World War One: “The Great War”. Causes of Tension Before the War The Four Main Causes of WWI = 1) Competition for colonies/resources. 2) Militarism 3)

World War One:“The Great War”

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Causes of Tension Before the War• The Four Main Causes of WWI

= 1) Competition for colonies/resources. 2) Militarism 3) Nationalism 4) Alliances

• France and Germany almost went to war twice, a) once over control of Morocco and b) once over control of an area known as Alsace and Lorraine, a resource rich mining area once owned by the French and lost to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War.

• Russia supported nationalism in the Balkans (countries like Serbia) and were willing to go to war to protect them.





Assassination

Leads to War

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary decided to visit the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo hoping to lessen nationalism feelings in Bosnia.

• This angered Slavic nationalist who wanted independence. A group known as the Black Hand vowed to kill F.F.

• In an open car, Gavrilo Princip shot and killed F.F. and his wife.

• Austria issues an ultimatum requiring an end to all Serbian “anti-Austrian” agitation and to allow Austria into the investigation in Serbia to find the culprits. Serbia denies this demand.

• Germany, who’s aligned with Austria, tells Austria not to accept this slap in the face and promises Austria all the military support it needs if it chooses to invade Serbia.

• On July 28th, 1914 Austria declares war on Serbia



The Alliances Kick In

The Alliances

Kick In

1)Austria declares war on Serbia in July 1914 with

Germany’s support

2)Russia backs Serbia (pro-slavs)

With a promise of French support

3) When France agrees To help Russia,

Germany declares warOn France

4) Germany invades BelgiumTo get to France. BelgiumHowever was neutral. ThisAngered the British who

Then declare war onGermany

The Chance for Negotiation was lostThe war had begun !!

The Schlieffen Plan

• Germany’s location made it likely that it would fight a “two-front” war. One front against France, the other front against Russia.

• This could be very costly and difficult to manage.

• The Schlieffen Plan was designed to avoid this by:

1) Attacking France first, b/c Russia would be slow to mobilize

2) Then attack Russia after defeating France

However it meant that Germany had to attack through Belgium, a neutral country, and one supported by the British.



Life in the Trenches

• Trench Warfare developed as a result of the stalemate that occurred on the Western Front.

• Fighting in the trenches was stressful, and dangerous.

- soldiers exposed to enemy bullets & exploding shells, rats, lice, poison gas, trench foot, stress, shell shock etc.

• Trench warfare wasn’t too common on the Eastern Front as the battle lines moved greater distances.



A British soldier peering “over the top”. Notice the sleeping soldiers & width of the

trench

Images from the Trenches









Fixing Bayonets Before a Charge

Going “Over the Top”A Moment of Rest

“I just cant’ keep me feet dry”

Dangers of Life on the Front Lines













Total War• Total war is when a gov’t

commits all it resources to the war effort.

• In total war, gov’ts spent millions to recruit, arm, transport, supply/enlist men.

• Most countries resorted to conscription (a draft) to recruit men.

• Gov’ts had to raise taxes and borrow money to pay for the war.

• Food, clothing, shoes and gas was rationed (limited). Often the gov’t set prices for those goods.

Women Join the War Effort

• Women worked in factories, as nurses, and raised kid alone

• This helps develop a new sense of pride and confidence among women

• Unfortunately they aren’t rewarded after the war as men take their jobs when they return from war.

• Does help women gain the right to vote in Germany, US and Britain.





3 Reasons Why the U.S. Enters the War With England

• 1) More people in the U.S. shared a cultural tie with England than with Germany.

• After 1st announcing it wouldn’t sink non-enemy ships, Germany resumed U-boat attacks on all ships trading with England.

• 2) The Lusitania is sunk in 1916 and 128 Americans are killed.

• 3) Then U.S. is informed of Zimmerman Note sent by Germany to Mexico, which encouraged Mexico to side with Germany and enter the war against the U.S.

• When US declares war in 1917 with the Allied Powers, it had to mobilize quickly. We were able to add 2 million troops to Allied cause, raising Allied morale and crushing German morale.

• One year later, Germany will ask for an armistice (peace agreement).



Morale Collapses

• By 1917, Germany was sending 15-year old recruits to the front lines.

• Food shortages, big casualty lists, failure of promised victories and economic bankruptcy had all nations on the brink of quitting.

• In 1917, a revolution in Russia caused Russia to pull out of the war.

• When the U.S. joins the Allies, it is just too much for the Central Powers to handle.

• On November 11th, 1918 Germany asked for an armistice (an end to fighting). The Great War was over.

Statistics of WWI• By 1918, 8.5 million men died in

battle; ~17 million had been wounded; and btwn 6-13 million civilians were killed.

• The Central Powers Lose• Those nations involved now

faced economic crisis as they borrowed/spent huge sums of $ to pay for the war.

• The winning nations (ie the Allies) want reparations (payments for war damages) from the losers (Central powers).

• To make things worse a pandemic of the flu killed ~20 million people worldwide in 1918.

• Europe was all jacked up.



The Paris Peace Conference• The Big Three meet in Paris to

discuss a treaty with Germany. - Woodrow Wilson from U.S.- David Lloyd George = England- Georges Clemenceau = from

France• Wilson wants to create a treaty

that prevents future wars (14 Points Plan and League of Nations).

• George wanted reparations, and Clemenceau wanted to weaken Germany to ensure it never threatens them again.

• Eventually they force Germany to sign what is known as the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was not allowed any say in the matter.



The “Big Three” meet in Paris to discuss peace:

Clemenceau, Wilson and George

Treaty of Versailles• The treaty required Germany to accept the following:1) Full responsibility for war2) Germany had to pay huge reparations (~$2.7 trillion) to the

Allies3) Germany had to give the territories of Alsace and Lorraine

(areas rich in coal and iron) back to the French.4) Reduce it’s military and navy. Also no air force or U-boats.5) Germany lost ~13% of its national territory, ~12% of it’s

population, and all it’s overseas colonies (most going to France and England)

• The treaty reduced the size of Austria-Hungary as well. New nations are created out of Germany, Aus-Hun and Russia = (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia).

• Many overseas countries involved in fighting in Europe hoped for their independence. Instead, the European powers created a system of mandates = larger countries ruling over these smaller countries supposedly until they were capable of ruling themselves, however power was rarely transferred.

The League of Nations• The League of Nations was an organization of

different nations who agreed to negotiate future disputes rather than resort to war and to take action together towards future aggressors.

• 40 nations join the league• However, it only had power over member

nations. It had no military body and couldn’t do much more than approve or disapprove of international conflicts.

• The U.S. Congress does not agree to join the L.N. b/c we became an isolationist country choosing to stay out of other countries’ problems.

WWI Leads to WWII• Germany felt the

Treaty of Versailles was unfair and too harsh, and felt insulted that they had to take blame for the war.

• Germany’s reparations payments forced it into debt and paved the way for a dictator named Adolf Hitler to rise to power, and become appealing to the German people.



Documents

World War One: “The Great War”. Causes of Tension Before the War The Four Main Causes of WWI = 1) Competition for colonies/resources. 2) Militarism 3)