Transcript Why did the Great War become World War I?

Why did the Great War
become World War I?
Unpacking the Treaty of Versailles
Part I
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Motives for the Treaty: the Trauma of
World War I
Casualties
Countries
Total
Mobilized
Killed
& Died
Wounded
Prisoners
& Missing
Total
Casualties
Casualties %
of Mobilized
Allied Powers
Russia
12,000,000 1,700,000
4,950,000 2,500,000
9,150,000
76.3
France
8,410,000 1,357,800
4,266,000
537,000
6,160,800
76.3
British Empire
8,904,467
908,371
2,090,212
191,652
3,190,235
35.8
Italy
5,615,000
650,000
947,000
600,000
2,197,000
39.1
United States
4,355,000
126,000
234,300
4,500
364,800
8.2
Japan
800,000
300
907
3
1,210
0.2
Romania
750,000
335,706
120,000
80,000
535,706
71.4
Serbia
707,343
45,000
133,148
152,958
331,106
46.8
Belgium
267,000
13,716
44,686
34,659
93,061
34.9
Greece
230,000
5,000
21,000
1,000
17,000
11.7
Portugal
100,000
7,222
13,751
12,318
33,291
33.3
50,000
3,000
10,000
7,000
20,000
40.0
42,188,810 5,152,115 12,831,004 4,121,090 22,104,209
52.3
Montenegro
Total
Countries
Total
Mobilized
Killed
& Died
Wounded
Prisoners
& Missing
Total
Casualties
Casualties %
of Mobilized
Central Powers
Germany
11,000,000 1,773,700
4,216,058 1,152,800
7,142,558
64.9
Austria-Hungary
7,800,000 1,200,000
3,620,000 2,200,000
7,020,000
90.0
Turkey
2,850,000
325,000
400,000
250,000
975,000
34.2
Bulgaria
1,200,000
87,500
152,390
27,029
266,919
22.2
8,388,448 3,629,829 15,404,477
67.4
Total
22,850,000 3,386,200
Countries
Grand Total
Total
Mobilized
Killed
& Died
Wounded
Prisoners
& Missing
Total
Casualties
65,038,810 8,538,315 21,219,452 7,750,919 37,508,686
Casualties %
of Mobilized
57.6
Funeral services for Lusitania victims at
Queenstown, Ireland
Motor transports in front of the ruins
of cathedral at Varennes, France
Deserted trenches outside the ruins of
Montfaucon, France
Destruction of the Cloth Hall, Ypres, Belgium
Ruined city hall, Peronne, France
French Premier Georges Clemenceau walking through the ruined streets of Noyo
Houses destroyed by aerial attack at Padua, Italy
Ruins of Ortelburg, East Prussia
Serbian women burying the dead after a battle
American troops marching through Vaux, France
Damage caused by German airship
raid on Scarborough, England
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What level of destruction do these pictures indicate?
What are some emotions evoked when viewing these
images?
Why is it significant that major civic buildings such as
the Courthouse (Palace of Justice), cathedral, and City
Hall (Hotel de Ville) were destroyed?
Can you envision what these buildings and towns may
have looked like before the war?
How long do you think it would take to rebuild these
buildings and communities?
How much do you think it would cost? Can a
community ever really recover from such destruction?
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In 1921 the total cost of these reparations
was assessed at 132 billion Marks (then
$31.4 billion or £6.6 billion, roughly
equivalent to US $442 billion or UK £284
billion in 2013), a sum that many
economists at the time, notably John
Maynard Keynes, deemed to be excessive
and counterproductive. The argument by
Keynes that the terms were too harsh—
too "Carthaginian"—convinced many
British and American leaders, but left the
French unmoved. (Wikipedia)
Part II
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Drawing Up the Treaty: France and the
United States
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
After reading the top two
paragraphs:
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What does Wilson say are the goals of the
United States?
What is his hope for the world and for the
postwar talks?
After reading the B paragraph:
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What is Wilson's stated attitude toward
Germany?
How would this attitude differ from
France's?
Why might the U.S. be more inclined than
France to take an idealistic perspective?
Part III
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The Terms of the Treaty
What did the Big 3 Think?
•US - Woodrow Wilson: Wanted a 'fair and lasting peace'
and had written a plan – the Fourteen Points – to
achieve this. He wanted the armed forces of all nations
reduced, not just the losers, and a League of Nations
created to ensure peace.
•France - Georges Clemenceau: Wanted Germany to pay
dearly for the war, including being stripped of land,
industry and their armed forces. Also wanted heavy
reparations.
•UK - David Lloyd George: While he personally agreed with
Wilson, he was affected by public opinion in Britain
which agreed with Clemenceau.
Territory
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Alsace Lorraine, captured by Germany in 1870, was
returned to France.
The Saar, an important German coalfield, was to be
given to France for 15 years, after which a plebiscite
would decide ownership.
Poland became an independent country with a 'route to
the sea', a corridor of land cutting Germany in two.
Danzig, a major port in East Prussia (Germany) was to
be under international rule.
All German and Turkish Colonies were taken away and
put under Allied control.
Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Czechoslovakia were made
independent.
Austria-Hungary was split up and Yugoslavia was
created.
After reading 42 - 50
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Why were these clauses probably inserted?
What benefits did these clauses give France?
Was it reasonable to establish the demilitarized
Rhineland buffer zone?
How would the terms regarding the Saar Basin
affect the German economy?
How would Germany probably react to these
terms?
Arms
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The left bank of the Rhine was to be occupied
by Allied forces and the right bank demilitarised.
The German army was cut to 100,000 men.
Wartime weapons were to be scrapped.
The German Navy was cut to 36 ships and no
submarines.
Germany was banned from having an Air Force
An anschluss (union) between Germany and
Austria was banned.
After reading Military, Naval and Air
Clauses:
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What were the terms for Germany?
What sovereign powers did Germany lose?
How might these clauses have satisfied
France?
How would Germany probably react?
Reparations and Guilt
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In the 'war guilt' clause Germany has to accept
total blame for the war.
Germany had to pay £6,600 million in
compensation.
ARTICLE 231.
The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and
Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany
and her allies for causing all the loss and
damage to which the Allied and Associated
Governments and their nationals have been
subjected as a consequence of the war imposed
upon them by the aggression of Germany and
her allies.
After reading Article 231
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Why does it single out Germany and not the
other Central Powers?
Is this clause accurate? Does Germany warrant
more responsibility than other countries?
Do the Allies bear any responsibility?
How much was Germany to pay?
How might this affect the German economy?
Reactions
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Germany lost 13% of its land, 12% of its people,
48% of its iron resources, 15% of it agricultural
production and 10% of it coal. Perhaps
understandably, German public opinion soon
swung against this 'Diktat', while the Germans
who signed it were called the 'November
Criminals'. Britain and France felt the treaty was
fair – they actually wanted harsher terms
imposed on the Germans – but the United States
refused to ratify it because they didn't want to
be part of the League of Nations.
Results
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The map of Europe was redrawn with
consequences which, especially in the Balkans,
remain to the modern day.
Numerous countries were left with large
minorities groups: there were three and a half
million Germans in Czechoslovakia alone.
The League of Nations was fatally weakened
without the United States and its army to
enforce decisions.
Many Germans felt unfairly treated, after all they
had just signed an armistice, not a unilateral
surrender, and the allies hadn't occupied much
of German territory.
Adolf Hitler
Speech on the
Treaty of Versaiiles –
April 17, 1923