The M.A.I.N. Causes of WWI

M.ilitarism

A.lliances

I.mperialism

N.ationalismClick on one of the four M.A.I.N. causes to begin

The M.A.I.N. Causes of WWI

M.ilitarism

A.lliances

I.mperialism

N.ationalismClick on one of the four M.A.I.N. causes to continueCitations

What is Militarism?

mil·i·ta·rism-noun1 : control or rule by a military class2 : extreme admiration and praise of military virtues and ideals3 : a policy of aggressive military readiness -Click on the pictures to learn about some of the innovations that came out of aggressive military policy

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• The 1914 machine gun, usually positioned on a flat tripod, would require a gun crew of four to six operators.  In theory they could fire 400-600 small-caliber rounds per minute, a figure that was to more than double by the war's end, with rounds fed via a fabric belt or a metal strip.

The Machine Gun

When established in fixed strong-points sited specifically to cover potential enemy attack routes, the machine gun proved a fearsome defensive weapon.  Enemy infantry assaults upon such positions invariably proved highly costly.

Casualties From Gas - The NumbersCountry

Total Casualties Death

Austria-Hungary 100,000 3,000

British Empire 188,706 8,109

France 190,000 8,000

Germany 200,000 9,000

Italy 60,000 4,627

Russia 419,340 56,000

USA 72,807 1,462

Others 10,000 1,000

Data: http://firstworldwar.com/weaponry/gas.htm

Considered uncivilised prior to World War One, the development and use of poison gas was necessitated by the requirement of wartime armies to find new ways of overcoming the stalemate of unexpected trench warfare.

Considered uncivilized prior to World War One, the development and use of poison gas was necessitated by the requirement of wartime armies to find new ways of overcoming the stalemate of unexpected trench warfare. Led to the development of the Gas Mask.

Poison Gas Attacks

What is a stalemate?

stale-mate—n. 1. any position or situation in which no action can be taken or progress made; deadlock: Talks between union and management resulted in a stalemate.

TanksDuring World War I (1914-1918)

the British invented and implemented the first working

tank. The name tank came when the British shipped them to battle's in crates marked "tanks" trying

to cover up what they really were. The first battle in which tanks were implemented was the Battle of the Somme, on

September 15, 1916, when the British used 49 tanks with disappointing results. Little

more than a year later, however, in November 1917, 400 British tanks penetrated German lines near Cambrai, capturing 8000 of the enemy

and 100 guns.

www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Bunker/3017/tanks.html

Airplanes

In the first few months of the war, combat between airplanes was unknown. They were used primarily for observation, but some far-sighted aviators could envision using them for bombing. Some planes had machine guns mounted in the observer's seat, but they typically fired rearward or to the side. Finally, French pilot Roland Garros, bolted steel deflectors to his propeller, which permitted him to fire a machine gun straight ahead finally making it an offensive weapon. Thus, the Dogfight was born.

Manfred von Richthofen

Manfred von Richthofen was the most famous dogfighting ace of WWI. Also known as the Red Baron, he was one of those heroes whose life seems almost scripted. Discipline, pride, hunting skills, and a Teutonic patriotism all combined in Richthofen, bringing him

to the pinnacle of fame which long outlasted the man himself. "Curse you, Red Baron," cried Snoopy, the canine ace of Charles Schultz' Peanuts comic strip. But Richthofen was no caricature,

methodically claiming 80 aerial victories, before falling himself, the victim of a epic fight. No one is sure who shot down the Red Baron

officially though there is speculation.

The Central Powers were the states of Germany, Austria-Hungary, The

Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, which fought against the Allies during World

War One. Italy left after the Allies promised them land. They were called

the Central Powers because they all were located between the Russian

Empire in the east and France and the UK in the west.

The Central Powers

The Allies of World War I are sometimes also referred to as the

Entente Powers or The Triple Entente (entente being French for "agreement").

The main allies were France, the Russian Empire, and the British Empire. Italy and the United States entered later.

France, Russia and Britain entered World War I in 1914, as a result of their

triple alliance. Many other countries later joined the Allied side in the war.

What are Alliances?al·li·ance-N

1. A union between nations for assistance and protection*

*The Triple Entente *The Triple Alliance

Great Britain

France Russia

Germany

Austria-Hungary

VS.

Ottoman Empire

The Allied Powers

United States Bulgaria

The two groups below represent the main European alliances that

existed in 1914 before World War One began.

When WWI started, the two alliances changed.

Italy

Use the key to identify the Allies and the Central Powers.How do you think alliances contributed to a war involving so many countries?

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im·pe·ri·al·ism-noun1. The actions by which one nation is able to control other usually smaller and/or weaker nations. -Click next arrow when ready

What is Imperialism?

-European countries that aggressively took over foreign territory for the acquisition of raw materials and markets were known as imperialistic countries. The extension of European control over countries like Africa and Asia added a further dimension to the rivalry and mutual suspicion which characterized international diplomacy in

the decades preceding World War I. -Click next arrow when ready

FranceG. Britain

ItalyU.S.A.

Germany

-Take a closer look at Africa. African colonies gave countries like Great Britain and Belgium valuable raw materials and markets to sell their goods. Why might the

“scramble” to claim Africa cause tension between countries? How do you think the Africans felt about the Europeans presence?

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What is Nationalism?

na·tion·al·ism-noun1. Loyalty and devotion to a nation especially as expressed in a glorifying of one nation above all others and a stressing of the promotion of its culture and interests

-Click next arrow when ready

Nationalism can be a tricky thing to explain because it is often just a feeling that a person has towards his or her country. One way for you to understand nationalism

and the effects it can have on decision making is by viewing the following slide show. While you are watching it, think about how some of the images make you feel

and what kind of responses you think about.

-Click on the flag to begin

-Take a moment to answer these questions on your own.

What do think these images mean to the people of the United States?

How did they make you feel in general and about the U.S.A.?

Lastly, how do you think this exercise relates to nationalism?

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Citations

• http://www.6767.com/archives/gz1.jpg• http://danpritchard.com/images/blog/2006-06-16-bush_b

ush_impression.jpg• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTjSlbg6OA4• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page• http://www.3dflags.com/html/en/icon/classic/u/usa_2faw

m.html• http://www.wordcentral.com/• http://martialartslive.stores.yahoo.net/fatabaofww1a.html• http://www.acepilots.com/wwi/ger_richthofen.html

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