WORLD WAR I

1. The Beginning

a. By 1914 tensions in Europe had risen and many believed the continent was on the brink of war

b. Four factors contributed to this problemi. Militarism

1. Europe had undergone a massive military buildup during the period of the late 1800s into the early 1900s

a. European countries had colonized around the world and were now wanting to protect their own interest

b. Left all sides anxious

2. Remember the larger the population of a country the bigger army it could amass

ii. Alliances1. Nations entered into alliances with other

nations2. Two major alliances

a. Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy

b. The Triple Entente: France, Russia and Great Britain

iii. Imperialism1. Quest to build empires fuelled ill will

among the nations2. Germany, France, Russia and Great Britain

all saw themselves as imperial nations3. Did not think they could stand by while a

rival gained power

iv. Nationalism1. Nationalism: Strong devotion to one’s

national group or culture2. Movement led to formation of new

countries like Germany and Italy and struggles for power

3. Strongest national tensions were in the Balkans in a nation called Serbia

4. Pan-Slavic Nationalisma. Pan-Slavism: the idea of a unified Slavic

race under the protection of Russiab. This would give Russia access to the

much wanted warm water seaportsc. Russians supported liberation movements

of the Slavic peoples such as Serbians, Croats, Slovaks, and Poles, etc….

2. Austria-Hungary and Serbiaa. 1908

i. Austria-Hungary took the Slavic territories of Bosnia-Herzegovina from the weak Ottoman Empire

ii. Serbia appealed to Russia for help, but Russia was just coming off a defeat by Japan and was unable to help

b. The Balkan Warsi. Began in 1912 and was between the

Balkan countries and the Ottoman Empireii. Serbia wanted Albania in exchange for

fighting on the Russian side1. They did not get it

iii. 1913, Albania was made independent and off limits to Serbia1. Russia was not able to influence or help

out Serbiaa. Serbians were angryb. Russia was left humiliated

iv. Russia had no power in Europe2. Russians vow never to be again

humiliated3. Were ready for a war in order to save their

honor

3. War Breaks Out

a. June 28, 1914i. Archduke Franz Ferdinand visits Sarajevo

1. Was the next in line for the Austrian-Hungarian throne

ii. While driving through the city with his wife Sophie, they are assassinated by Gavrilo Princip

1. Was a member of a Serbian national group called the Black Hand

Franz Ferdinand and Sophie

Gavrilo Princip

iii. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia and made a list of demands for Serbia to agree to1. Terms were humiliating to Serbia and she

refused to agree to them

iv. Austria declared war on July 28, 1914

b. Mobilizationi. Russia will side with Serbia and began to

prepare for warii. Russia’s mobilization was seen as a

threat and Germany (all of Austria-Hungary) mobilizes against Russia

iii. Germany will declare war on Russia and then France

c. Schlieffen Plani. Germany had developed a plan to help

prevent fighting a war on two fronts ii. Plan was called Schieffen Plan

1. Called for Germany to quickly defeat France in the west and then head east to fight Russia

iii. Quickest way to France was through Belgium1. Belgium was neutral country2. Germany invades and causes Great

Britain to enter the war

iv. Great Britain joins in on France’s and Russia’s side

d. Two Powersi. Central Powers: Germany and Austria-

Hungaryii. Allied Powers: Great Britain, France,

Russia and Serbia

4. Stalemate

a. 1914i. By the end of 1914 two trench systems

stretched hundreds of miles across Europe

ii. The Western Front was the dead lock region in western Europe

The War Effort

1. Trench Warfare

a. Life in the Trenchi. Soldiers lived thereii. Wet and dirtyiii. Bullets, bombs and grenades would go off

all around youiv. Many times dead bodies stayed where

they were atv. Rats and lice were present

vi. “Over the Tops”1. Soldiers were sent over the trench and

ran towards the enemy lines through no man’s land

2. Many were gunned down before they ever made it to the other side

b. Trench warfare made the development of new technology necessary

2. New Warfare

a. Poison Gasi. Different kinds

of gas could do different things i.e.: choke, blind or burn victims

ii. This led to the development of gas masks

b. Rapid fire machine guns

c. Tanksi. Armored

vehiclesii. Pioneered by

the British

d. Aircrafti. First used to

observe enemy positions

ii. Eventually guns and bombs were attached

e. Even with all of this technology neither side was able to gain an adventure

3. The Home Front

a. Government Actioni. War was also being waged at home ii. Governments took action

