CURRENT ISSUES THROUGH WORLD HISTORYUNIT 3

World War I

Lesson: WWIStudents will be able to: 1) Identify and give examples of the four

MAIN reasons for WWI2) Explain the importance of industry and technology in WWI3) Summarize the reasons for the US

entering WWIClosure/ Assessment

Give an example of why each member of the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance

entered WWI.Missions Statement Connections:

A: create, use, modify and stay focused on questionsC: Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information

Causes of World War I M.A.I.N.

Militarism Glorification of armed strength

Alliances An association formed for mutual benefit between two countries

Imperialism Ambition of a powerful nation to dominate the political, economic, and cultural affairs of another nation or region

Nationalism Love of one’s country rather than one’s native region

1914- 1915 The German Schlieffen Plan is halted at

the Battle of the Marne, a short distance from Paris.

French military leaders have to load 2,000 taxi cabs with soldiers get to the battle.

1914- 1915 The war quickly turns into a stalemate Trench warfare ensues

Fighting is ditches protected by barbed wire and artillery

The Great Slaughter New weapons and trench warfare led to

a more devastating warHundreds of miles of trenches protected by

machine guns, other gun batteries, and further back, heavy artillery

War of Attrition A war based on wearing the other side

down by constant attacks and heavy losses.

New Technology of WWI Airplanes

1st used to spot and target enemy positionsThen used to attack ground targetsEnemy planes began attacking each other in

the air with handheld pistolsLater machine guns mounted on planes

New Technology of WWI Zeppelins

Giant airships used by the Germans○ 1st used for reconnaissance○ Used to bomb London from 1915- 1916

United States enters WWI What were the reasons for the US

entering WWI?

United States enters WWI Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

German answer to the naval blockade of Germany by the United Kingdom

Led to the sinking of many unarmed merchant ships

Lusitania: Merchant ship sunk by a German U boat○ Germany agrees to stop unrestricted

submarine warfare at US request

United States enters WWI Zimmerman telegram

January 1917○ British intelligence intercept telegram from

Germany, intended for MexicoMexico joins German side in WWI Mexico gets Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona

United States enters WWI April 1917

Because of unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmermann telegram the US enters the war on the side of The Allies○ Britain, France, and Italy○ To “make the world safe for democracy”

War takes its toll on civilian population Total War

A war that involves the complete mobilization of resources and people, affecting the lives of all citizens in the warring countries, even those remote from the battlefields.

War takes its toll on civilian population Propaganda

Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause

Used to increase public enthusiasm for the war

New lawsDORA

○ Defense of the Realm Act

○ Passed by British Parliament

○ Protestors arrested ○ Newspapers closed

down

The Russian Revolution The March Revolution

March 1917○ Working-class women begin striking in

Petrograd (St Petersburg)○ Price of bread is sky-rocketing along with all

other food○ “Peace and Bread”

The Russian Revolution The legislative body urged Tsar Nicolas

II to step down The Tsar agrees, ending 300 years of

the Romanov DynastyThe Tsar, his wife and their five children are

later murdered, burnt and thrown down a mine shaft.

The Russian Revolution Civil War in Russia

Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks○ A radical political party dedicated to the violent

revolution○ Promises

End the warRedistribute land to peasantsTransfer factories and industries from capitalists to

the workersTransfer government power to the soviets

Who would these promises appeal to? Who would be hurt?

The Russian Revolution Communism prevails

Leon Trotsky- commissar of war○ Reinstated the draft and executed soldiers who would no

comply

War Communism ○ Government control of banks and industry○ Seizure of grain to feed army○ Centralized state administration

How did the communists use the peoples’ struggle for freedom to advance their ideals?

The Russian Revolution The Treaty of Brest Litovsk

Ended Russian involvement in WWIRussia loses territory to Germany

The last years of WWI Final German offensive- March 1918

German advance stopped at the 2nd Battle of the Marne

Following 2nd Battle of the Somme- General Ludendorff told German commanders all was lost

Armistice Kaiser William II- leaves the country and

abdicates the throne Germany become a democratic republic Allies and the new Germany agree to

stop fighting

Wilson’s 14 Points Key points:

Reducing military forcesEnsuring self determinationCreation of democratic governmentsA “general association of nations”

○ The League of Nations

The Paris Peace Conference January 1919

27 victorious nations of the Allies meet US President Woodrow Wilson

○ 14 PointsPeace plan for Europe and the world

The Paris Peace Conference British Prime Minister- David Lloyd

George: “make the Germans pay for the war”

Premier of France- Georges Clemenceau: “for the catastrophe of 1914 only the Germans are responsible”How did the leaders of Great Britain and France stance on Germany differ from Wilson’s? Why was this?

The Treaty of Versailles Ends World War I Especially harsh on Germany

Article 231- War Guilt Clause○ Germany and Austria were responsible for

starting the warGermany had to reduce its military sizeGerman colonies and territory lostGermany had to pay reparations to Allied Powers

Legacy of the Treaty German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian,

and Ottoman Empires are broken up New nation-states:

Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, andHungary

Serbia and other Slavic lands become Yugoslavia

Legacy of the Treaty Mandates

A nation officially governed a territory on a temporary basis, but did not own the territory

Ottoman Empire becomes a collection of mandates○ Britain- Iraq, Transjordan and Palestine○ France- Syria and Lebanon

The Treaty of Versailles Predict the following items impact on

Europe in the coming yearsThe principle of self-determinationRedrawn bordersThe presence of ethnic minorities in nearly

every eastern European nation