Serbia

• July 31st – Germany demands “Stop helping Serbia!”

• August 1st – Germany declares war on Russia

On the same day…

• August 1st • France moves to

support its ally Russia

• Germany signs treaty of alliance with Turkey

• Italy declares itself “neutral.”

The next day…August 2nd

• Germany invades Luxembourg

• Demands to enter Belgium, which is neutral

• Belgium says, “NO.”

It keeps on growing and growing!

• August 3 – Germany declares war on France

• August 4 – Germany invades Belgium on the way to France

• Britain enters to safeguard Belgian neutrality

It’s a World War

• August 6th – Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia

• August 12th – France and Britain declare war on Austria-Hungary

By Mid-August of 1914

• Central Powers are at war with the Allies• Thought it would be a “quick war”• Central Powers – land war advantage• RR’s – move troops and supplies• Allies – divided by English Channel• Russia – poor roads and RRs• Italy – neutral until joining Allies in 1915

The Plan

• Germany plans quick defeat of France

• Then would attack Russia• Would avoid heavily fortified

French border• Would attack Belgium• August 14th, 1914

Belgian Strength

• Not strong, but held Germans back• Until British and French troops

could move in and assist• Stopped Germans at Marne River –

first battle• Turning point• Germans could have won a “quick

war” there, but failed

War becomes a STALEMATE

• Along Marne River – Western Front

• Neither side could move

• 600 miles along Belgian and French countryside

• How did they fight there?

In the Trenches

• Both sides built trenches all along Western Front

• Separated by coils of barbed wire

• “No Man’s Land”• Fought in

trenches THREE YEARS straight

What was it like in the trenches?

• Cold and wet• Constant wet

boots – mud• Trench foot• Rats• VERY

uncomfortable• Also scary and

dangerous

Battle of Verdun

• Started Feb 1916• Lasted the rest of

1916• Fought in trenches• French lost 540,000• Germans lost

430,000• Unbelievable losses• Little progress

toward peace