1. Factories produced military equipment2. Citizens would conserve food3. Governments tried to control public opinion

a. Governments would censor newspaper reports

4. Used propagandaa. Information

used to influence opinion

b. Encouraged support of the war

i. Used posters, pamphlets, and articles

b. Women and the War Efforti. With men away fighting the war on the

various fronts, women at home filled positions that were once occupied by men

ii. Jobs1. Work in factories2. Help send food and weapons3. Served as nurses

iii. All of these things would help transform the public view of what women could do

4. Western Front Battles

a. Battle of Verduni. Verdun was a French fortressii. Purpose of the battle was to kill and

injure as many French soldiers as possibleiii. Lasted from February to December 1914iv. Around 400,000 French casualties and

just as many Germansv. Ended in a stalemate

b. Battle of the Sommei. Fought near the Somme River in France,

June 1916ii. It was an allied assaultiii. On the first day alone the British had

60,000 casualtiesiv. Ended in December 1916 with no major

break through

c. 3rd Battle of Ypresi. Took place in Belgiumii. Ended badly for the British

d. After three years of fighting the lines were virtually unchanged

5. Around the World

a. Ottoman Empirei. Entered the war on the Central powers

side in late 1914ii. Controlled the Dardanelles

1. A water route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea

2. Allies used this straight to ship supplies to Russia

b. The Gallipoli Campaign

i. Began in 1915ii. It was an Allied effort to destroy guns

and forts that lined the Dardanellesiii. Allies will give up after months of

fighting and nearly 200,000 casualties

c. The Armenian Massacrei. Late 1914, Russia attacks the Caucasus,

a region between the Black and Caspian Seas

1. Area was home to ethnic Armenians2. They were a minority in the Ottoman

Empire, because most were Christians

ii. Ottoman’s claimed the Armenians were helping the Russians

iii. Spring 19151. Ottoman’s began to forcibly remove the

Armenians from the Caucasus2. Some 600,000 Armenians died either

from violence, starvation or both3. Many accused Ottoman’s of genocide: the

deliberate destruction of a racial, political or cultural group

The Russian Revolution

1. Before the War

a. The Bolsheviksi. Many were discontent with conditions

within Russia and started to support a small political group called the Bolsheviks

ii. They were a Marxist group that wanted to change Russia through revolution

b. Vladimir Lenini. Leader of the

Bolsheviksii. Wanted to

overthrow the czariii. He wanted the

Proletariat (industrial workers) to gain power and rule Russia as a socialist country

c. Economic Conditionsi. By 1914, economic conditions were so

bad that World War I provided some reliefii. Czar Nicholas II hoped the war would

unite the country and rally the citizens around his leadership

2. World War I

a. Militaryi. Russia’s army was around 6 million at the

start of the warii. Russia was ill-prepared for war

1. Russia’s factories could not produce the amount of ammunition or supplies that the army needed quickly enough

2. Military not equipped to fight a major wara. Equipment was out of dateb. Leaders within the army were poorly qualified

iii. Russia will enjoy initial success, but their losses will soon outweigh their victories

iv. Czar Nicholas II takes personal command of the army in 19151. His fate will be linked with the army2. When the army lost a major campaign,

people’s faith in his leadership was severed

Nicholas II Alexandra

b. Conditions in Russiai. Food and other goods grew scarce in

major citiesii. Czar left his wife, Czarina Alexandra, in

charge when he left for the frontiii. Czarina relied on the advice of Grigory

Rasputin1. Rasputin was a self-proclaimed holy man 2. Many viewed him as immoral and corrupt

