Europe & The Great War
(1890-1920)
Do Now
“Modern”
What does it mean?
Is it a good thing? A bad thing? Can it be both?
Modern
HISTORY DEFINITIONA term used to describe…
• quicker pace of life• the rise of mass politics• decline of rural life / more urban life
…from the late 1800s on.
ModernGENERAL DEFINITION• a sharp break from the past and tradition• can refer to literature, art, politics, ideas,
etc.
Kandinsky,
Russian painter
Modern
We will be looking at how Europe became more “modern” in both ways…
Europe Modernized
Industrialization- Railroads- Commercial agriculture- AutomobilesTechnology- Indoor plumbing- Electricity- Telephones- Photography
Modern Thought & Culture
• “modern” ideas go back to the Enlightenment: you can solve any problem through rational thought and science
• But “modern” thinkers of late 1800s / early 1900s use science to look at humanity more negatively
Modern Thought & Culture
Review what these terms mean…• Realpolitik
– Politics not based on ideals (ex: rights) / based on what is good for the state
• Social Darwinism– Some groups of people more “fit” to
survive than others / should therefore be in charge
Modern Thought & Culture
Sigmund Freud• Begins field of
psychology• Believes humans act
out of self-interest / humans not always reasonable
Modern Thought & Culture
Max Weber• Pessimistic about
governments’ ability to deal with modern problems (large populations, etc.)
• Get rid of bureaucracy • Need a strong and
powerful leader to act decisively
Modern Thought & Culture
Friedrich Nietzsche• People like rationalism and
science because it is easier to deal with
• But the truth about humans is more disturbing
• Moves away from ideas of the Enlightenment / human instincts are important
• His ideas inspiring at first, but later used to justify racism, nationalism,
militarism, etc.
Modern Thought & Culture
What do these thinkers have in common?
The old rules and ideas no longer apply or work.
Universal vs. Relative
The world is a crazy place, and crazy actions may be necessary.
Modern Thought & CultureIgor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (1913)• Extremely jarring new music• Awkward poses and dances to intense rhythms• Attempting to depict “primitive” non-European peoples
“Audience began shouting its indignation… Fighting actually broke out among the spectators” - a Paris reporter
Watch this clip
Discuss
• How does The Rite of Spring express the idea of “modern”?
• How can modernism be seen as a positive thing?
• How can it be seen as negative?• How do these thinkers move away from
the ideas of the Enlightenment?• What problems could these modern ideas
pose in terms of human rights?
Do Now
• What does the term “modern” mean?
• What were some modern ideas at the turn of the 20th century?
The Road to World War I
Use this mnemonic device to help you take notes…
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
Nationalism: Population & “Race”
• Population boom in cities at this time (lower death rates, more sanitation, etc.)
• But lower birth rates (less children needed for help on farms / agriculture more efficient)
• Social Darwinists concerned about this / want to see their nations win in “survival of the fittest”
• People become more racist and anti-immigrant
Nationalism• Labor & Socialist parties gain strength / challenge
conservatives• Nationalism [and racism] provide a way for the far
right to mobilize people• Feel like their nation is “threatened” / Social
Darwinism as a way of motivating people
Imperialism• European states’ attempts to maintain colonies
abroad makes relations difficult in Europe• EX: British have problems in South Africa / Germany
cheers on the resistance
Militarism• European countries massively build up their
militaries to protect their overseas colonies• Industrial factories make this possible• People of these countries support this (thanks
to nationalism)
Alliance
Is an agreement between two countries to help each other. It can include aid in the form of money, food, weapons, etc. Or it can mean a promise for military
action.
Alliances
Late 1800s, European nation-states form several alliances…
• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy• Triple Entente: France, Russia, Great Britain
“entente” means a less formal promise than an alliance (can be broken more easily)
Alliances
AlliancesLeaders thought that these alliances would keep
the peace because no single nation would dare to attack another and bring about a total war
Actively Read
…this primary source about the Dreyfus Affair.
Use vocabulary from previous units in this class, or from today, to annotate your texts.
What long-term cause of World War I might we associate this with?
What are some possible connections?
Do Now
CAUSE and EFFECT:
How does this work?
What do you think is the difference between a long-term CAUSE and a short-term CAUSE?
What were some long-term causes that led to World War I?
Review: Alliances
AlliancesLeaders thought that these alliances would keep
the peace because no single nation would dare to attack another and bring about a total war
Alliances
BUT there is a place called the Balkans…
The Balkan Crisis
1912-13:• Nationalist ethnic
groups in this region want their own nation-states
• Revolt against the Ottoman Empire who had ruled them for hundreds of years and mostly win
The Balkan Crisis• One of these new nation-
states is Serbia• Nationalism is very big here,
but many ethnic Serbs are stuck living under Austria-Hungary’s Empire
• Serbian nationalist leaders want to expand their borders and unite the Serbian people
• Austria-Hungary very concerned about this / a rebellion may cause other uprisings in their empire
Balkan Crisis• June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand decides to
visit Sarajevo, a city in Bosnia (in the Balkans)• Ferdinand is assassinated by a young Serbian
named Gavrilo Princip
Balkan Crisis• Princip is arrested and Austria-Hungary uses
this as an excuse to punish Serbia• Austria-Hungary makes humiliating demands
and declares war on Serbia July 28, 1914
Balkan Crisis• Russia promised to support Serbia if attacked
(considered close because both peoples identify with Slavic ethnicity… nationalism!) / Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary
• Germany sees Russia as a threat to German nationalism (Austrians also speak German) / Germany declares war on Russia, then on France
• Etc. etc. etc.
