World War I

Causes of World War I

• Near the beginning of the 20th century, there were many calls for long term peace.

• The first Olympic games held in 1896, the Nobel Peace Prize was established.

• However, there were even stronger forces pushing the world to widespread war.

Causes of World War I

• Intense nationalism was growing between countries like France and Germany.

• France was still bitter at the harsh ways that the Germans ended the Franco-Prussian War.

• France desired to regain it’s power in Europe and the world.

Causes of World War I

• Nationalism also ran high for the Slavic people – Russia was the largest Slavic country.

• Another Slavic area called Serbia dreamed of having their own nation.

• Austria-Hungary however controlled many Serbians in their empire and this made many Slavs unhappy.

Causes of World War I

• The competition for power around the world through imperialism was also causing tension.

• European countries began fighting each other in Africa to control more land.

• This was an economic problem – more land meant more money for your country.

Causes of World War I

• Militarism was also a cause of World War I – countries tried building the best military.

• Germany began building a strong navy to rival the British navy – British became suspicious.

• In order to keep up with other European countries – each of them built strong militaries.

Causes of World War I

• Distrust and suspicion between the European countries led to a tangle of alliances.

• Alliances were agreements between two or more countries.

• Idea was to make your alliance big and strong enough that no other country would attack you.

Causes of World War I

• The Triple Alliance was formed – Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy (until war started).

• The Triple Entente – France, Great Britain and Russia.

• If any of the countries in each of the alliances started fighting, then they all would help fight.

Causes of World War I

• All of this competition and suspicion of one another served as the “firewood” to the camp fire.

• But in order to light the fire – or start the war – there needs to be a spark.

• The spark was the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary.

Causes of World War I

• Archduke means he is the heir to the throne – Francis Ferdinand was the nephew of Francis Joseph the leader of Austria-Hungary.

• Ferdinand visited Bosnia on political business - there were many Serbians in Bosnia.

• Remember – Serbians do not like Austria-Hungary – viewed them as foreign oppressors.

Causes of World War I

• A Serbian nationalist by the name of Gavrilo Princip shot and killed Ferdinand as he was riding in his car.

• Princip was a member of the Black Hand – a Serbian terrorist group.

• Austria-Hungary is outraged and demands Serbia pay for the murder.

Causes of World War I

• Serbia did not agree to all of Austria-Hungary’s demands – and asked Russia to protect them.

• Russia agrees and warns Austria-Hungary – so Austria-Hungary asks Germany (alliance) for help.

• Germany agrees and declares war on Russia – France comes to help Russia (alliance) and war begins.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• Explain how each of the following are considered causes of World War I.– Nationalism– Imperialism– Militarism– Alliances– Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand

A New Kind of War

• As war began, Germany knew they could not win a “two-front war”.

• They had to fight France to the west of them, and Russia to the east – means dividing their army.

• To prevent a two-front war Germany had a plan called The Schlieffen Plan.

A New Kind of War

• The Schlieffen Plan called for a quick knock out blow to France.

• One problem of Schlieffen Plan – to invade France, Germans had to cross Belgium.

• Belgium was supported by Great Britain and when Germans entered Belgium – British declared war on Germany.

A New Kind of War

• Germans were advancing quickly into France – but British came to help and stopped German advance at the Battle of the Marne.

• This caused both sides to stop and dig in for the winter – causing a long stalemate.

• Stalemate is a deadlock where neither side is able to defeat the other.

A New Kind of War

• On the Western Front (Germans vs. French and British) both sides dug elaborate trenches.

• Trenches protected the soldiers from gun fire, and it was difficult to successfully attack your enemy’s trench.

• For the next four years, the trench lines changed less than 10 miles.

A New Kind of War

• The land between the trenches was called “no man’s land” because no man wanted to be there.

• There were craters from artillery explosions, trees and grass were destroyed.

• Barbed wire was also in front of the trenches to slow down any attackers.

A New Kind of War

• Each side kept trying to advance – command would be heard “over the top” and soldiers charged at the enemy trench.

• After the attack failed, the other side would counterattack – but that failed too.

• Reinforcements would then be called in to replace the dead and wounded.

A New Kind of War

• Soldiers lived in the trenches and the conditions were far from nice.

• Trenches were muddy, infested with rats, wounded and dead were near.

• Constant explosions from artillery caused “shell shock” for many troops.

A New Kind of War

• Advancements in weapons also led to the stalemate and high death rate.

• Machine guns – could fire a rapid, continuous stream of bullets – could kill waves of soldiers.

• Flame throwers – soldiers had tanks of gas on their back and fired stream of fire – good to “clear” out trenches.

A New Kind of War

• Improved artillery – fire shells into your enemy’s trenches from long distances.

• Tanks – first introduced by British to move across “no man’s land” – largely ineffective.

• Airplanes – first used to observe enemy troop movement – later used mounted machine guns and fought in the air and bomb the trenches.

A New Kind of War

• Poison gas – loaded into artillery shells and fired at enemy trenches.

• Gas was intended to disorient the enemy and then attack them while they were unorganized.

• Mustard gas became the worst – blindness, internal bleeding, large blisters on skin.

A New Kind of War

• The war on the Eastern front was no better – masses of Russian peasants were killed but still hardly any advancement.

