WORLD WAR I

World War I: “The Great War”Began in Europe 1914

Central Powers (Germany, Austria, Turkey)

fought

Allied Powers (England, France, Russia)

No one thought it would last long, but it did: 9,000,000 men died

World War I

What happened?Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his

wife were visiting the Bosnia city of Sarajevo June 28, 1914

 They were assassinated by a group – “the

Black Hand” - seeking an independent Bosnia

Within a few weeks, most of Europe was plunged into war

Europe before 1914

Causes of World War I

NATIONALISM 

Extreme feeling of pride or devotion IMPERIALISM 

Austria-Hungary trying to expand late 1800’s 

Great Britain & France: had colonies in Africa, Middle East, Asia

 Germany (Kaiser Wilhelm II): wanted colonies

Causes of World War I con’tMILITARISM: military preparedness / building

up weapons

1900 Germany began building a Navy to compete with Great Britain

Also, Germany began to enlarge its Army ALLIANCES

Nations formed alliances, or partnerships

Alliances…

TRIPLE ALLIANCE 

Germany / Austria-Hungary / Italy TRIPLE ENTENE: 

Britain / France / Russia

Video Clip

“Causes of World War I” The Mr. Smith 7

“Assassination of Franze Ferdinand” part 2mr. allsop or crypt 375

WAR BREAKS OUT

Some thought these alliances created a balance of power, but it didn’t work…

After the assassination of Ferdinand, EUROPE EXPLODED INTO WAR!

Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the murder – Russia had promised to protect Serbs, and so Russia began to mobilize troops

War Breaks Out…

Germany viewed Russia’s mobilization as an act of aggression

Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia – Germany declared war on France, Russia’s ally

August 1914 German troops crossed the border into neutral Belgium

War Begins:

Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany) believed Germany needed to make this first move to catch Belgium and France by surprise

Great Britain, pledged to defend Belgium, declared war on Germany

Everyone was choosing sides!

THE TWO SIDES

CENTRAL POWERSGermany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman

Empire

ALLIED POWERSGreat Britain, France, Russia

Eventually 30 other nations would join the conflict!

The War

Schlieffen Plan: called for a surprise German invasion of France by passing through Belgium, and a two-front war

German attack on Belgium was brutal!Villages burnt to the ground; women and children executed

New Kind of Warfare

France had not altered its “warfare style” since the 1800’s, and were not prepared for Germany’s massive firepower

FIRST BATTLE OF THE MARNE: German army quickly advanced through northern France – though France’s losses were heavy, she pushed the Germans back some 40 miles

YOUTUBE WORLD WAR I in color Catastrophe, part 1

New Kind of Warfare

Russia mobilized, causing Germany to pull some troops out of France to fight Russia on the eastern front

TRENCH WARFARE: no soldiers had ever experienced war in trenches on this scale!

(see pages 234-235) YOUTUBE “WWI in color”

New Weapons

New technologies made new weapons:

Machine guns: 600 bullets per minutePoison gas: both sides usedHand grenades & TanksSubmarinesAirplanes: spectacular air battles

called “dogfights”

President Wilson’s foreign policy

From 1914 to 1917, Wilson was guided by a desire for freedom of navigation on the seas…

But, Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare would challenge U.S. neutrality!

U.S. in WORLD WAR I

May 1915 some 1,900 passengers and crew boarded the British ship LUISITANIA in New York Harbor

Week later, ship approached British Isles – German torpedo slammed into ship’s right side – Sank in only 18 minutes – about 1,200 people died, including 128 Americans

U.S. stays neutral

Before this, U.S. had tried to remain neutral

Isolationism: policy of not being involved in affairs of other nations

Leaning toward Allies: Britain had been purchasing war materials from U.S.

German submarine warfare

Britain had been blockading Germany

German Navy devised plan to attack British, including use of U-BOATS, small submarines

Feb. 1915 German government announced waters around Great Britain would be treated as a war zone

Heading Toward War

American public outraged by 1915 sinking of Luisitania

Wilson re-elected 1916 and began working for peace settlement – January 1917 urged both sides to accept “peace without victory”

Zimmerman Note

German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent telegram to German official in Mexico, proposing alliance between Germany and Mexico, promising Mexico would get back New Mexico, Texas, Arizona

British intercepted telegram – more Americans began to call for war against Germany

U.S. Declares War

Uprising in Russia forced Czar Nicholas II to give up power

Mid-March 1917 German U-boats sank three American merchant ships

April 1917 Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany to make the world “safe for democracy”

Americans in Europe

U.S. military began preparing for battle:

May 1917 Selective Service Act (draft)

Conscientious Objectors / Discrimination

AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES: led by General John Pershing arrived in France June 1917

Allied Setbacks

When Americans arrived, Allies’ situation grim: Germany occupied Belgium, northeastern France – Russia struggling in the East

November 1917 Bolsheviks (Communists) gained power in Russia (U.S. sent combat troops to Russia to keep war material from falling into enemy hands)

WAR ENDS

American forces major factor in the war

July 1918 Germany launched last offensive – U.S. Army blew up every bridge German had built – German Army retreated

Allies counterattacked September 1918 – Americans defeated Germans near French-German border

Armistice

By late 1918 war almost overGerman and Austrian economy destroyedSoldiers disheartened

Central Powers began to surrender

Early November Austria-Hungary signed peace agreement – then German bean peace negotiations

November 11, 1918

Armistice went into effect

Germany:-leave all territories it occupied-surrendered aircraft, heavy artillery, tanks-allow Allies to occupy some German territory

Some hoped this “war to end all wars”

THE HOME FRONT during WWI

MOBILIZING THE ECONOMYRegulating industry, food, fuel

MOBILIZING WORKERSNational War Labor Board: to mediate disputes between workers / management

Influenza epidemic

INFLUENCING PUBLIC OPINIONWilson created COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC

INFORMATION

Propaganda: materials designed to influence American support for the war effort

“Uncle Sam”

THE FOURTEEN POINTS

Wilson’s vision for just and lasting world peace(open diplomacy / fair system to resolve disputes over colonies / self-determination / League of Nations)

New philosophy for American foreign policy

PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE January 1919Treaty of Versailles – Germany had to disarm

and pay reparations – signed June 1919

Paris Peace Conference

January 1919: Treaty of Versailles – Germany had to disarm and pay reparations (though Germany not allowed in the negotiations)

Signed June 1919(lead to rise of German nationalism, Adolf Hitler, and the Third Reich – devastation of Europe’s industrial base helped bring on the Great Depression)

U.S. RESPONSE TO TREATY

Treaty of Versailles “harsher” than what Wilson wanted

U.S. Senate divided:Democrats: supported ratificationIrreconcilables: urged rejectionReservationists: ratify if changed

U.S. …

Ends up NOT joining the League of Nations (and League very weakened!)

Senate refuses to ratify Treaty of Versailles(opposition lead by Henry Cabot Lodge)

IMPACT OF WORLD WAR I

Devastating conflict: millions dead and disabled

Political ImpactEconomic ImpactSocial ImpactEuropean Impact