Overview of the First World War

1. Overview of the First World War • Military conflict, from 1914 to 1918, that began as a local European war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914; was transformed into a general European struggle by declaration of war against Russia on August 1, 1914; and eventually became a global war involving 32 nations. Twenty-eight of these nations, known as the Allies and the Associated Powers, and including Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and the United States, opposed the coalition known as the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey), and Bulgaria

2. Causes of the First World War • Nationalism: The French Revolution and the Napoleonic era had spread throughout most of Europe the idea of political democracy, with the resulting idea that people of the same ethnic origin, language, and political ideals had the right to independent states. The principle of national self-determination, however, was largely ignored by the dynastic and reactionary forces that dominated in the settlement of European affairs at the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

3. Causes of the First World War • Imperialism--The spirit of nationalism was also manifest in economic conflict. The Industrial Revolution, which took place in Britain at the end of the 18th century, followed in France in the early 19th century, and then in Germany after 1870, caused an immense increase in the manufactures of each country and a consequent need for foreign markets.

4. Causes of the First World War • Military Expansion As a result of such tensions, between 1871 and 1914 the nations of Europe adopted domestic measures and foreign policies that in turn steadily increased the danger of war. Convinced that their interests were threatened, they maintained large standing armies, which they constantly replenished and augmented by peacetime conscription. At the same time, they increased the size of their navies. The naval expansion was intensely competitive.

5. The British steamship Lusitania is shown here departing from New York on its last trip in 1915. During this voyage a German submarine torpedoed the ship off the Irish coast, causing it to sink in 20 minutes; all 1198 people on board perished. The Germans claimed the ship was carrying arms, a charge Britain and the United States denied. The sinking became pivotal in changing U.S. attitudes toward the war in Europe, and was a major factor in America’s decision to enter World War I.

6. After World War I, the map of Europe changed a great deal. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany gave up territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, and Poland. Those countries, as well as Romania and Yugoslavia, received land from Austria-Hungary, which existed no more. Most Arab lands, formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, were placed under French and British rule.

7. In 1916, the Allies attempted to push the Germans back from territories previously captured by the Central Powers. The Battle of Verdun, in northeastern France, earlier in the year had drained France’s wealth and manpower with no substantial gains. On July 1, the British launched an offensive, this time along the Somme River, in northern France. Within hours, 60,000 British soldiers were dead, wounded, or captured. By November, they halted the attack. For a gain of about 11 km (7 mi), the Battle of the Somme cost the British more than 400,000 casualties. The French lost more than 200,000 men. The cost to Germany—more than 600,000 men.

8. United States General John J. Pershing, first known for his expedition into Mexico in pursuit of Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa in 1916, also commanded the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) during World War I (1914–1918). After the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, the United States mobilized the AEF and sent this powerful military force to France. Although the United States joined Allied forces against Germany, Pershing insisted on American autonomy. Numbering nearly 2 million soldiers by November 1918, the AEF played an important role in the outcome of the war.

9. German submarines, or U-boats, blockaded the British Isles in February 1915. They took a heavy toll on Allied ships and became the terror of the seas. In May, a German U-boat torpedoed a British passenger liner, the Lusitania. It sank in less than 20 minutes off the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1198 passengers, including 128 Americans.

10. After defeating Germany in World War I, the victorious parties found it difficult to agree on the price Germany should pay in war reparations. Leaders from the United States, Britain, France, and Italy met at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and drafted the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty mandated a number of restrictive and compensatory measures for Germany, including massive demilitarization and financial reparations. Representatives at the conference included, left to right, British prime minister Lloyd George, Italian foreign minister Giorgio Sonnino, French premier Georges Clemenceau, and U.S. president Woodrow Wilson.

11. British Troops on their way to the Somme

12. German Schlieffen Plan This plan, named for it's originator, Count Alfred von Schlieffen, was a reaction to the German notion of encirclement. Any war for Germany would be a two front war. This plan would ensure a quick, 42 days to be exact, victory over France before their ally, Russia, could complete its mobilization. This would allow the German army to then concentrate all forces to the east in order to crush their second enemy, Russia. Four armies, one million men, would comprise the arc. The path of which was characterized by its creator: "Let the last man on the right brush the channel with his sleeve." The map above shows the planned arc towards the Channel. The darker arrows show the actual path of invasion. Moltke did not heed Schlieffen's dying words: "Keep the right wing strong!"