Transcript Slide 1

ORIGINS OF THE WAR
M.A.N.I.A.
 Militarism – building up armed forces
 Alliance – different nations promised to defend each other if attacked
 Nationalism – pride and patriotism in one’s country; inspired people who shared a
language or culture to unite politically
 Imperialism – one country dominates the political, economic, and cultural life of
another country or region; as a country gained colonies, it needed to expand its
military to protect its interests
 Assassination – June 28, 1914 – Serbian terrorist shot and killed the Archduke Franz
Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary (spark that ignited the war)
 Militarism and the existence of opposing alliances were the main factors that
contributed to tensions in Europe in the early 20th century
ALLIANCES
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Allied Powers (Triple Entente) = Great Britain, France, Russia
Central Powers (Triple Alliance) = Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
These alliances were established BEFORE WWI and attempted to
create a balance of power
Russia formed an alliance with France in 1893 and they promised
to protect each other if attacked
United States entered the war in 1917
THE CONFLICT EXPANDS
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Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 as a result of
Franz Ferdinand’s assassination
Russia, who was Serbia’s protector (both Slavic) and France begin
mobilizing (preparing for war)
Germany mobilized and declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914
Schlieffen Plan – Germany wanted to knock out France first by invading
Belgium and then focus on crushing Russia
Great Britain declared war on Germany
ARMENIAN MASSACRE
 Armenia is a nation in southeastern Europe with a large Christian population
 1880s – 2.5 million Armenians demanded independence from the Ottoman
Empire
 1890s – Turkish troops killed tens of thousands of Armenians
 Armenians were victims of genocide
 In 1914, Armenians pledged their support to Turks’ enemies
 1915 - Turkish government deported over 2 million and killed 600,000
Armenians as a result
TRENCH WARFARE
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Trenches = vast areas of dug out land (ditches) that included
underground networks of bunkers, communication arrays, and gun
emplacements
Trench Warfare = Soldiers fought in cold, wet, filthy trenches to defend
small and large areas of land (diseases spread)
Most trench warfare occurred on the western front between French and
German armies
This type of warfare attempted to protect soldiers from enemy fire on the
front lines; it led to stalemates
Stalemates = a situation in which neither side can win a decisive victory
TRENCH WARFARE
TRENCH WARFARE
NEW TECHNOLOGY
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Automatic machine gun
Tank
U-Boat (German submarines)
Airplane
Poison Gas and Gas Mask
Convoy system – helped Allies by enabling destroyers to escort and protect
groups of merchant ships
All these new weapons made WWI the deadliest war up to that point in history
Total War = new technology meant nations had to use much of their natural
resources and manufacturing capabilities to keep fighting
ALLIEDTANK
GERMAN U-BOAT
DOGFIGHT (AERIAL COMBAT)
MUSTARD GAS AND ITS EFFECTS
 Itching and skin irritation
 Large blisters filled with yellow fluid
 Temporary blindness
 If inhaled, mustard agent causes bleeding and blistering within the
respiratory system
 Mustard gas burns can vary between first and second degree burns
GAS MASK PROMOTIONAL POSTER
COSTLY BATTLES
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Battle of the Marne (1914) - Allied victory forced Germany to fight
on two fronts (Russia/East and France/West); Schlieffen Plan
failed
Battle of Verdun (1916) = German forces were pushed back by
French forces and both sides suffered over 500,000 casualties
Battle of the Somme (1916) = Allied offensive; cost British 60,000
men in one day; battle lasted for 5 months and neither side gained
victory (stalemate)
Both sides suffered over one million casualties after these battles
BATTLE OF VERDUN
BATTLE OF THE SOMME PAINTING
UNITED STATES ENTERS THE WAR
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Unrestricted submarine warfare – German U-Boats were attacking American
merchant and passenger vessels without warning; freedom of the seas were
restricted
Lusitania – Germans sank this British passenger ship with 128 Americans on
board on May 7, 1915
Cultural ties – Americans were close with Britain and France
Zimmerman Note – Germans stated they would help Mexico reclaim land lost to
the U.S. if they attacked us
April 1917 – President Woodrow Wilson and Congress declare war on Germany
Propaganda posters and newspaper articles influenced public opinion
