World War IWorld War I

1914-1918

Objective

To understand the causes of World War I To understand the nature of World War I To understand how World War I ended To understand the consequences of World

War I

The Alliance System

After unifying Germany in 1871, Bismarck saw that Germany was vulnerable– Trapped between France and Russia in a two-front war– Formed alliances to prevent Germany from becoming

isolated• Three Emperor’s League with Austria and Russia in 1873• Dual Alliance with Austria in 1879• Triple Alliance with Austria and Italy in 1882

All major European powers enter into an arms race

The Alliance System

To assure Britain, Bismarck did not build a large navy

In 1888 Kaiser Wilhelm I died, grandson Wilhelm II becomes Kaiser– Queen Victoria’s grandson– Wanted Germany to be a Great Power like

Britain with large navy and colonial empire– Fired Bismarck in 1890

The Alliance System

Germany refuses to renew alliance with Russia– Russia allies with France in 1894

• France invests in Russian industrialization

Kaiser Wilhelm II orders construction of large navy– British get worried

• Germany industrializing at faster rate since 1871

– Britain and Germany in naval arms race• Each country builds more battleships

– Germany meddles in British colonial affairs• Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902)

The Alliance System

Britain spent 19th century in “splendid isolation”– No alliances—no reason for them at the time– Rise of Germany changes attitudes

Britain and France sign Entente Cordiale in 1904– Not quite an alliance but settles colonial disputes– Moroccan Crises (1905, 1911)

• France tries to take over Morocco but Germany interferes• British intervention prevents war

– Britain and Russia enter into same agreement in 1907 Britain signs alliance with Japan in 1902

The Balkans

The Eastern Question– What happens after the Ottoman Empire falls

apart?– Between 1878 and 1913, Ottoman Empire

loses all of its territories in the Balkans• Austria takes Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1878• Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro

gain independence• Russia tries to gain influence in the Balkans in

1878 but stopped at the Congress of Berlin

The Balkans

The Balkan Wars (1911, 1913)– Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Bulgaria

attack the Ottoman Empire• To gain more territory

– Serbia becomes a threat to Austria• Serbia wants to extend into Austrian territory

• Serbia allied with Russia in secret alliance

World War I

Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914– Heir to the Austrian throne– Assassins part of Serbian terrorist group, the

Black Hand– Germany gives “Blank Check” to Austria

• To act against Serbia

World War I

The July Crisis– Austria issues ultimatum to Serbia on

July 24, 1914• A list of 15 demands for Serbia in dealing with

assassins

• Serbia agrees to all but one; Austria planned it that way

• Russia threatens Austria not to attack Serbia

• Germany threatens Russia not to attack Austria

World War I

The July Crisis– Austria declares war on Serbia on July 28,

1914• Russia and Austria mobilize• Germany threatens Russia not to mobilize

– Germany declares war on Russia on August 1, 1914

– Germany declares war on France on August 3, 1914

World War I

The July Crisis– Britain had been staying neutral

• Britain tries to mediate between Austria and Russia throughout crisis

– But no one is listening

• Germany plans to go through Belgium to attack France– Part of Schlieffen Plan

• Britain threatens Germany not to march through Belgium

– Britain declares war on Germany on August 4, 1914

World War I begins

World War I

The Central Powers– Germany, Austria, the Ottoman Empire

• Ottoman Empire enters alliance with Germany in October 1914

The Triple Entente (Allies)– Britain, France, Russia

• Italy joins Triple Entente in 1915 in secret alliance

World War I

The Western Front– Germany invades Belgium on August 3, 1914– Belgium puts up more resistance than

expected• Buys time for the British to move into France

– British and French stop Germans outside Paris• Stalemate develops • Beginning of trench warfare

– Lasts for 3 years

World War I

The Eastern Front– Germany invades Russia in 1914

• Russian army no match for Germany

• Germany takes Poland, the Baltic coast, and western Russia

– The war becomes unpopular in Russia• Low morale in the army and shortage of supplies

in the cities

World War I

War expands outside Europe– Africa

• British take German colonies

– Asia• Japan takes German colonies in the Pacific and German

interests in China

– Middle East• British try to invade Ottoman Empire in Gallipoli campaign

in 1915

• British and French take Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia

World War I

New weapons introduced– Tanks, airplanes, submarines, machine guns– But war fought with old tactics

Total war– Entire economy devoted to the war effort– More women work in factories to make up for men

going to war– Mass media allows effective use of war propaganda

World War I

Russia gets out of the war– War going disastrously– Czar Nicholas II unable to provide leadership– Czar Nicholas II overthrown in February Revolution

(1917)– Provisional government replaces monarchy

• But continues fighting

– Bolsheviks under Lenin gain control in October Revolution (November 1917)

• Promise “Peace, Land, and Bread”• Sign Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany in March 1918

World War I

The United States neutral for most of the war

Submarine warfare– German submarines target British shipping– Sometimes neutral ships sunk

• Lusitania sunk in 1915

– US makes Germany promise to restrict submarine warfare

World War I

The US declares war on Germany in 1917– Germany resumes unrestricted submarine

warfare in 1917– President Woodrow Wilson wants US to

“make the world safe for democracy” US tips the balance on the side of the

Allies– American troops, money, and supplies give

advantage to the Allies

World War I

Losses in the war lead to revolution in Germany– Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates on November 9, 1918– Monarchy replaced by a republic– Germany calls for an armistice on November 11, 1918

World War I comes to an end– Estimated 10,000,000 deaths from the war– Most destructive war in history– Destroys European assumptions of progress

The Treaty of Versailles

Representatives from Allied nations and Germany meet in Paris – Wilson represents the United States and tries

to make peace– The Fourteen Points

• National self-determination

• Open agreements

• League of Nations

The Treaty of Versailles

Britain and France don’t buy Wilson’s Fourteen Points– They want revenge on Germany

Britain and France make a harsh peace with Germany– Germany takes full responsibility for the war– Stripped all of its colonies– Occupy part of German territory– Impose heavy reparations– Germans feel angry and cheated

The Treaty of Versailles

End of World War I redraws the map of Europe– Austria-Hungary dismembered into new states– Ottoman Empire dissolved

• New republic in Turkey

• Middle East divided between Britain and France

– Poland reappears as a republic– Yugoslavia comes into existence

The League of Nations

Wilson compromises on Fourteen Points to get support for the League of Nations

Treaty of Versailles had to be ratified by the US– US Senate refuses to ratify the Treaty of

Versailles in 1919– US does not join the League of Nations– League of Nations has no credibility

Impact of War10,000,000 dead. 20,000,000+ wounded

$330 Billion

European economy in shambles

–Euro govs in debt w/ no way to repay—esp to the USA

•Psychologically scarring

•20th century was to be a century of prosperity and progress shakes belief in humanity, order and reason

•Not the “war to end all wars.”

Conclusion

Between 1870 and 1914 European powers enter into alliances

Arms race makes Europe highly unstable A series of decisions led Europe into

World War I Allies impose a harsh peace on Germany World War I the most destructive war in

history