Post on 01-Jan-2016
WORLD WAR I
The Great War 1914-1918
Leading Up to the War
European Gov’ts used propaganda to stir up national hatreds before war Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against
a cause Used to boost morale for war later in the war
Who was involved?
AlliesGreat BritainFranceRussia (exited in
1917)Serbia (exited in
1915)United States (1917)Italy (1915)Japan
Central PowersGermanyAustria-HungaryBulgaria (1915)Ottoman Empire
(1915)
New Weapons of War
Poison Gas Caused blindness, severe blisters, death by choking
Machine Gun Used to wipe out waves of attackers, by automatic fire
TankSubmarine
German U-boats used torpedoes against shipsAirplanes
Schlieffen Plan
General Alfred von Schlieffen Constructed a planned called the Schlieffen Plan
Major goal was to win a quick victory for the Central Powers
Planned to avoid two-front war Wanted to invade and take France and then rush east to
defeat Russia
Western Front
Western Front The region of northern France where the forces of
the Allies and the Central powers battled each other Used trench warfare- fighting from trenches protected
by barb wire Goal was for one of opposing sides to advance to others
trench to gain position Avoid exposure in “No Man’s Land”
Caused WW I to become a war of attrition, a war based on wearing the other side down by constant attacks and heavy losses
Major Battles of Western Front
1st Battle of Marne (most imp. Battle) Allied victory turned away German invasion of France
Forced Germans to scrap Schlieffen Plan
Battle of Verdun 10 month battle 700,000 lost their lives
Battle of Somme Bloodiest battle of WWI Over a 1 million causalities over 4 months of fighting
1st Battle of Marne
Battle of Verdun
Battle of Somme
Eastern Front
Eastern Front Region along German-Russian border where
Russians and Serbs battled Germans, Austrian, and Turks
Major Battles Battle of Tannenberg (August 1914) Battle of Masurian Lakes (Sept 1914)
Both were Russian defeats by Germans Prevented Russian invasion of Germany Russia would be on the defensive until they withdrew
in 1917
Battle of Tannenberg
Battle of Masurian Lakes
Fighting Spreads to Other Parts of the World
Gallipoli Campaign Strategy where the allies would take the Dardanelles
Capture Constantinople, defeat the Ottomans, and open supply lines to Russia
February 1915 to December 1916 Bloody stalemate led to over 250,000 casualities
Battles in Africa British and French attacked German holdings in
Africa Japan controlled German Pacific island colonies
Gallipoli Campaign
America Joins Fight
Events leading United States Joining WW I: Lusitania- British passenger ship sunk by a German
U-boat on May 7, 1915 (was carrying ammunition) Killed 1,198 people died , 128 U.S. and Was called unrestricted submarine warfare, sinking of
ships without warning German U-boats Zimmerman Note- In Feb. of 1917, Germany’s
foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent a note to Mexico Stated Germany would help Mexico if they invaded the
U.S., take back lands U.S. taken from them
Woodrow Wilson declared war Germany on April 2, 1917
Lusitania
Zimmerman Note
War Affects the Home Front
WW I affected not only the soldiers, but also civilians Total War- is when a country devotes all of their
resources for war gov’ts took control of the economies Declared what should be produced and how much should
be produced Gov’ts also practiced rationing- limiting amounts of
goods people can buy during wartime Women replaced men in their roles
Ran factories, plowed fields, paved streets, and ran hospitals
The Allies Win WW I
After U.S. joined the war, the balance shifted toward the allies Russia Surrenders
Shortage of supplies and civil unrest led to surrender By 1917, 5.5 million Russian soldiers had been wounded,
killed, or taken prison Russian army lost will to fight Signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended war between
Germany and Russia (1918)
Central Powers Collapse
In March 1918, Germans launched one last massive counter-attack on the western front By May of 1918, Germans had reached the Marne
River 40 miles outside of Paris Allies launched a counter-attack with the help of the U.S. July 1918 2nd Battle of Marne
Allies smashed through German lines 2 million more U.S. troops arrive as the Allies marched
toward Germany
Central Powers Collapse
Central Powers Crumble Bulgarians surrendered Ottoman Turks surrendered Revolution in Austria-Hungary caused the war to end In Germany, soldiers mutinied, and public turned on
Kaiser On Nov. 9, 1918 William II stepped down, and Nov. 11,
1918 Germany signed an armistice, agreement to end war, with France
Legacies of WW I
Loss of Life 8.5 million soldiers died, 21 million were wounded Death of civilians by starvation, disease, and slaughter
Negative Economic Impact $338 billion, total cost of war Countries left in great debt
Destroyed farmlands, homes, villages, and towns
Suffering from war influenced Art and Literature
Failed Peace Agreement
1. Describe the Causes of WWI.
2. Describe the immediate cause of WWI.
3. Describe the Schlieffen Plan
4. List the importance of the 1st Battle of Marne.
5. List the Major Battles of Western and Eastern Front.
6. List the Allies and Central Powers.
7. Who won?8. List lasting
legacies of the war.
WW I Review Questions