3. Revolution Begins

a. March 18, 1917i. Citizens protest in Russia’s capital,

Petrogradii. Protested lack of food and fueliii. Police and soldiers refuse to follow orders

to shoot riotersiv. Czar ordered the Duma, Russia’s

legislature to disband. The Duma does not

v. Nicholas is forced to abdicate his throne. This ends the Russian monarchy

b. Provisional Governmenti. Duma established a provisional

government after the czar abdicatedii. Led by Alexsandr Kerenskyiii. Government planned to continue fighting

in the war even though the Russian people were tired of fighting

iv. Bolsheviks oppose Kerensky’s government1. Wanted to fundamentally change Russian

society and government

c. Bolsheviksi. Planned to abolish private propertyii. Enforce social equalityiii. Believed revolution would sweep the

worldiv. Lenin will be snuck back into Russia by

the Germans in 1917

4. Bolshevik Revolution

a. Mid 1917i. Russians ordered final military offensive

and failedii. Led to widespread rebellion

b. Nov. 1917 armed factory workers a.k.a. the Red Guard attacked the provisional government

i. This is known as the October Revolution

c. Kerensky’s government collapsesd. Lenin will become Russia’s leader

i. He declared private property illegal and gave land to the peasants

ii. He also turned factories over to the workers

5. After the Revolution

a. Peace with the Central Powers

i. Leon Trotsky1. Sent to

negotiate a peace with the Central Powers

2. Accepted an agreement that forced Russia to give up huge chunks of its empire

b. Civil Wari. Fought by the “Red Army” (Bolsheviks)

and the “White Army” (those who opposed the Bolsheviks)

ii. Lasted 3 yearsiii. Bolsheviks triumphed in late 1920

c. Economic Policyi. Lenin will introduce a new economic

policy1. The plan permitted some capitalistic activity2. People could sell food at a profit3. This was meant to encourage food

production

6. The Soviet Union

a. 1922i. The economy had improvedii. Russia united countries that had once

belong to it and formed the U.S.S.R or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic

b. 1924i. Lenin will die without a successor

United States Enters the War

1. Events Leading to U.S. Entrya. Neutrality

i. Many sided with the Allies, but felt the U.S. should stay out of the war

ii. President Wilson1. Believed the United States should not be

involved in other countries’ affairs2. 1916, Wilson will run for re-election with the

campaign slogan, “He kept us out of war”

b. Trouble at Seai. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

1. This is a German Policya. Any ship traveling around Great Britain was

subject to attack by German U-boats

2. Initially attacked British ships but then started attacking merchant ships

a. This was done in response to Great Britain’s dependence on supplies being shipped in by other nations

ii. Lusitania1. Ship sunk by the

Germans2. Killed 1200

people; 120 were Americans

3. Two more ships were sunk carrying Americans in August and September 1915

iii. United States’ Response1. The government complained to Germany

about the loss of American livesa. Germany agreed to stop attacks; feared U.S.

involvement in the war

2. By 1917, Germany believed the only way to defeat Britain was with unrestricted submarine warfare

c. The Zimmerman Notei. February 1917, The Zimmerman Note

was discovered1. It was a secret message sent to Mexico by a

German diplomat named Arthur Zimmerman2. Proposed that Mexico attack the United

Statesa. In return Mexico would get Texas, Arizona, and

New Mexico

19 January, 1917: The Zimmerman Noteto the German Minister to Mexico

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Berlin, January 19, 1917

On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America.

If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement....

You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.

Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months.

