The Grim Cost of World War I

1. The Grim Cost of War • “We set to work to bury people. We pushed them into the sides of the trenches but bits of them kept getting uncovered and sticking out, like people in a badly made bed. Hands were the worst; they would escape from the sand, pointing, begging—even waving! There was one which we all shook when we passed, saying, “Good morning,” in a posh voice. Everybody did it. The bottom of the trench was springy like a mattress because of all the bodies underneath…” • Leonard Thompson, quoted in Akenfield

2. LONG-TERM CAUSES OF WORLD WAR I

3. NATIONALISM • Loyalty and pride for one’s nation • People usually share common language, history or culture • In Germany, many small regions united to form one country (late 1800’s)

4. Problem: small disputes between 2 countries can become major issues and involve many countries • Austria-Hungary and Russia: • Made up of many minority groups • Many had a desire to unify all Slavic people (Pan-Slavism) • Austrian government was loyal to • Germany (Pan-Germanism)

5. MANY ETHNIC GROUPS FOUND WITHIN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

6. ALLIANCES • Fear and distrust among countries led to the formation of alliances • Discouraged attacks from enemies • Dangers: • Gave countries a sense of security • A country may deal differently with another if it has support • Conflict will involve numerous countries instead of the original 2

7. Triple Entente: Triple Alliance: Great Britain Germany Austria-Hungary France Russia Italy

8. IMPERIALISM • Domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region (Colonies) • Major European nations began dividing up Africa, Asia and the Middle East into colonies: • Supply raw materials for production • Larger market to sell goods • More opportunities for investments

9. EUROPEAN COLONIES WORLDWIDE

10. Britain was the world’s superpower throughout most of the 1700’s and 1800’s: • However: Germany began to out produce Britain by early 1900’s • Also competing for colonies worldwide • Created an economic rivalry

11. MILITARISM • Glorification (build up) of the military • Military leaders began to gain more influence in national policy due to rivalry among countries • The public supported military build up and the use of force to achieve national goals

12. BRITAIN: • World’s best navy • Began to fear Germany’s strength British Warship Kaiser Wilhelm • GERMANY: • Best trained army in world • Significant increase in naval power(u-boats)

13. American Neutrality • Wilson declares the US to be neutral • Britain uses propaganda to gain US support • Also cut transatlantic cable to limit media coverage • US businesses and banks support Allies

14. Lusitania May 1915 British passenger ship, Lusitania, sank by German U-Boat (128 Americans on board)

15. Sussex • U-boat shot at French ship, Sussex • Results in “Sussex Pledge” • President Wilson issued Germans a warning • Germany promised not to fire on merchant ships without warning- kept US out of war for a little longer

16. Zimmermann Telegram US declares war on Germany • Zimmerman Telegram • Secret telegram from Germany to Mexico asking them to fight against the U.S.—intercepted by the British, angers the U.S.

17. Buildingup the Military • National Defense Act: increased the size of the army and trained officers through conscription and selective service (2.8 million drafted) • Women and African Americans served in the armed forces • Women in non-combat positions • African Americans faced discriminations and prejudice

18. Organizing Industry War Industries Board- coordinated production of war materials Victory Gardens Liberty/Victory Bonds

19. Ensuring Public Support • Set up Committee on Public Information/George Creel • Hired writers to create propaganda to swing public opinion in favor of the war • Espionage Act of 1917- made it illegal to spy or interfere with government • Sedition Act of 1918- no public opposition of war • Schenck v. the United States- Supreme Court rules that a persons freedom of speech is limited when the words constitute a “clear and present danger” • Ex.: Yelling “fire!” in a crowded theatre

20. An Industrialized War • Weapons were produced with the same efficient methods of mass production that industrialists had applied to other products

21. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN WARFARE • Machine Gun: • Accurate and rapid fire • 1 man could hold off a hundred

22. The Machine Gun • One of the most important weapons of WWI • Highly effective • Land armies often found any advance difficult and costly

23. Machine Guns

24. Trench Warfare • Protection from machine gun fire and artillery bombardments • Armies dug large trenches where they might live for months

26. British boys play acting Trench Warfare

27. Tanks • Introduced by the British • An armored vehicle mounted with guns • Enabled troops to break though enemy lines

28. TANKS • Armored vehicle designed to break trenches • Protected advancing troops • Often slow and clumsy

29. POISONOUS GAS • Various gases caused choking, blinding, or skin blisters • Used to kill or disable troops during an attack • Gas masks lessened the effectiveness

30. Poison Gas • Germans were 1st to use chlorine gas in 1915 (Battle of Ypres) • Caused a burning sensation to the throat and chest pains. Painful death by suffocation • Weather had to be just right—any wind could blow gas back on your own men • Mustard gas was most deadly weapon used • Fired into the trenches in shells—colorless and takes 12 hours to begin working (death can take up to 5 weeks) • Effects include blistering skin, vomiting, sore yes, internal and external bleeding

31. Poison Gas • The Germans were the first to use it • The Allies quickly followed suit

32. American wearing a Gas Mask British Horse wearing a Gas Mask

33. American wearing a respirator Sounding the gong in preparation of a gas attack

34. Casualties From Gas - The Numbers

35. FLAMETHROWERS • Used to clear enemy trenches • Could be hazardous carrying into combat

36. Used for observation early • Later on: “dogfights” were carried out • Overall, minor impact on the war AIRPLANES

37. Airplanes • Airplanes in the early 1900’s were neither very maneuverable nor very fast • They were used primarily for observing troop movements and for dropping explosives

38. Gun on German Airplane Balloons were also used in WWI

39. U- BOATS (Unterseeboot) • Underwater ships: launch torpedoes or bombs • Used mostly by Germans to destroy Allied shipping and break blockades

40. Submarines/U-boats • Did serious damage to Allied shipping

41. Loading torpedoes into a French submarine

42. The Draft • Most European wars before this time had been fought by professional soldiers who worked for money and rations • WWI was fought by armies of drafted citizens • Those who could not fight worked at home to help the war effort • Many women participated in the war effort by working in factories • Governments made use of propaganda

43. Move Toward Peace • Peace conference begins January 1919 in Paris • Big Four • President Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, French Premier Georges Clemenceau, Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando • Fourteen Points • President Wilson’s plan for peace • League of Nations- help to prevent wars

44. Fourteen Points • Allies felt it was too easy on Germany • Required Germany to disband armed forces • Had to accept blame and pay reparations • Many members of Congress opposed the Treaty of Versailles (thought the League of Nations would drag the U.S. into conflict) • Wilson suffers a stroke • Senate refuses Treaty of Versailles, signs individual treaties with the Central Powers • League of Nations starts without the U.S.

45. The Red Scare Strikes cause fear of Communist revolution within the U.S. U.S. Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer’s house is damaged by a bomb (Communists are blamed) Palmer sets up General Intelligence Division, headed by J. Edgar Hoover (later became the FBI) Palmer Raids- Raids on private homes and businesses conducted by the GIB to investigate communists