World War 1

Lecture 1

Causes of the War

• What do you see here?

• What do the different colors represent?

• Who is allied to whom?

• Why might these countries make these alliances?

• Which countries might have the greatest or least need to join an alliance?

Europe at its Peak

• Industrial Revolution made Western European Nations the most wealthy and technologically advanced on earth

• Western Europe Dominated the global economy

• All aspects of life were affected by modernization

• Standard of living and life expectancy were at an all time high in the early 20th century

Cause #1: Imperial Tensions

• European nations had competing colonies

• Colonies served as sources of inexpensive raw materials, pools of cheap labor, and markets for finished products

• Many colonial conflicts nearly turned into full fledged wars between their mother countries

Economic & Imperial Rivalries Economic & Imperial Rivalries

Cause #2: Militarism

• Glorification of war and increase in military spending

• Germany competed with England’s naval superiority– England responded by producing new military

technology and increasing its size to double that of the next biggest navy

– Russian mobilized 6 million troops, so Germany greatly expanded the size of its standing army

Militarism & Arms Race Militarism & Arms Race

1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1914

94 130 154 268 289 398

Total Defense Expenditures for the Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br.,

Rus.] Rus.] in millions of £s.in millions of £s.

1910-1914 Increase in Defense

Expenditures

France 10%

Britain 13%

Russia 39%

Germany

73%

Cause #3: Nationalism• Great pride in one’s country or aspiring to

become one’s own country

• Germany (1871) and Italy (1870) had only recently became united, independent countries

• Many countries torn by tensions of different nationalist groups

• Combined with militarism and imperial competition, this increased tensions in Europe

Cause #4: The System of Alliances

• Countries formed a web of treaties to protect themselves

• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

• Triple Entente: France, Russia, Great Britain• Treaty system began by German Chancellor

– Otto von Bismarck – wanted to accomplish 2 goals – 1. keep Germany out of a 2 front war– 2. diplomatically isolate France

1. The Alliance System1. The Alliance System

Triple EntenteTriple Entente::Triple EntenteTriple Entente:: Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::

Two Armed Camps!Two Armed Camps!Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers:: Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

The Major Players: 1914-17

The Major Players: 1914-17

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers::

Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]

Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

The War Breaks OutNationalism in the Balkans (Pan-Slavism)• Considered the powder-keg of Europe• People with diverse religions, ethnic backgrounds,

and languages• People of the Balkans were very proud of their

heritage and greatly desired independence• As the Ottoman Empire’s control of the Balkans

receded, new nations were born (i.e. Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, etc…)

• Russia and Austria competed for control of new nations in the Balkans

• Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia in 1908 and Serbia resents this

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914

The“Powder

Keg”of Europe

The“Powder

Keg”of Europe

War Breaks Out: The Assassination of the Archduke

• Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria visited the Bosnian Capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914

• 7 assassin from the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist group, plot against him

• 19 year old Gavrilo Princip (the 7th and final assassin) shot the Archduke (in the neck) and his wife (in the stomach)

The Assassin: The Assassin:

GavriloPrincipGavriloPrincip

War Breaks Out: Austria-Hungary’s Ultimatum

Germany gave “blank check” of military support to Austria-Hungary

1. The suppression of all anti-Austrian activity in Serbia

2. Called for the dismissal of all Serbian officials to whom Austria-Hungary objected

3. Demanded the right for Austrian officials to enter Serbia to investigate Serbian state complicity in the crime and carry out suppression of anti-Austrian organizations

War Breaks Out: Serbia Responds

• Knowing that they have the backing and support of Russia, Serbia accepts the first 2 ultimatums, but not the 3rd

• Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia on July 28, 1914

War Breaks Out: The Alliance System Leads to War

• Russia supported Serbia and Germany supported Austria-Hungary

• Within one week, almost all of Europe plunged into war–Germany declares war on Russia

