World War I

Reasons for WWI

• M- Militarism

• A - Alliances

• I - Imperialism

• N - Nationalism

An Attempt to Create a Balance of Power

• The reason behind alliances was to create a balance of power that would prevent war.– The Big Idea: one side will not dare to attack

the other side if both sides have powerful friends.

– Gradually, two very powerful alliances emerged.

Military Alliances (1914)

• Triple Alliance (3 countries; color red on map)– Germany– Austria-Hungary– Italy (dropped out and eventually fought on Allies’ side)

• Triple Entente (Color yellow on map)– France– Great Britain– Russia

Key Leaders(1914)

• Central Powers (1914)– Germany (Kaiser William II)– Austria-Hungary (Emperor Francis Joseph)– Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

• Allies (1915)– France (Georges Clemenceau)– Great Britain (Prime Minister David Lloyd George)– Russia (Czar Nicholas II; Vladimir Lenin after

Communist take-over (Russian Revolution) in 1917– United States (Woodrow Wilson) (1917)

World War I Alliance System

Central PowersTriple Entente

Balance of Power Created?

•NO WAY!• Feelings of distrust

• Tensions increased

• In fact, tensions were so high by 1914 that the only thing missing to ignite a major war was a spark. That spark came on June 28, 1914.

What happened on 28 June 1914?

On a bright summer’s day, 28 June 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, heirs to one of the wealthiest empires in Europe got into their car and drove through the elegant streets of Sarajevo in Bosnia. The couple were extremely happy that day – it was their wedding anniversary.

A murder with millions of victims!

Artist’s impression of the moment when Gavrilo Princip stepped forward to the car and shoots the Archduke in the

chest, and Sophie in the stomach.

Reason for the Murder…• On a spring night in 1914, a small group of young

revolutionaries huddled around a café table in Belgrade, Serbia as they read a newspaper article.

• The article said Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, would visit Sarajevo, the capital of neighboring Bosnia on June 28.

• The group was very angry! You see, June 28, 1389 was the date on which Serbia had been conquered by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) more than 500 years earlier.

• On June 28, 1912—the very same day, Serbia had at last gained its freedom from Turkey, neighboring Bosnia, home to many Serbs, was still ruled by Austria-Hungary.

• The group could not believe Archduke Ferdinand had the nerve to chose this special day to come to Bosnia, They made their plan immediately: “Death to the tyrant!”

The Plan…• Among the group was a 19-year-old Serbian

youth named Gavrilo Princip. He belonged to the terrorist group known as Black Hand, and on June 28, he would be waiting on the streets of Sarajevo, Bosnia… waiting to take the life of Archduke Ferdinand.

• June 28th was a special day for Archduke Ferdinand, as well. It was his 14th wedding anniversary to Countess Sophie. He ignored warnings of unrest in Sarajevo, and proceeded with his plans.

The Murder…• As the royal motorcade drove through Sarajevo,

seven (7) members of the Black hand positioned themselves along the route.– Several carried crude hand bombs and pistols.– The first two lost their nerve as the motorcade

passed by.– The third threw a bomb at the archduke’s car.– The bomb missed the archduke’s car but injured

an officer in another car.– After stopping to see what happened, the royal

couple continued with the day’s program.

The Murder…• Despite the failures of his co-terrorists, Gavrilo

Princip stayed with his plan and held his position along the route that the motorcade would follow later that day.– After leaving the town hall, Archduke Ferdinand asked to

visit the officer who had been injured earlier.– However, no one told the chauffeur to drive to the

hospital, so he followed the old route. When told to change direction, he stopped to put the car in reverse—right in front of the spot where Gavrilo Princip was standing.

– Seizing this opportunity, Gavrilo sprang toward the car and fired twice into the back seat.

Both died within minutes from their wounds. Two bullets were about to lead to the deaths of a further 20 million men!

