World War 1

1. World War 1 • Totally shapes the world we live in today • Begins 30 years of Europe tearing itself apart, and rising world power of peeps outside of Europe

2. Four main reasons driving Europe to war • Militarism • Alliance systems • Imperialism • Nationalism

3. Opposing Alliances Central Powers • Germany • Austria-Hungary • *Ottoman Empire Allied Powers France Russia Great Britain *Italy *Japan *USA

4. Europe 1914

5. Trouble in the Balkans • Balkans divided by ethnic groups, religions • A-H controls some areas and is trying to squish revolts • Serbia resists A-H control and aids rebels • Assassination of heir to A-H throne in Bosnia sees A-H crack down on Serbia, Russia step up to help Serbia, and A-H and Russia’s allies line up and start frontin’

6. The Western Front • Germany fights France and England in northeastern France • 500 miles of trenches, and years of bloody fighting • Battles of Verdun and Somme in 1916 – 2 million die and lines don’t move • “total war” – demands civilians support the war effort; propaganda used to justify sacrifices of loved ones and $$$$$$

9. Eastern Front • Germany and Austria-Hungary fight Russia • Slow, steady movement towards Russia, who can’t keep up with industry and resources • Russian people suffer from massive shortages of all necessities • March Revolution drives out Czar, but decides to stay in the war… bad idea…

10. Why the US enters World War 1 • At 1st, the US claims neutrality • US anger grows over German u-boat attacks in the Atlantic • Germany reaches out to Mexico • US trades with GB and France much more than Germany and A-H • US banks loan GB and France money – what if they lose?? • Shared language and history with British • Shared democratic governments with GB and France

11. A “World” War • Ottoman Empire joins Central Powers and war spreads to the Middle East • Genocide against the Armenians • Japan joins the Allies for its own reasons • British and French promise more freedoms / independence to colonies if they help in the war… not so much…

12. The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia • Staying in the war sees things go from bad to worse in Russia after March 1917 • Vladimir Lenin leads the Bolsheviks in a revolt that seizes major Russian cities • They declare the creation of the communist “Soviet Union”; execute the Czar’s family, and sue for peace with Germany • 3 years of civil war follows before the Soviet Union sees peace; Lenin makes a communist dictatorship

13. The end of the war, and the “peace” after??? • US in the war spells the end for Germany • President Woodrow Wilson wants a “fair and lasting peace” – The 14 Points • The Treaty of Versailles was instead motivated by revenge; only the League of Nations makes it in from the 14 Points* • The Treaty blames the war on Germany, imposes harsh reparations, redraws the map of Europe, and gives England and France control of much of the Middle East • the “war to end all wars” will instead become a big reason why there will be another world war 20 years later…

14. Europe 1919 – after the Treaty of Versailles