(and France

–Britain declares war on Germany

World War 1: The Fighting Begins

Lecture 2

A Multi-Front WarA Multi-Front War

The Schlieffen PlanThe Schlieffen Plan

The Western Front• The Western Front was a 475 mile long stretch of land along

Frances border with Belgium and Germany• Germany tried to take France quickly in the Western Front

and then turn to fight Russia• This was called the Schlieffen Plan - a quick all-out attack

on France through the lowlands of Belgium• Germans wanted to avoid fighting on 2 fronts (France and

Russia)• Within weeks the Germans were within 50 miles of Paris• Germans made some tactical errors allowing the French

and the Allied armies to regroup and push the Germans back

• The two sides settled into a war of attrition

The Western FrontThe Western Front

Battles Along the Western Front• Fighting summarized by long battles

that took hundreds of thousands of lives

• Almost no ground was gained by either side

• Battle of Verdun (1916) – German initiated, lasted 6 months, 500,000 casualties for each side

• Battle of Somme (1916) – French initiated, lasted 6 months, over 1 million casualties

Verdun – February, 1916

Verdun – February, 1916

German offensive.

Each side had 500,000 casualties.

German offensive.

Each side had 500,000 casualties.

The Somme – July, 1916

The Somme – July, 1916

60,000 British soldiers killed in one day.

Over 1,000,000 killed in 5 months.

60,000 British soldiers killed in one day.

Over 1,000,000 killed in 5 months.

The Eastern Front• Lack of supplies and modern technology caused

Russia enormous defeats to the Germans and Austrians

• 25% of Russian troops were without weapons and instructed to take them from dead comrades

• By 1917, morale of troops and country were at an all time low – Russia was ripe for a revolution

• Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks in overthrowing Tsar Nicholas as ruler of Russia

• Brest-Litovsk Treaty signed with revolutionary government in Russia (1917) – lost ¼ of country

The Balkan Front• The Allied Powers decided that the key to

victory was to defeat the Ottoman Empire by attacking near Istanbul

• This would allow the allies to supply the Russians, free the Balkans, and attack Austria from the south

• April 1915 – British troops land on the Gallipoli Peninsula in an attempt to capture Dardanelles

• The campaign failed and British were driven out

The Gallipoli Disaster, 1915

The Gallipoli Disaster, 1915

New Weapons and Technology

• The industrial revolution changed the face of war – war became faster, more efficient, and amazingly accurate

The Machine Gun

• Modern industry replaced the single-fire, short-range rifle

• British machine guns held 250 rounds of ammunition and fired 8 rounds per-second at a distance of 2,900 yards

Artillery

• Artillery also modernized to become more effective in warfare

• Changes were made to make them able to carry greater and deadlier payloads to further and more accurate destinations

• Became more destructive

• 24 million shells used in the Battle of Verdun alone

Krupp’s “Big Bertha” GunKrupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun

Weapons of the Industrial Age• 75 different types of poison-gas bombs

used

• Flame throwers

• Tanks

• Airplanes

• U-Boats/submarines

• New Weaponry accounted for more than 10 million deaths in World War 1

Sacrifices in WarSacrifices in War

Poison Gas

Poison Gas

Machine Gun

Machine Gun

FlameThrowers

FlameThrowers

GrenadeLaunchersGrenade

Launchers

The AirplaneThe Airplane

“Squadron Over the Brenta”

Max Edler von Poosch, 1917

“Squadron Over the Brenta”

Max Edler von Poosch, 1917

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

U-BoatsU-Boats

British Tank at YpresBritish Tank at Ypres

French Renault TankFrench Renault Tank

Trench Warfare

• Modern technology ruined the military strategy of massive charges of soldiers

• 475 miles of trenches were dug across northern France

• British troops used over 10 million shovels during the war

• Charging “over the top”, crossing no man’s land to overtake enemy trenches

• Boring, terrifying, and caused shell shock• Horrible living conditions

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

““No Man’s No Man’s Land”Land”

““No Man’s No Man’s Land”Land”

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

War Is HELL !!War Is HELL !!

