World War I

1914 - 1918

Causes for War• Imperialism- Rivalries among

European Nations

• Nationalism- Ethnic Troubles in the Balkans

• Militarism- Conscription & Military Growth

Problems in Serbia• Russia controlled

Serbia• Demand for an

independent Slavik State in the Balkans• Other nations saw

this as a threat

The Triple Alliance• Formed in 1882• The “Bad Guys”• Aka “Central Powers”• Includes:

–1. Germany–2. Austria-Hungary–3. Italy

The Triple Entente• Formed in 1907• The “Good Guys”• Aka “The Allies”• Includes:

–1. France–2. Great Britain–3. Russia–4. The United States (1915)

A Royal Assassination• June 28, 1914 Sarajevo, Bosnia• Archduke Francis Ferdinand &

pregnant wife Sophia killed• The Black Hand- Serbian Terrorists• Gavrilo Princip- the assassin• Increased tensions between Serbia,

Austria-Hungary, and Russia

Mobilization for War

• Emperor William II gives “full support” to Austria-Hungary

• Czar Nicholas II mobilizes Russian Army

• Considered an Act of War

• Aug. 1, 1914 Germany declares war against Russia

War Propaganda

• Used by Governments

• Influenced public opinion

• Built up nationalism

• “War will be over by Christmas”

The Schlieffen Plan• Gen. Alfred von

Schlieffen• German Plan for 2

front war• Rapid invasion of

France in West• Fight Russia in the

East

New Weapons of War

• Machine Guns• Tanks• Airplanes & Zeppelins• Poison Gas

The Western Front & Trench Warfare

• War of Attrition- wear down the enemy• Trenches dug, reinforced w/ wood &

barbed wire• “War of inches”• Battle of Verdun:

– France– 10 months long– Over 700,000 dead

Eastern Front• Against Russia • More mobile fighting• Equally as costly in

lives• 2.5 million Russians

killed, captured, & lost• Success of Central

Powers in East allowed them to focus on Western Front

The Lusitania

• May 7, 1915

• British passenger ship

• Sunk by Germans near Ireland

• 1,100 killed 100 Americans

• Accused of carrying weapons

• Increases U.S. involvement

The War Widens• War spreads from Ottoman Empire

into the Middle East

• Lawrence of Arabia- British officer

• Encouraged revolts against Arab princes

• German islands in Pacific taken by Allies

The U.S. Enters the War• Germans doubted U.S.

involvement• U.S. enters in April 1917• Psychological boost to Allies• Increased money, goods, &

soldiers

Impact on the Home Front

• Total War- complete mobilization of resources and people

• Government powers expand

• DORA Act passed- protestors = traitors

• Women’s role drastically increased

• Began fight for women’s rights

Russia Approaches Revolution

• Ruled by Czars

• Czar Nicholas II

takes over military

• Military & Economic disasters

• Grigori Rasputin- Siberian Holy man

–Assassinated Dec. 1916

End of The Romanov Dynasty

• 300 year old Dynasty

• Alexis- heir to throne & hemophiliac

• Rasputin only person able to heal Alexis

• March Revolution led to fall of dynasty

The March Revolution• March 8, 1917• 10,000 march at Petrograd• Demand “Peace and Bread”• Duma- Legislative body

dissolved• Czar Nicholas II forced to step

down• Soviets- worker and soldier

representatives in government

Rise of Communism• Bolsheviks- Russian

Social Democrats• Radically interested in

the lower class• Lead by Lenin• Grew from 50,000 to

240,000 members• Seized control of govt.

Triumph of the Communists• Bolsheviks renamed

Communists• July 16, 1918 Czar Nicholas

& family killed• Leon Trotsky- organized

Red Army• War Communism- Govt

control of banks and industries

• 1921-Communists in complete control of Russia

End of the War• 1917 tough year for the

Allies• March 1918 Germans

launch final offensive• Sept. 1918 Germans

declare war lost• Nov. 11, 1918 Armistice

Day- end of war

The Peace Settlements• 27 Allied nations meet in

Paris in 1919• U.S. President Woodrow

Wilson proposes “Fourteen Point Plan” to Congress

• The Paris Peace Conference– Big 3- Great Britain,

France, U.S. • League of Nations

approved Jan. 25, 1919

The Treaty of Versailles

• Signed June 28, 1919

• Composed of 5 separate treaties

• “War Guilt” clause for Germany

• German military greatly reduced

• Reparations- Germany ordered to pay $33 Billion over 30 years

Results of WWI

• Eastern Europe Map redrawn

• Many Ethnic minorities created

• Russia is Communist

• Ottoman Empire gone

• Mandates by League of Nations

–France: Lebanon & Syria

–Great Britain: Iraq and Palestine

Legacy of WWI

• Over 10 million Dead• Total War- affected millions more• Freedom of press & speech

reduced• Strong Central Govts. created• Devastation of European

landscape