Archduke’s bloodstained jacket

Gavrilo Princip, Serbian terrorist

War Breaks Out• Triple Alliance (3 countries; red on your map)

– Germany– Austria-Hungary– Italy (eventually dropped out)

• Triple Entente (yellow on your map)– France– Great Britain– Russia

• Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination.• A month later (July 28th), Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.• Russia, an ally of Serbia, began to mobilize to come to the aid of Serbia.• Germany, an ally of Austria-Hungary (Triple Alliance), declared war on Russia.• France, an ally of Russia (Triple Entente) declared war on Germany.• Germany declared war on France.

War Breaks Out• Triple Alliance (3 countries; red on your map)

– Germany– Austria-Hungary– Italy (eventually dropped out)

• Triple Entente (yellow on your map)– France– Great Britain– Russia

• In order to quickly get its troops into northern France, Germany invaded neutral Belgium.

• Great Britain was outraged at Germany’s invasion of Belgium. Fearing the defeat of France and Russia, Great Britain declared war on Germany.

• By August 6, 1914, Germany and Austria-Hungary, known as the Central Powers and Russia, France, and Great Britain, known as the Allied Powers were at war, and many other nations (28 in all) would join.

• World War I was underway!

War Breaks Out• As the war began, Germany quickly swept through Belgium heading

toward Paris. (Schlieffen Plan)• However, Russia mobilized more quickly than Germany expected, and

after the Russians won a few small victories, the Germans quickly sent some of their forces to the Eastern Front. This weakened the German forces on the Western Front.

• When British forces reached France, the German offensive stalled. • Both sides then dug in for the winter. Except for brief failed attempts to

advance, the battle lines would remained almost the same for almost 4 years! On the Western Front, the two sides dug a vast systems of trenches that stretched from the English Channel to the Swiss border.

• Trench warfare was a combination or extreme boredom and extreme misery with death always lurking nearby.

Life in the Trenches

NOT Like This! War is NOT Nice!

Trench Foot

Trench Foot

No-Man’s Land

No-Man’s Land

No-Man’s Land

New Weapons: U-Boats

New Weapons: Airplanes

New Weapons: Zeppelins

New Weapons: Tanks

New Weapons: Machine Guns

New Weapons: Mustard Gas

Gas Masks

Soldiers on Both Sides

Battle of the Marne• German army wanted to

defeat France.• Germans went through

Belgium and were slowed down by the resistance.

• Germany got within 25 miles of Paris.

• French stopped the Germans at Marne River.

• French and German troops faced each other along a battle line called the western front.

The Western Front

Eastern Front

The Role of the U.S.

• From 1914 to 1917, the U.S. remained neutral.

• This stance helped Woodrow Wilson get re-elected.

• The U.S. eventually traded only with the Allied Powers--this makes Germany upset with U.S.

The End of Diplomatic Relations

• Germans used U-boat attacks to stop American supplies from reaching Allies.

• 1915 - Germans sank the Lusitania, which fueled anti-German feelings.

Russia Leaves the War

• The Bolsheviks, who were communists. overthrow the Russian government.

• The Bolsheviks were led by Vladimir Lenin.

• 1918- the Russians signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers.

•Woodrow Wilson became President in 1912.

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

•US was officially NEUTRALNEUTRAL

notes2

•US believed it had the right to trade with the nations at war.

•Warring nations must respect our neutrality and neutrality and allow us freedom of the seas.allow us freedom of the seas.

•German submarine warfare and British blockade violated our neutrality.neutrality.

•The Germans could not match Great Britain's

superior navy.•Germans introduced

unrestricted submarine warfare with U-Boats.

•Germans warned the world they would sink any ship

they believed was carrying contraband to Great

Britain.

U-BoatsU-Boats

•By 1918, Germans had sunk 6,500 allied ships.

Two typesTwo types•Small subs

with a crew of 24

•Larger subs with a crew of

60

•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

Lusitania ad

•After the sinking of the Lusitania, public opinion of most Americans was to go to war with Germany.

•Germany promised they would not sink anymore ships unless

warning them first and providing safety for civilians.

•BUT, President Wilson was able “keep us out of war” ….