World War 1: The Effects of War

Lecture 3

Total War

• Civilians back home made huge sacrifices

• Governments controlled industries and rationing

• “victory is only possible if all the treasures of our soil that agriculture and industry can produce are used exclusively for the war effort”

• Germans 17 to 60 not at war worked wherever the government told them to

Women and the War• Worked in jobs traditionally held only by men, who

were at the front• Number in paid employment rose by over one

million• Worked in paramilitary organizations to support

soldiers at front• Paid less than men for same work• Industrial and civil work provided better pay and

working hours than traditional jobs• Women discovered the benefits of financial

autonomy and greater mobility• Some refused to return to domestic service• Women won the right to vote throughout Europe

Munitions WorkersMunitions Workers

French Women Factory Workers

French Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

Russian Women Soldiers

Russian Women Soldiers

Red Cross NursesRed Cross Nurses

Patriotic Fervor• Many Europeans looked forward to war at

the start• Most believed that the war would end with in

months not years• In each country, the wartime government

took control of the economy. Governments told factories what to produce and how much. Numerous factories were converted to munitions factories. Nearly every able-body civilian was put to work in the war effort.

Patriotic Fervor

• Many goods were in short supply that governments turned to rationing

• Governments also suppressed anti-war activity – sometimes forcibly

• Governments also used propaganda to keep up morale and support for the war effort

Propaganda

• The spreading of ideas, information or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause or a person

• Ideas, facts or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause

• One of the main instruments of propaganda was the war poster

Attitudes Change

• Soldiers changed European’s optimistic Fervor through letters about the horrors of war

• No crowds or heroes’ Welcome after the war

Recruitment PostersRecruitment Posters

A German Boy Pretends to Be a Soldier

A German Boy Pretends to Be a Soldier

New French RecruitsNew French Recruits

Recruits of the Central PowersRecruits of the Central Powers

Austro-Austro-HungariansHungarians

Austro-Austro-HungariansHungarians

A German A German Soldier Says Soldier Says

Farewell to His Farewell to His MotherMother

A German A German Soldier Says Soldier Says

Farewell to His Farewell to His MotherMother

A Young Australian Recruit

A Young Australian Recruit

Homework: Propaganda Posters

• Create a poster that could be used by one of the combatants for propaganda purposes during WWI

• Poster should be as authentic as possible to the period

• Due Tuesday, January 18

World War 1: The Americans and the End of the War

Lecture 4

The Americans

• April 1917 – The Americans enter into the war

• Germans focus all their efforts on the Western front in 1917 with Russia’s exit from the war

• The Americans offset the loss of the Russians

• The Americans provided money, materials, and troops

2 events drew the Americans into the war

The sinking of the Lusitania

An American Ship sunk off the coast of Ireland by the Germans

Over 1200 dead including a member of the influential Vanderbilt family

• The Zimmerman Telegram

• Secretly sent to the Mexicans requesting an Alliance having them attack the United States

• Promised the return of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona

• Also requests an alliance with Japan

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Zimmerman Telegram

The Zimmerman Telegram

The YanksAre

Coming!

The YanksAre

Coming!

Americans in the Trenches

Americans in the Trenches

“Paths of Glory”C. R. W. Nevinson, 1917

“Paths of Glory”C. R. W. Nevinson, 1917

The Allied Advantage

• 1917-1918 The Allies effectively implement a naval blockade of the Central Powers

• Blockade creates shortages of food and raw materials in Germany and Austria

• Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire were greatly weakened by the Allied effort

The War Ends• The war was questionable until the very end• 1918 brought a quick end • Bulgaria surrenders first when a British-French

force defeated the Bulgarians in Greece• Turks surrendered next in October 1918• Austria-Hungary gave in November 4, 1918 after

increased attacks by the Italians and civil unrest with in its own country

• Independence was promised to the Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Croats if they agreed to revolt against the Central Powers

