World War I & the AftermathUnit 3 – Spring 2012 – Modern World History

In Flanders fields the poppies blowBetween the crosses, row by row,That mark our place; and in the skyThe larks, still bravely singing, flyScarce heard among the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;To you from failing hands we throwThe torch; be yours to hold it high.If yea break faith with us who dieWe shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

- Lt. Col. John McCrae, 1914

Nationalism Creates a Climate of ConflictMajor Causes of the Great War (WWI) Growing sense of nationalism in 19th

century boiled over into intense rivalries and fierce tensions between European cultures.

These sentiments manifested themselves through militarism, where industrialization and nationalism led to huge, industrialized standing armies across Europe.

Imperialism—especially within Africa—created competition and bad blood between European powers.

A web of secret and not-so-secret alliances between Europeans leaders caused the Continent to divide into rival camps.

Modern-day Europe is a patch-work of nation-states, large and small. Each nation has developed a unique society and government based on their own culture heritages.

On the Eve of War: The Balkan Powder-Keg Balkans: wooded, mountainous region of

south-central Europe characterized by many diverse cultural groups Serbians, Bosnians, Croatians, Greeks, & more

Ethnically, most Balkans considered “Slavic”

Imperialism & nationalism created tense situation known as “Balkan Powder Keg” Austria-Hungary & Russia both had interest in

controlling Balkans to improve their economies

Some Slavic cultures demanded independence, others called for unification (Pan-Slavic mov’t)

Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908, angering both neighboring Serbia and fellow-Slavic power Russia Allies of A-H & RUS now mixed-up in Balkans

Prior to World War I, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire looked to annex the nations of the Balkans which had recently united to gain independence from the Ottoman Empire.

System of Alliances Prior to World War I

An Act of Terror Ignites the Great War Heir to Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke

Ferdinand, assassinated in Sarajevo [>] Shot by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, 19

Plot organized by Black Hand (aka Unification or Death, secret pan-Slavic Serbian military society)

Designed to end A-H’s interest in Balkan nations

After heated diplomatic exchanges, A-H declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 Central Powers: Germany, A-H, Bulgaria, Turkey

Advantages: Superior German army, better geographic location & mobility b/c railroads

Strategy (“Schlieffen Plan”): Focus on the Western Front pushing through Belgium to capture France

Allied Powers: France, Russia, United Kingdom

2 to 1 advantage in men & resources, stronger navy

Strategy: Force GER to fight on two fronts at once

The Archduke and his wife Sophia (above) were shot by Princip (lower right) in a plot orchestrated by a shadowy organization of former Serbian army personnel known as the Black Hand, whose seal appears on the letter below.

The First World War: 1914-1918 Stalemate: The Western Front [>]

After an initial advance by the central powers into France, both side dig in miles outside Paris

Trench warfare: fighting from ditches protected by machine gun and barbed wire.

“No Man’s Land”: between opposing trenches

Front did not move more than 10 mi. for 3 years

The War at Sea UK naval blockade broken by GER submarines

GER unrestricted submarine warfare led sinking of merchant & passenger ships without warning

The Eastern Front Battle of Tannenberg (1914): Russia dominated

by superior weaponry & leadership of Germans

Russia continued to suffer huge losses thru 1917Corlett, Peter. Man in the Mud. Australian War Memorial. Diorama. 1986.

The First World War: 1914-1918 (cont.) Modern Warfare: Rise of War Machines

Machine guns, armored tanks, grenades, artillery cannons, submarines, poison gas & gas masks, armed airplanes & blimps

The Role of the United States Began the war as officially neutral, attempted to

sell goods to both Germany & United Kingdom US joined Allies due to German hostile acts

Fervor over sinking of US merchant ships, Lusitania

Zimmerman Note intercepted, US public outraged

US declared war on Germany in April, 1917 providing fresh supply of men, money, morale

Marked steady advance of Allies toward Berlin

German surrender on November 11, 1918 Deaths: RUS 1.7mil, GER 1.6mil, FRA 1.3, UK

900k, A-H 800k, ITA 400k, Turkey 325k, USA 49kHeadstones of unknown Allied soldiers in Belgium

The Home Front: The Impact of Total War Total War: the complete mobilization of a

nation’s resources and people War impacted lives of each member of society Industrialized war: workers, supplies = troops

Governments took increased control Conscription used to build massive armies Freedom of speech restricted in times of war Free markets gave way to planned economies

The manipulation of public opinion Authoritarian regimes used force to fight unrest Propaganda used to win over hearts & minds

Total war meant opportunities for women Employed at jobs once thought beyond them Paved way for post-war women’s suffrage mov’t

The Treaty of Versailles: A Lasting Peace? Paris Peace Conference began Jan, 1919

Delegates of victorious nations (except Russia) US Prez Wilson touted his Fourteen Points plan

Open diplomacy, arms reduction, self-determination

British Prime Minister George & French Premier Clemenceau entered meetings wanting revenge

Germany signed Treaty of Versailles Germans considered it a harsh peace settlement

• Article 231 “War Guilt Clause”: Germany started it

• Germans forced to pay reparations for damages

• Limited size & location of German army & navy

• Lost territory, including prized Alsace & Lorraine

Map of Eastern Europe redrawn by nationalism Imposed democratic regimes in former kingdoms League of Nations designed to prevent WWII

• Nations could use diplomacy to settle disputes

The need for security on the Continent led France to support a buffer soon of new nations between Russia and Germany, carved out of the former Austrian Empire. German territory along the French border was demilitarized out of same concern for protection.

Lenin & the Russian Revolution Absolutist Russia led by Czar Nicholas II

Despite his complete lack of training, czar insisted on leading Russian military effort

Woefully ill-equipped army lacked weaponry

Public lost confidence in royal leadership Odd story of Czarista Alexandra & Rasputin [>] Demonstrators in Petrograd protest breadlines[>] March Revolution: czar forced to step down, shot

Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party [>] Russian Marxists dedicated to violent revolution Lenin: controlling “soviets” key to taking power October (1918) Revolution: Bolsheviks marched

on St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace, seized power

Bolsheviks renamed Communists, survived internal & external attacks to create USSR

This Soviet propaganda poster reads “Lenin Lived, Lenin Lives, Lenin Will Live”, suggesting the lasting legacy of Lenin among the Soviet people.

Economic Hardships: From Bad to Worse 1920s: Uneasy Peace & Uncertain Security

League of Nations left weak without USA [>]• Congress refused to approve Treaty of Versailles

• Remaining members mixed about use of force

• Germany unable to pay reparations to France• Led to French occupation of industrial Ruhr Valley

• Inflation crippled German economy, democracy

• Dawes Plan introduced to settle economic dispute

• 1929: Great Depression erodes economies• Caused by economic downturn in individual

national economies, international financial crisis• Prices fell rapidly due to overproduction

• US investors had been propping up European economies, much of that capital lost in Crash

• Extreme unemployment led to growing tensions, criticism of the democracy & free-market system

The chart above demonstrates the tremendous inflation that crippled the Germany economy in the years following the Treaty of Versailles.