WORLD WAR ONE

MANIA

•Militarism- Keeping an armed force always prepared for war

•Alliance - Agreements between countries forced them into war

•Nationalism- Intense pride and loyalty to your country, countries cannot back down when challenged

• Imperialism- Competition for colonies pushed European nations to the brink of war

•Assassination- Killing of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand

OTTO VON BISMARCK

• Germany’s Otto von Bismarck works to keep peace in Europe after 1871

• Believes France wants revenge for loss in 1870 -Franco-Prussian War

• Seeks to isolate the French with a series of treaties and alliances:• signs treaty with Russia in 1881

• forms Triple Alliance—Germany, Austria- Hungary, Italy—in 1882

THE SPARK

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife (Heirs to Austrian Throne) assassinated by Serbian terrorist group- Gavrilo Princip• Takes place in Sarajevo, Bosnia June 28, 1914

• Austria planned an attack on Serbia calling on Germany its’ ally to help

• Serbia had an alliance with Russia

• Austria and Germany wanted a swift, complete attack on Serbia before others could come in and help

• July 23rd 1914 - Austria sent Serbia ultimatum(final demands)• End all anti-Austria activities and let Austrian officials handle

investigation of Ferdinand murder - 48 hours to meet the terms

• Harsh ultimatum - Austria knew they would not accept

• Serbia agreed to all terms but investigation

• July 28, 1914 Austria declares war on Serbia

DOMINO EFFECT- ALLIANCES

• Austria declares war on Serbia for death of their future leader

• Germany pledges support for Austria (German nationalism)

• Russia pledges support for Serbia (Slavic nationalism)

• Germany declares war on Russia

• France pledges support for Russia

• Germany declares war on France

• Germany invades Belgium on the way to France

• Great Britain wanted to sit out but supports Belgium, GB declares war on Germany

• By the end 30 nations on all 6 inhabited continents would be involved

TRIPLE ALLIANCE (CENTRAL POWERS)

•Germany

• Austria-Hungary

•Italy*

•Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

TRIPLE ENTENTE (ALLIED POWERS)

•Britain

•Russia (leaves 1917)

•France

•Italy (joins 1915)

•United States (joins 1917)

TWO FRONT WAR

• Germany wanted a quick victory in France and Russia• Neither one happened

• Western Front – Between Germany and France

• Eastern Front – Between Germany and Russia

• Schlieffen Plan, German plan to defeat France, then fight Russia• Plan did not work- plan to go through Belgium to France-

did not go far enough west

• Forced to retreat at First Battle of the Marne

• Schlieffen Plan fails- Germany has to fight two-front war

WEAPONS

• New technology and advances in weapons

• War tactics were not as advanced as the weapons

• Trench Warfare becomes main war tactic

• Machine guns - cuts many people down

• Long range guns - explosive shells

• Poison Gas

• Tanks

• Airplanes - Aerial battles

• Stalemate – neither side can get an advantage, long and bloody battles without any winners

TRENCH WARFARE

• Conflict descends into trench warfare, armies fighting from trenches

• Battles result in many deaths, small land gains

• Life in trenches is miserable, difficult, unsanitary

• Massive losses for both sides at 1916 battles of Verdun and Somme - 300,000 at Verdun and 500,000 at Somme

• Network of trenches that cross much of France

• Between trenches was no-man’s land -wasteland of mud, barbed wire, broken trees

Many men killed in the trenches were buried almost where they fell. These corpses, as well as the food scraps that littered the trenches, attracted rats.

FIGHTING

Early Fighting

• Eastern Front—site of main fighting along the German-Russian border

• Russians push into Austria and Germany, but soon

Russia Struggles

• Russia’s war effort suffering (not industrializes) by1916; many casualties, few supplies

• Huge size of Russian army keeps it a formidable force

• prevents Germany from sending more troops to the Western Front

RUSSIA PRE WWI

Was Russia industrialized?