Zimmerman(German Secretary of State)

ii. Note angered Americans and they began to call for war

iii. United States had reasons to go to war1. Common ancestry with Great Britain2. Strong financial ties to Allied powers

a. The United States was selling millions of dollars worth of war goods to Britain each week

iv. April 1917, the United States enters the war on the Allied side

2. U.S. Involvement in the Wara. Germany’s Response

i. Germany had to win the war before America could send troops to Europe

ii. After Russia’s exit Germany moves all troops to the Western Front

1. March 18, Germany launches a major assault on the Western Front

2. Advance within 40 miles of Paris

b. Important Battlesi. The 2nd Battle of the Marne

1. Allied forces are able to stop German assault2. Allied forces are able to effectively combine

the use of tanks and aircraft3. Allied forces gain huge amounts of territory

ii. Oct. 19181. Allied forces break through the

Hindenburg line2. German leaders approach Allies in

seeking an armistice (truce)3. On November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m. the war

ends

3. A Difficult Peace

a. Different Desiresi. The major leaders of the Allied powers all

wanted different things as far as a peace agreement went

ii. United States1. Led by Woodrow Wilson2. The 14 Points

a. Wilson’s vision for world peaceb. Included the reduction of weaponsc. Right for people to choose their own

governmentd. Propose an organization be created that the

world’s leaders would join to protect one another from aggression

iii. France1. Led by George

Clemenceau2. Wanted to

punish Germany3. Wanted

Germany to pay for war costs

iv. Great Britain1. Led by David Lloyd

George2. Great Britain was

somewhere between the United States’ position and France’s position

3. Wanted to punish Germany but did not want to weaken Germany either

v. Italy1. Led by Vittorio

Orlando2. Hoped to gain

territory for Italy3. Largely ignored

by the other three

b. The Treaty of Versaillesi. Named after the French Palace of

Versailles where it was signedii. Was closer to what Clemenceau wanted

than Wilson

iii. Parts of the treaty1. Germany is forced to pay large amounts to

victims of the war2. Germany was forced to take full responsibility

of the war3. Forced Germany to limit the size of its army4. Germany had to return conquered land to

France and Russiaa. Other lands were taken to form newly independent

nation of Polandb. Germany’s colonies were given to various world

leaders

iv. Germany is humiliated by the treaty but had to accept

v. Treaty was signed on June 18, 1919

c. Outcome of the Treatyi. It crippled the Germany economyii. Bitterness from the treaty would affect

politics for years to come iii. It established the League of Nations

1. This is a victory for Wilson

d. The League of Nationsi. Main goals:

1. Encourage international cooperation2. To keep peace between the nations

ii. Problem: It does not represent everyone1. Germany is excluded2. Wilson is unable to convince the United

States government to ratify the treatya. Many feared that the League of Nations

would drag them into another war

3. The absence of the United States weakened the League of Nations

e. Other Treatiesi. Other treaties were formed to deal with

Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empires1. Vast lands of the Austria-Hungary and

Ottoman Empires were broken apart to create independent nations

a. Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Turkey

2. Former Ottoman lands were turned into mandates (territories) to be ruled by European powersa. France was given Syria and Lebanonb. Great Britain was given Palestine and Iraq

ii. Zionist movement1. The desire to create Jewish state in the

Middle East began to start in Europe2. 1917- the British issued the Balfour

Declarationa. Favored a Jewish state in Palestine

iii. European nations were only suppose to govern mandates until they were able to govern themselves1. Mandates will become nothing more than

colonies

4. Impact of the War

a. Human Costsi. 9 million are killedii. Millions more are wounded or taken

prisoneriii. In Germany, France and Russia almost an

entire generation died or were woundediv. Spring 1918 influenza swept across the

globe making things worse and killing millions more

b. Economic Costsi. France, Belgium and Russia were left

devastatedii. Europe lost role as the dominant

economic region of the world1. The United States and Japan prospered

during the war

iii. Countries were forced to come up with new sources or develop their own products

c. Political Changei. Russia was now Communistii. Old monarchies are gone

1. Examples: Austria-Hungary (Hapsburgs), Germany, the Ottomans and Russia (Romanov)

iii. Other countries experienced political upheaval

d. Unrest in the Coloniesi. After fighting in the war for their

sovereigns many colonies thought that they might gain their independence after the war

ii. This did not happen and independence was put off for many of them