Sussex Sunk: led to Sussex Pledge in March

1916. Germany promised not to sink

anymore ships.war zone

X

United States Enters WWI

Causes for U.S. Involvement

Sinking of the Lusitania

1915

Continued German attacks on

American vessels1916

Zimmerman Note1917

zimmerman code

The Zimmerman Note

• Germany sent a secret telegram to Mexico- it stated that if Mexico declare an alliance against the U.S.; in return, Germany would help Mexico recover lands lost in Mexican-American War

If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliancealliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizonaterritory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The

details are left to you for settlement....

You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak

of war withzimmerman notes

Berlin, January 19, 1917Berlin, January 19, 1917 On the first of FebruaryFebruary we intend to

begin unrestricted submarine warfareunrestricted submarine warfare. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutralneutral the United

States of America.

at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan. Please call to the

attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make

peace in a few months.

Zimmerman (Secretary of State) Zimmerman (Secretary of State)

zimmerman notes

with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative,

should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to

this plan;

When German submarines sank three American

merchant ships in March 1917, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war.

Smash the Stalemate• From the beginning of

the war (1914), to 1917, neither the Allied Powers or the Central powers could win a decisive battle- this is called a stalemate.

• After Russia leaves the war in 1917, Germany plans to smash the stalemate

U.S. Mobilizes for War

• Selective Service Act was passed by Congress. Men between 21 and 30 can be drafted.

• War Industries Board meets war demand

• Raise taxes and issue liberty bonds

U.S. Enters the War

• General John J. Pershing leads the U.S. troops, known as the American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

• Unlike European soldiers who were fighting for three years, Americans were energetic and fresh

• U.S. stopped Germans at Belleau Wood and drove Germans back

Helping at Home

• “Victory gardens”• Women join

workforce• People from South

move to the North to work in industrial cities.

• National War Labor Board

Armistice

• Germany is tired of fighting; many people are dead/dying.

• Kaiser Wilhelm sees that Germany is beaten and gives up throne and flees to Netherlands.

• Truce went into effect November 1918.

The War Ends

• The war officially ended at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

*****************************************

11:00 A.M., November 11th, 1918.

It was called Armistice Day. Today, it is called Veterans’ Day. We celebrate it next Wednesday.

Outcome of WWI

Casualties:• 5 million Allied soldiers

dead• 3.5 million soldiers from

Central Powers dead• 20 million wounded• 116,000 U.S. soldiers

dead; 200,000 wounded

Outcome of WWI

Financial losses:• Property worth $32 billion

had been destroyed.• Allies spent $145 billion;

Central Powers spent $63 billion.

• European countries in debt to U.S.

• Buildings uninhabitable and farm land destroyed food shortages

                

Outcome of WWI

Flu epidemic:• Flu broke out in 1918,

killing 30 million people over two years; it killed more people than the war itself!

• Started in army camp in Kansas, then spread to Europe from soldiers.

Peace Agreement

Wilson’s Fourteen

Points:• List of proposals for postwar

peace

• Settle disputes (borders, tariffs, etc.)

• Self-determination- right of people to choose political status

• League of Nations- organization to encourage democracy was Point 14.

Peace Agreement

Treaty of Versailles:• The leaders of the

Allied Power (the Big Four) met outside Paris.

• No representative from Central Powers or Russia attended conference.

Treaty of Versailles

Points of treaty:• Germany must accept

blame• Germany must pay $32

billion in reparations (payments for war damage)

• France and other Allies take parts of German territory.

• League of Nations established

• Colonies from Central Powers given over to Allies

Treaty of Versailles

• Treaty did not give Wilson everything he wanted.

• Senate wanted changes made to treaty before ratifying it. It did not want U.S. military commitment to League of Nations.

• Henry Cabot Lodge strongest opponent

• Treaty defeated in Senate• U.S. never joined League

of Nations—that’s ironic!

World War I was called the “Great War”--the war that supposedly would end all wars. A mere 20 years later, the world was again at war… There should always be a compelling reason to fight a war…