Transcript World War I - King's College

WORLD WAR I
5 May 2010
THE GREAT POWERS IN EUROPE

Germany
 Rapid
industrialization and modernization after
unification
 Bismarck extends vote to all adult males
 weakens
the middle-classes
 introduces socialist legislation to pre-empt socialist
politicians
 essentially
an authoritarian regime
 emperor
at the helm
 Parliament/military filled with upper-middle-class,
aristocratic leaders
 brought
a new balance of power to the Continent
 strengthened the cause for imperial ventures
THE GREAT POWERS IN EUROPE

France
 French found new competition with/second place
power position to Germany difficult
 Political and cultural conflicts develop, including the
Paris Commune, another revolution
 political division between monarchists and
republicans on the national stage
THE GREAT POWERS IN EUROPE

Great Britain
 Increased

suffrage by 1884
almost all males had the right to vote and could do so
democratically
 Had
difficulty extending resources and infrastructure to
the empire in both the isles and abroad
 feared the growing economic strength of the U.S. and
Germany in the late 19th Century

Russia and Austria-Hungary
 Both
weakened by nationalism
 very
 Russia
ethnically diverse empires
remained economically “backwards”
 Stays
authoritarian
 Alexander’s successors resist all forms of
social change
 Russia’s
weakness (politically, economically, militarily)
exposed in Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05
 Austro-Hungarian
Empire deeply divided along
ethnic lines

efforts to maintain empire by force in
Balkans creates political tension in Russia that
would have disastrous effects
THE GREAT POWERS IN EUROPE
The West Outside of Europe

The United States
19th Century a period of dramatic
economic/social growth
 Immigrants poured into the country, fueling
industrialization
 40 million between 1880 and 1920
 By 1900 is the world’s leading industrial power
 absence of government intervention and
immigration
 late
The Concert of Europe

Established in 1815 at the Congress of Vienna
 Quadruple
Alliance
 Russia
 Prussia
 Austria
 Great
Britain
 Collective
Defense
Metternich
Europe,
1815
Europe, 1900
The Arms Race

Wilhelm II and German aggression

Realpolitik versus Weltpolitik
 Global role for Germany




Navy
Empire
Influence
Military Buildup
 The Navy


Wilhelm II models his fleet after Royal Navy
England develops new class of ships, “Dreadnought”
 New


Mobilization speeds
France: 3 days
Germany: 2 days
The Arms Race
 Land


forces
Germany: 4, 800,000 men
Britain: 380,000 men
 Russia


Rebuilds
1905 defeated by Japanese
Refortification and new railways to the West
 Between





1904 and 1913
French and Russian arms expenditures increase 80%
German arms expenditures increase 120%
Austro-Hungarian expenditures increase 50%
Italian expenditures increase 100%
Britain raises naval spending from $50 million in the 1870s to $130
million in 1900
“New Imperialism” and Crisis

First Moroccan Crisis


Wilhelm II in Tangiers, March 1905
The Bosnian Crisis
Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary,
October 1908
 Serbia seeks aid from Russia, Austria-Hungary from
Germany


Second Moroccan Crisis
German “Panther” sent to port at Agadir, July 1911
 Sparks fear in Britain, anger in France
 France subsequently establishes a full protectorate over
Morocco

Diplomacy and New Tensions

New Alliance Systems



Three Emperors’ League, 1873 (AH, R, G)
Dual Alliance, 1879 (G, A-H)
Triple Alliance, 1882 (+Italy)




Strong ethnic ties between
Germany and Austria-Hungary
Italy wants territory in Greece,
Turkey, and the Balkans
Entente Cordiale, 1904
Triple Entente, 1907
The Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente
The Outbreak of War

Sarajevo, 28 June 1914
 Austrian
Crown Prince Assassinated by Bosnian
nationalist
 28 July Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

Belgium, 4 August 1914
 Tensions
escalated by tensions with Russia over AustroSerbian conflict
 Preemptive Strike as Germans push to Paris
1914




Germany invades Belgium.
Britain declares war on Germany.
Russia Invades Prussia, 17-19 August
New allies




Japan joins the Allied forces 23 August
Turkey joins the Central Powers 29 October
War spreads to the seas
Battle of the Marne, 6-10 September 1914



French push Germans back 45 miles
Germans capture industrial North in France
Marks the beginning of the trench deadlock
1915


Total War
Women take up men's jobs.




Stalemate continues on the Western Front.
London attacked from the air by German Zeppelins


Nurses, clerks, postal workers, government workers, auxiliary soldiers, police
officers, bus and railway conductors
3 out of 4 munitions workers women
Bombardments begin 19 January
The Lusitania passenger liner is sunk, with 1,200 lives lost.


7 May
American passengers aboard, creates diplomatic crisis between US and
Germany
1916


Conscription for men aged between 18 and
41 in Britain.
A million casualties in ten months: Germany
aims to 'bleed France white'.

Battle of Verdun, 21 February-July 1916


400,000 casualties on each side
Battle of the Somme, 1 July-13 November
British and French attack on Germans
Bombard the German line for one week with 1.6
million shells
 20,000 British soldiers dead the first day; 60% of
the Officers involved that day die
 Total Losses: Britain, 420,000; France, 195,000;
Germans, 650,000.


1916-1917

At sea the Battle of Jutland takes place.
 31
May to 1 June
 Largest naval battle at that time
 No apparent victor

United States joins the war and assists the Allies.
 US
declares war on Germany on 6 April
 First US troops land in France, 26 June
1917

Battle of Passchendaele, 31 July-6 November 1917






2 week bombardment, 4.5 million shells from 3,000 guns.
Early august to 20 September: stalemate (weather)
Casualties: Allied, 325,000; German, 260,000
Five-mile gain
German Army retreats to the Hindenburg Line.
Tank, submarine and gas warfare intensifies.
1918

Germany launches major offensive on the Western
Front.
 March

1918
Allies launch successful counter-offensives at the
Marne and Amiens.
 600,000
US troops cross Atlantic
 355,000 British Reserves sent to Continent

Armistice signed on November 11, ending the war
at 11am.