• Germany then stood alone when on Nov. 9, 1918 Berlin revolted and the Kaiser was overthrown and a new Government (a republic) was put into place

1918 Flu Pandemic: Depletes All Armies1918 Flu Pandemic: Depletes All Armies

50,000,000 – 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 died100,000,000 died

50,000,000 – 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 died100,000,000 died

Surrender

• On November 11, at 11 am, the new German government signed and agreed to an armistice ending all fighting

11 a.m., November 11, 1918

11 a.m., November 11, 1918

9,000,0009,000,000 DeadDead9,000,0009,000,000 DeadDead

The Somme American Cemetary, France

The Somme American Cemetary, France

116,516 Americans Died116,516 Americans Died116,516 Americans Died116,516 Americans Died

World War I CasualtiesWorld War I Casualties

01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,0005,000,0006,000,0007,000,0008,000,0009,000,000

10,000,000RussiaGermanyAustria-HungaryFranceGreat BritainItalyTurkeyUS

The Paris Peace Conference (Versailles Peace Treaty)

• Allies met in Paris on Jan. 18, 1919 to negotiate the terms of peace

• Conference aimed at the “Big Four”– Britain – Prime Minister David Lloyd

George

– France – President Georges Clemenceau

– Italy – President Vittorio Orlando

– United States – President Woodrow Wilson

Wilson’s 14 Points

• President Woodrow Wilson offered a framework for a peace of justice

• Hoped he could prevent future international crisis• Presented ideas of self determination and promised

to choose their style of government and national independence

• Promised new nations based on ethnic homogeneity throughout Europe

• Wanted to create an international body of representatives from all the world’s countries to handle conflicts diplomatically

Italy, France, and Britain’s Plan

• Italy demanded that the allies honor secret treaties signed at the beginning of war that promised territory in the eastern Mediterranean

• Britain wanted to protect their overseas empire and increased influence in the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia

• France wanted to punish Germany for their role in the war

Contrasting Ideas

• Italy, France, and Britain’s plans for peace were in direct conflict to the United States

• Britain supported France’s idea for a peace of vengeance

• France and Britain felt they had more pull because they had the most sacrifices

• Americans only lost approximately 330,000 soldiers• As the arguing amongst the Big Four intensified,

Italy abandoned the conference and Wilson returned home without accomplishing anything

Vengeance is Served

• France and Britain wanted Germany to pay heavily as well as humiliate and cripple them

The Conditions

• France demanded security against future German aggression

• Germany forced to turn over its navy

• Germany could keep an army no larger than 100,000 soldiers

• Return the region of Alsace-Lorraine to France

• Disarm the Rhineland (the region between the Rhine River and the French border

More Conditions

• France was to receive all coal produced in the Saar Valley for 15 years

• Germany was forced to turn over all of its overseas colonies to the allies

• Germany was forced to pay war reparations (handing over a blank check)

• Reparations eventually equaled nearly 32 million• Agreed to the “Guilt Clause” – stated that Germany

was responsible for all losses and damages incurred by the Allies during the war

• Wilson agreed to treaty in exchange for the inclusion of the League of Nations

What about the other Central Powers?

• Treaties similar to Germany’s signed with the other Central Powers

• Many countries experienced a change in their borders

• Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and Russia lost territory

• Many new countries were created.

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians

A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians

Districts & Vilayets of Western Armenia in Turkey

1914 1922

Erzerum 215,000 1,500

Van 197,000 500

Kharbert 204,000 35,000

Diarbekir 124,000 3,000

Bitlis 220,000 56,000

Sivas 225,000 16,800

     

Other Armenian-populated Sites in Turkey

   

Western Anatolia 371,800 27,000

Cilicia and Northern Syria 309,000 70,000

European Turkey 194,000 163,000

Trapizond District 73,390 15,000

Total 2,133,190 387,800