1st World War in history

•Great War or War to End all War

•Not called WWI until after WWII

•Total war

•Involved 60 nations and 6 continents

Cost of War•$400 billion

•$10 million dollars an hour

16 million deaths•First war of the Industrial

Revolution……

New Weapons vs old tactics of fighting

Imperialism- European powers were going to all parts of the world to gain land.

Africa, Asia, The Pacific By 1910, the most desirable colonies

had been taken. Germany envied France and Britain

b/c they had the most richest colonies.

They soon realized that the only way to get land in Africa was to take it away from the colonizers.

European nations competing for colonies around the world…..Imperialism

2 forms- 1: to act in the country’s own national interest.

Ex: Alsace-Lorraine-strip of land on the boarder of France and Germany.

Had been taken by Germany in 1871 and France was expecting to gain it back.

Germany did not want to give it up. This caused problems in their

relationship.

2. The longing for an ethnic minority independence in a nation where there are many different/diverse groups.

Ex: Austria-Hungary- Hungarians and German speaking Austrians governed millions of Czechs, Slovaks, Poles Italians, Romanians and Serbs.

These different groups wanted their own independent self government and lands.

This often caused conflict within the nation itself.

Building up a nation’s military for war and giving them more power than the government.

Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia

Spend large sums of money on new weapons and warships.

All of these countries were preparing for war.

AlliancesAlliances•European nations began forming

military alliances with one another to maintain a balance of balance of

power power ……..

Triple AllianceTriple Alliance Triple EntenteTriple EntenteCentral PowersCentral Powers Allied PowersAllied Powers

Germany Great Britain Austria-Hungary Empire FranceBulgaria Russia

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his family. Archduke was heir to

the throne in the Austrian Hungarian Empire. His

assassination June 28, 1914 eventually led to WWI.

Garvillo Princip, a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Archduke. He was

trying to gain allowances for his fellow Serbs who lived under Austrian rule.

Franz Ferdinand’s funeral procession

Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

When the Archduke was assassinated, Bosnia along with Serbia were annexed to Austria-Hungary.

Austria-Hungary was convinced Serbia has something to do with the killings.

They used this excuse to declare war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.

This set off the chain reaction of alliances throughout Europe.

July 29, 1914- (Russia was Serbia’s protector) began mobilization.

Germany demanded Russia stop. They didn’t. Germany declared war on Russia.

Russia’s ally France declared war on Germany.

Germany declares war on Belgium.

Great Britain declared war on Germany.

Quick sweep through France to knock the French out of the war then turn east and defeat Russia.

Germany is between France and Russia.

This plan was put in order to avoid fighting both countries at the same time.

Germany had to pass through Belgium to get to France

Belgium was neutral.

Germany hoped Britain would stay out of the war.

The invasion of Belgium brought Britain into the war.

1 week after the conflict started all of Europe’s great powers were involved.

Central Powers

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Bulgaria

Allies

Russia

France

Serbia

Great Britain

Stalemate- Both sides can’t gain the advantage.

Germany and France and Britain

1914 Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria join Central Powers

Italy and Romania join Allies

Central Powers

Germany

Austria-Hungary

Ottoman Empire

Bulgaria

Allies

Russia

France

Serbia

Great Britain

Italy

Romania

Machine guns and rapid fire artillery

Grenades

Submarines

Poison Gas

Air Planes

Zeppelins

Tanks

Battle of Somme in 1916 British troops lost 20,000 troops in one day.

Trench foot

Contracted lice from rats

Constant fear

No man’s land

Casualties (French had 1,000,000 casualties in first 3 months of war)

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

Some felt personally involved b/c 92 million were immigrants or children of immigrants.

Germans and Irish for Central Powers

Most Americans for Allies

Wilson wanted Americans to remain neutral.

•Panama Canal was completed in August of 1914 just a week before

WWI began in Europe.

•Woodrow Wilson became President in 1912.

•Americans were shocked by the outbreak of war but…………..it was

in Europe.

•US was officially NEUTRALNEUTRAL

American Neutrality- Influenced by trade

Preparedness Movement- Be ready for war. Patriotic education (Propaganda)

Peace Movement- Progressives, social reformers and women. (Women marching down streets proclaiming peace).

3 groups

Isolationists- Stay out of war

Interventionists- U.S. should intervene on side of Allies

Internationalists- Get involved only to solve the problem and promote peace.

Britain blockades Germany for its contraband.

Later Britain took all of the goods that were supposed to go into Germany. (Food, cotton, medicine, gasoline)

German response = blockade of Britain

U-Boats- Britain and Germany competed to build the largest and strongest navy.

Germany blockaded Britain by navy. Propaganda used by Britain to sway U.S.

opinion. Lusitania- 128 Americans killed Germany agreed to stop blowing up

passenger ships. March 24,1916 Sussex was sunk by

Germans

Killed 2 Americans

Sussex Pledge- Germans would warn ships before they sank them.

Wilson authorized banks to make a huge loan to the Allies.

•May 7, 1915, the Germans sunk the Lusitania which was British passenger liner.

•Germans believed it was carrying contraband (weapons)contraband (weapons) to the British.

•Killed 1,198 civilians including 128 Americans. •U.S. and other countries outraged towards

Germany because of “unrestricted submarine “unrestricted submarine warfare”.warfare”.

•US believed the Germans had violated international lawinternational law of targeting civilians

Jan. 31, 1917 Germany informs U.S. that the Sussex pledge would be ended.

Feb. 3 U.S. cuts off diplomatic ties with Germany.

Zimmerman Note- Germany promises lost land to Mexico if they declare war on U.S.