• Lagged behind Western Europe

• Try rapid industrialization in 1890s

Leads to:

• Low wages, child labor, unsafe working conditions

• Great divide between haves and have nots

• Revolutionary movements grow

Russian Revolution

Downfall of Nicholas II:

•Protests force Tsar to step down- entire family is killed

•Lenin returns and comes to power- followers are called Bolsheviks

•Lenin was exiled to Siberia for extreme Marxist beliefs• German government helps return him home three years later• Millions were dying in war effort, severely unprepared- people

unhappy and ready to revolt

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION- LENIN

• Germany helps bring Lenin back to Russia

• Tsar removed and temporary govt put in place, Lenin speaks out against govt and in October (1917) Bolshevik Revolution occurs- Lenin put in power• Made peace with Germany and left war

• Created communist country- government owned everything- went as far as taking food from peasants to feed soldiers• Religion eliminated almost entirely

• Lenin had anyone that opposed him killed, forced army servitude

• Economy becomes industrialized

• Many unhappy with conditions- leads to civil war- millions die from war, famine, and flu

• Bolsheviks win- Soviet Union (USSR) established in 1922

FIGHTING IN ASIA, PACIFICA, AFRICA

•Japan joined allies to capture German held islands in the Pacific

•Australia and New Zealand seized islands also in Pacific

•Ottoman Empire - Held the Russian Fleet in the Black Sea and stopped the Allies getting supplies into Russia

•Africa - Fighting to take German colonies in Africa

US NEUTRALITY/ENTERING THE WAR

•Propaganda• Influence people’s beliefs or actions

• France and Britain painted Germany as arrogant and cruel

•German U-Boat attacks – unrestricted submarine warfare- Lusitania sunk- 1200 people died• Sussex pledge- Germany promises not to use

unrestricted submarine warfare anymore

US ENTERING THE WAR

Zimmerman Telegram

• Telegram from German diplomat (Arthur Zimmerman) to Mexico

• Ally themselves with Germany and they would return “lost land” back to Mexico

• British intercept the Telegram, give it to US

• Mexico stayed neutral, Americans outraged

Germany violates Sussex Pledge by sinking 3 US ships

April 1917 - U.S. joins WWI “To make the world safe for democracy”

WESTERN FRONT

•After Russia leaves the war, Germany devotes all resources to Western Front

•Germans reach within 40 miles of Paris

•The arrival of 2 million fresh American soldiers helped drive the Germans back

•U.S. President Woodrow Wilson would have a major influence on the peace proposals after the war.

SIGNING OF ARMISTICE• Signing of the armistice- Nov 1918- French,

German, and British representatives meet in France.

• Germany signs unconditional surrender.

• Same train car used 22 years later for the French to surrender to Adolf Hitler

• Armistice - Halt in fighting

• November 11th, 1918 - 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour

• Kaiser Wilhelm removed - a new German Republic formed

THE BIG FOUR

•Group of leaders known as the Big Four dominate peace talks:• Woodrow Wilson of United

States

• Georges Clemenceau of France

• David Lloyd George of Great Britain

• Vittorio Orlando of Italy

WILSON’S 14 POINT PLAN FOR PEACE

• First four points:• end secret treaties• freedom of seas• free trade• reduce armies

• Fifth – end imperialism, self determination- The right of people to decide their own political status

• 6 through 13 – changing borders and new nations

• 14th point – organize an organization to keep peace League of Nations- A group of world nations that would settle disputes and protect democracy

Treaty of Versailles

• Britain, France oppose Wilson’s ideas; want to punish Germany- make them pay for what they did

• Allies andGermany sign Treaty of Versailles, in June 1919 • League of Nations created to keep international

peace

• Germany has to accept full responsibility, forced to pay back the Allies- reparations

• Territory- New nations formed, land returned to France, France and GB take hold in Middle East

• Military Strength- Germany to scale down army, navy and eliminate air force, no militarization along Rhine River

Treaty of Versailles- Creation of new nations

• Countries of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Yugoslavia are created

• Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire all lose lands= end of Empires

• New countries created in southeastern Europe; Russia gives up land

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

• Treaty of Versailles creates feelings of bitterness on both sides

• German people feel bitter and betrayed after taking blame for war

• America never signs Treaty of Versailles• Many Americans oppose League of Nations

and involvement with Europe

• Some former colonies express anger over not winning independence

• Japan, Italy criticize agreement; gain less land than they want

PRICE OF WAR• War takes heavy toll:

8.5 million soldiers dead, 21 million wounded

• War devastates European economies, drains national treasuries

• Many acres of land and homes, villages, towns destroyed

• Survivors suffer disillusionment and despair; reflected in the arts

IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF WAR

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS

• Generation of Europeans killed or wounded

• Dynasties fall in Germany, Austria- Hungary, and Russia

• New countries created

• League of Nations established to help restore peace

LONG TERM EFFECTS

• Many Nations feel bitter and betrayed by peace settlements

• The forces that helped cause the war- nationalism and competition- remain