World War I

Chapter 29

Causes of WWI

1. Nationalism caused intense competition by the turn of the 20th century among Europe’s Great Powers for industrialdominance and power– Germany– Austria-Hungary– Great Britain– Russia, – Italy, – France

Causes of WWI

2. Imperialism intensified European nations’ sense of rivalry and mistrust toward one another as they competed for colonies in Asia and Africa

Causes of WWI

3. Militarism led to an arms race and formation of large standing armies and, eventually, to military alliances

Causes of WWI

4. Triple Alliance (1882)• created an unstable and fragile alliance that

tried to isolate France• Germany, Austria- Hungary, and Italy

Causes of WWI

5. Triple Entente (1907)Established two rival campsin Europe—Triple Allianceand Triple Entente—thatcreated the possibility thatany dispute between tworival powers could draw theentire continent into war.

A Russian poster depicting Triple Entente

Causes of World War I

• 6. Assassination inSarajevo provided AustriaHungary with an excuse tolaunch war on Serbia,leading to a confrontationbetween

Austria and RussiaGavrilo Princip ran to the car and shot the

couple to death. The assassin was a member of a Serbian nationalist group nicknamed the "Black Hand". The Black Hand

Causes of WWI: Kaiser Wilhelm IIWho was Kaiser Wilhelm? The German ruler who • forced Bismarck to resign,• allowed the German-

Russian treaty to lapse (leading to the formation of a Franco-Russian alliance), and

• built up the German navy to challenge Britain (leading to the formation of the TripleEntente).

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War Consumes Europe

CAUSE1. Russia mobilizes along the

German border.2. Germany invades Belgium

to get to France.

EFFECTGermany declares war on Russia and on France

Britain declares war on Germany;

Italy joins the Triple Entente, arguing that the unprovoked attack allowed it to divorce itself from its old ally Germany.

War Consumes Europe

CAUSE

3. The Allies defeat the Germans in the Battle of the Marne

EFFECT• The Allies’ victory destroys

Germany’s hopes for a quick victory in the west,

• and suggests that Germany may have to fight a long war on two fronts.

War Consumes EuropeCAUSE

4. Machine guns, tanks, poison gas, and airplanes are used in battles along the Western Front.

EFFECT

• The new technology turns the Western Front into a horrible and horrifying “terrain of death” in which huge numbers of soldiers to die.

WWI Weapons

War Consumes Europe

CAUSE5. Russian forces attack both

Austria and Germany.

6. The Allies are unable to ship war supplies to Russia’s ports.

EFFECTGermany counterattacks, forcesRussian forces to retreat, andRegains East Prussia. Austrianforces drive the Russians out ofAustria-Hungary.6. Because Russia is notindustrialized, its war effort isshort of supplies and nearcollapse.

War Consumes Europe B) Schlieffen Plan: German plan for a two-front war in which the German army

would quickly defeat theFrench in the west and then race east to defeat the Russians

Central Powers: Germany, Austria- Hungary, and later Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire

Allies: Great Britain, France, Russia, and later Japan and Italy

Western Front: deadlocked region in northern France

Trench warfare: type of warfare in which soldiers fought each other fromtrenches, leading to huge losses for small land gains

Eastern Front: stretch of battlefield along the German and Russian borderwhere Russians and Serbs battled Germans, Austrians, and Turks

War Affects the World

Feb 1915: 1. What was the purpose of the Gallipoli campaign?

• The Allies believed that if they could– Take Constantinople, – defeat the Turks, and– establish a supply line to

Russia Gallipoli movie trailerAmy Winehouse song Back to Black

Unrestricted German submarine warfare

The Sinking of the Lusitania May 17, 19151198 people drowned, including 128 Americans.

BRITISH INTERCEPT THE ZIMMERMAN NOTE FEBRUARY 1917

Germans offered Mexico land in Texas

Mexico ignored the note

War Affects the World

April 1917 • 2. Why did the United

States enter the war?

a) public outrage overGermany’s unrestrictedSubmarine warfare b) the Zimmermann note,c) traditional bonds between

Americans and English,d) reports of German war

atrocities, and e) most importantly, strong economic ties with Allies

War Affects the World

3. Why did the Czar of Russia’s government collapse?

Czar Nicholas abdicatedwhen he was faced with civil unrest due in part to• wartime shortages,• the refusal of the army

to continue fighting, and the

• prospect of revolution

Russian crowd rejoices when Czar Nicholas abdicates, March 15, 1917.

War Affects the World• November 17, 1917

Lenin seizes power in Russia

• March 1918Germany and Russia sign Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

4. What were the terms of this treaty?

• The treaty ended the war between Russia and Germany; the

• Russian government to surrendered lands to Germany: – Latvia,– Lithuania– Estonia– Ukraine– Poland,– Finland

War Affects the World• July 1918 Allies and

Germans fight Second Battle of the Marne.

5. What was the significance of this battle?

• The German war effort had exhausted both men and supplies;

• more than two million American troops took part in this battle;

• Allied forces began to advance steadily toward Germany and

• the Central Powers began to crumble

War Affects The World

November 1918 War Ends6. What events signaled

the final defeat of the Central Powers?

• surrender of Bulgarians and Ottoman Turks;

• revolution in Austria-Hungary;

• mutiny in Germany and• forced resignation of

Kaiser

War Affects the World• Unrestricted submarine warfare: German policy

under which submarines would sink any ship (in waters around Britain) without warning

• Total war: situation in which countries devote all their resources to the war effort

• Rationing: system in which people can buy only small amounts of items needed for the war effort

• Propaganda: one-sided information designed to persuade, to keep up morale and support for the war

• Armistice: an agreement to stop fighting

A Flawed Peace1) Woodrow Wilson’s concerns (14 points) • a just and lasting peace achieved by ending secret treaties; • freedom of the seas, free trade, and reduced national

armies and navies;• adjustment of colo- nial claims with fairness toward

colonial peoples; granting self-determination;• establishing a world peace organization2. Britain and France were concerned with • national security, • Stripping Germany of its war-making power, and• punishing Germany.

A Flawed Peace• 3. . Germany lost substantial territory, had severe

restrictions placed on its military operations, and was forced to acknowledge “war guilt” and pay reparations to the Allies.

• 4. New countries were created from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire; Ottoman lands in southwest Asia were carved up into mandates rather than independent nations;

• Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania became independent nations;

• Poland and Romania gained Russian territory.

A Flawed Peace: The Treaty of Versailles

5. The treaty created the League of Nations, an international association whose goal was to keep peace among nations.

6. Many Americans objected to the League of Nations, believing that the United States should stay out of European affairs.

7. Without U.S. support, the League of Nations was unable to take action on various complaints of nations aroundthe world.

A Flawed Peace: The Treaty of Versailles

8. Why did many countries feel bitter and cheated as a result of the treaty?

• The war guilt clause left a legacy of hatred among the Germans;

• Africans and Asians were angry that their desire for independence was ignored;

• Japanese and Italians gained less land than they wanted.

A Flawed PeaceThe Paris Peace Conference. • Woodrow Wilson of the United States,• Georges Clemenceau of France, and• David Lloyd George of Great Britain• Vittorio Orlando of Italy

Self-determination: the idea that peoples should decide for themselves towhat nation they would belong

League of Nations: an international association created by the Treaty ofVersailles that was intended to keep peace among nations

Mandate: territory to be administered by the League of Nations until judgedready for independence