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