Americans proved to be excellent fighters and we boosted the morale for the Allies
LIBERTY BOND POSTER
LIBERTY BOND POSTER
LABOR AND THE WAR
 American, British, and French factories were working
nonstop to provide weapons and supplies
 World War I generated jobs so unemployment greatly
decreased
 Civilians were encouraged to ration food and supplies by
limiting the amount of meat and bread they ate and
consumer goods they bought
PROBLEMS IN RUSSIA
 Pogroms – violent and organized attacks against Jews under
Alexander III
 Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II were autocratic rulers who
resisted any attempts at reform; this paved the way for revolution
 They imposed strict censorship and created secret police forces
 Nicholas II proved to be a weak political and military leader during
WWI
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
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Russia withdrew from WWI in 1917 due to heavy military losses,
food an fuel shortages, and opposition to Czar Nicholas II
Many Russians were tired of Nicholas II’s abuse of political power
and resistance to reforms
The proletariat (working class, farmers, peasants) violently
overthrew the czar in 1917 and created a communist government
Vladimir Lenin was the leader of the revolution
Lenin promised “Peace, Land, and Bread”
EFFECTS OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
 Bolshevik Revolution led to the creation of the first communist nation in
history (Soviet Union, 1922-1991)
 Bolsheviks = radical Russian Marxist revolutionaries
 Soviets = local representatives councils under Russia’s provisional
government after the fall of Nicholas II
 Russia was organized into several self-governing republics
 Immediate effects of Revolution – factory control returned to workers,
farmland was distributed among peasants, truce signed with Germany, all
traces of capitalism were abolished
AMERICANS JOIN THE FIGHT
 General John J. Pershing wanted his American Expeditionary Force
(AEF) to receive three months of training and to fight as a separate unit
 American troops were forced to live among rats, lice, and the bodies of dead
soldiers in the trenches scattered throughout the western front
 Pershing committed all American infantry, artillery, and aircraft to the Allies
 When we entered the war in 1917, the Allies were near defeat
 Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire surrendered as a result of our entry
 Our entry into the war turned the tide in favor of the Allies and paved the way
to victory
ALLIED VICTORY
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March 1918 – Allies crushed Germans with a huge counter-offensive
General Pershing promised Allied commander Ferdinand Foch that the “American
people would be proud to be engaged in the greatest battle of history”
July 1918 – Second Battle of the Marne – Americans helped French troops
prevent German forces from crossing the Marne River – this was a major turning
point in the war
September 1918 – Battle of the Argonne – important Allied victory that led to
Germany’s surrender
German forces were not prepared for the fresh energy and fighting skills of the
Americans
November 1918 – Germans sign an armistice (cease-fire) and WWI ends
FOURTEEN POINTS
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President Wilson’s plan for peace
Main goal = national self-determination
Wanted an end to secret treaties, free trade, freedom of the seas, and the
reduction of arms and to resolve colonial claims
League of Nations – international organization of countries formed after
the war to promote world peace; its failure led to World War II
American public wanted to stay out of future European affairs
Senate refused to allow the U.S. to join the League
Wilson won the Nobel Peace Prize for this plan
TREATY OF VERSAILLES
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Germany was the last nation to surrender to the Allies in November 1918
June 1919 – treaty was signed by the U.S., France, Britain, and Germany
Germany had to:
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Accept full responsibility for the war
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Pay huge reparations (war payments)
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Had to downsize their military
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Stripped of its colonies
Treaty was largely responsible for the start of World War II and led to a
legacy of hatred in the hearts of the German people
LEGACY OF THE WAR
 A huge portion of Europe was devastated by the war such as homes,
factories, farms, churches, etc.
 The destruction of farmland led to food shortages all over Europe
 It drained the treasuries of Europe
 The deaths of millions of people and great financial disaster affected
many parts of Europe