• Italy backed out of the Triple Alliance and helped fight the Germans and Austrians.

• Japan sided with Britain and attacked German territories in China.

A New Kind of War

• The Ottoman Empire (Turkey) sided with Germany and helped fight the war.

• The main sides were:– The Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary

and the Ottoman Empire– The Allies: France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy,

Japan…..and the United States later on.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• Why did the war on the Western Front turn into a stalemate?

• Describe three ways in which new technology affected the war.

The War Drags On

• As the war dragged on nations realized to win they had to fight a total war.

• A total war caused each nation to channel all of their resources together to win.

• Countries required all eligible men to serve in the war and used taxes and rationing to fund the war.

The War Drags On

• Total war also meant controlling public opinion – especially news from the press.

• Both sides also issued a propaganda war to promote their cause.

• England told stories of German atrocities in Belgium and Germany promoted anti-English songs.

The War Drags On

• Women played a critical role in total war – as men went to fight women filled the jobs and kept economy going.

• Many women worked as nurses caring for the wounded on the front lines.

• The war gave women a new sense of pride and accomplishment as well.

The War Drags On

• As the war dragged on the morale on both sides began to fall.

• Stalemate, food shortages and heavy casualties caused the low morale.

• Russia was especially hard hit by the effects of the war.

The War Drags On

• Russians were growing tired of the tsars and food shortages and high death rate was the final straw.

• Bread riots in 1917 led to a full scale revolution.

• Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and Russia became the first communist nation in the world.

The War Drags On

• The new Russian government signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918.

• This treaty ended Russia’s role in the war – faced a harsh terms of surrender from Germany.

• Germans now did not have to fight a two-front war and could focus forces on Western Front.

The War Drags On

• Even though the United States remained neutral at beginning of the war they still “sided” with Great Britain and France.

• The U.S. sent supplies, weapons and money to British and French armies.

• Germany tried to counter this through submarine warfare – using U-Boats.

The War Drags On

• On May 15, 1915 a German U-Boat attacked and sunk the Lusitania a British passenger ship.

• 1,200 passengers were killed – including 128 Americans.

• U.S. President Woodrow Wilson was furious – demanded that U.S. have freedom of the seas.

The War Drags On

• In early 1917 British intelligence intercepted a message from Germany to Mexico.

• British revealed the message to the U.S. – it showed Germans trying to persuade Mexico into attacking U.S. and joining Central Powers.

• This message was called the Zimmerman Note – and the U.S. declared war on Germany.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• What impact did the war have on women around the world?

• What impact did the war have on Russia?

• What were the reasons why the United States declared war on Germany?

The War Ends

• Once the United States entered the war it took them several months to recruit an army and train them.

• But U.S. troops served as a great morale boost to Allied soldiers (France and Britain).

• Germans planned to make one final push to win the war in early 1918.

The War Ends

• Germany launched a huge attack that pushed the Allies 40 miles back into France.

• With the help of fresh American troops, the Allies counterattacked and pushed the exhausted Germans back.

• German generals informed Kaiser Wilhelm II that the war could not be won.

The War Ends

• Citizens of Germany were becoming angry – demanded that Kaiser Wilhelm II step down.

• Austria-Hungary was also facing collapse from angry citizens.

• Kaiser Wilhelm II scared for his life flees Germany and the new German government seeks peace and an armistice.

The War Ends

• On November 11, 1918 at 11:00 a.m. the Great War came to an end.

• President Wilson wanted to be the world’s leader for world peace.

• Gave a speech in which he outlined 14-points for peace.

The War Ends

• Wilson called for no secret treaties, freedom of the seas, and reduction in arms.

• Wilson traveled to Paris to discuss the terms of the peace with the other Allied leaders.

• The devastation in Europe from the war was shocking.

The War Ends

• More than 8.5 million people were killed.

• More than 16 million people were wounded – handicapped for life.

• Famine threatened many areas.

• Flu pandemic spread killing 20 million people.

The War Ends

• From France to Russia, homes, farms, factories, roads, and churches had been shelled into rubble.

• Citizens were bitter about the war – and the winners were looking for payment from the losers for damages.

• This is called reparations, or payments for war damage.

The War Ends

• Great Britain and France were looking to punish Germany because they blamed them for the war and destruction.

• The Germans were forced to sign a harsh treaty at Versailles – The Treaty of Versailles.

• Germans had no choice but to sign even though they were being severely punished.

The War Ends

• The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to take total blame for the war.

• Germany was forced to pay over $30 billion dollars for reparations.

• There were also restrictions put on the size of the German military, and returned bordering lands back to France.

The War Ends

• Italy was also left dissatisfied because they were not given the lands in Austria that they wanted.

• Japan was also not allowed to keep the lands they fought for in China.

• Former lands controlled by Russia and Austria-Hungary became independent nations.

The War Ends

• The Paris Peace Conference also established the League of Nations.

• More than 40 nations joined it with the goal to negotiate disputes rather than go to war.

• The U.S. however did not join the league and it proved to be powerless to stop war.

YOUR TURN TO WRITE

• What were some parts to President Wilson’s Fourteen Points?

• Why was the Treaty of Versailles harsh to Germany?

• Describe Europe after World War I.