War BeginsGermany’s attack on a neutral country (Belgium),
brings Great Britain into the war
World War IWorld War IWorld War IWorld War I
Allied Powers Central Powers
Great Britain
France
Russia
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Italy
Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I
What does it mean to be cynical?
Watch this video from Crash Course in World History and complete the worksheet.
Homework
Actively read and answer questions on “The War Begins” and “A New Kind of
War”
Do Now
Take out last night’s reading on “The Great War Begins” and “A New Kind of War”
Be prepared to discuss.
Because the Kaiser’s moustache said so!
The Great War Begins
1. What were the major events of the fighting of 1914?
The Great War Begins
Battle of the Frontiers
The Great War Begins
Russian invasion of Germany = a disaster(prisoners of war at Tannenberg)
The Great War Begins
Battle of the Marne
The Great War Begins
Stalemate on the Western Front
The Great War Begins
2. How did the construction of the trenches affect the war in 1914?
The Great War Begins
A New Kind of War
1. How did World War I differ from all previous wars?
A New Kind of War
Trench warfare on a MASSIVE scale
A New Kind of War
Miserable trench life
A New Kind of War
Life in the trenches
A New Kind of War
Life in the trenches
A New Kind of War
Trench foot
A New Kind of War
2. How did new technology affect the World War I battlefield?
A New Kind of War
Poison gas
A New Kind of War
What dangers did soldiers have to worry about while fighting in the trenches?
What effect did all of this fighting have on the direction of the war?
Use evidence from the images to support your answer.
A New Kind of War
“no-man’s-land”
A New Kind of War
A New Kind of War
“shelling”
A New Kind of War
“Shell Shock”Psychological trauma as a
result of war experience
Symptoms include: • Constant anxiety• Facial muscle tics• Nightmares/daymares• Diarrhea• Loss of sight
Symptoms often directly linked to physical experiences during wartime
Paths of Glory (1957)
Fictional anti-war film by Stanley Kubrick that takes place with French troops during World War I. Watch these scenes…
A stroll through the trenchesWe’ll take the ant hillCharging the ant hill
Discussion• What is “shell shock”?• What do you think is the colonel’s
impression about human life in war?• What do you think the “ant hill”
represents?• What might be the connection
between what you see here and industrialism?
• What might be the connection between this and modernity?
Do Now
What is a “civilian”?
In what ways do you think civilians can be involved with a war effort?
War on the Home FrontIn what ways did “total war” affect life on the
home front?How did civilians support the war effort?
Women building a railroad in England
War on the Home Front
What is rationing?
War on the Home Front
What are sedition acts?
War on the Home Front
What is propaganda?
War on the Home FrontWhat effect did propaganda have on the war itself?
French war propaganda, 1915This poster reads “Never Forget!”
Is intended to incite anger against the Germans for “the rape of Belgium”
Propaganda offices send out reports to newspapers of women and children being attacked by German troops (sometimes not completely accurate)
Wrap-Up
• What is “total war”?
• Name some ways that civilians contributed to the war
• What is rationing?
• Sedition acts?
• Propaganda?
Do Now
“Why did the United States enter the first world war?”
Develop a hypothesis that answers this question.
Why did the United States enter the first world war?
• Share your hypothesis with the class
• As a class, let’s develop a list of possible reasons that we can explore together
• Record these reasons in the left column of your chart
Why did the United States enter the first world war?
• As a class, let’s work through the documents one at a time
• Use active reading skills to make notes in the margins
• Point to evidence that will support or refute your hypothesis
• As we discuss, record whether the evidence supports or refutes your hypothesis in the chart
Do Now
What should a peace treaty do?
Who should benefit from it?
What lessons could be learned from a war?
Read…
• Actively read this text on the end of World War I
• Then, respond to the questions for each section
The End of the Fighting
1. What was the outcome of Germany’s last offensive?
2. What effect did U.S. troops have on the war?
The End of the Fighting
1917: Russian tanks withdraw from the
Eastern Front. Their country going
through revolution and Civil War.
The End of the Fighting
1918: German “Spring” Offensive
The End of Fighting
BUT…American troops (AKA “doughboys”) had
arrived in large numbers
The End of the Fighting
Allied “Counter-Offensive” (Summer 1918)
The End of the Fighting
Armistice declared: November 11, 1918 (11/11 at 11 o’clock)
A Difficult Peace
1. How did various Allied goals for peace differ?
2. Why was it so difficult to work out a peace agreement?
A Difficult PeaceUSA: Woodrow Wilson’s 14
Points…• Worldwide reduction of
weapons• Free navigation of the
seas• “Self-determination”
(political independence) for all national groups (ex: Italy, Austria-Hungary, the Balkans, Poland, etc.)
• A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee independence for all nations
A Difficult Peace
FRANCE: Georges Clemenceau wants “reparations” (payments for war damages) from Germany
A Difficult Peace
BRITAIN: David Lloyd George - somewhere between Clemenceau and Wilson
A Difficult Peace
2. How did the Treaty of Versailles affect Germany?
A Difficult Peace
Treaty of Versailles
A Difficult Peace
League of Nations - membership map
A Difficult Peace
The Costs of the War
1. What event that began in 1918 added to the suffering caused by fighting?
The Costs of the War
Influenza pandemic (1918)
The Costs of the War
Economic Devastation (in this photo: Flanders, Belgium)
War Around the World
What role did “colonial peoples” play in the war? What did they hope they might gain in return?
The Costs of the War
Colonial Uprisings (in this photo: Egypt’s Revolution against British rule (1919-1922)
Homework
Study for the quiz on World War I!