The Great War, 1914–1918

1. The Great War, 1914–1918 • Several factors lead to World War I, a conflict that devastates Europe and has a major impact on the world. • What are the characteristics of: • Great Britain • France • Germany • Russia • Italy • Austria-Hungary • Ottoman Empire • U.S.A. • Who were they friends with? Who did they struggle against?

2. The Great War, 1914–1918 SECTION 1 Marching Toward War Europe Plunges into War SECTION 2 A Global Conflict SECTION 3 A Flawed Peace SECTION 4

3. Section-1 Marching Toward War In Europe, military buildup, nationalistic feelings, and rival alliances set the stagefor a continental war.

4. Causes of the Great War Section-1 Rising Tensions in Europe • The Rise of Nationalism • Europe enjoys peace in late 1800s but problems lie below surface • Many thought this would bring peace in Europe; it didn’t. • competition among nations • Balkan groups demand independence

5. Causes of the Great War Section-1 Rising Tensions in Europe • Imperialism • Competition for colonies

6. Causes of the Great War Section-1 Rising Tensions in Europe • Militarism • Mutual animosity leads European countries to engage in arms race • Militarism—policy of glorifying military power and preparing for war

7. Def: aggressive preparation for war; growth of military and plans for war Size of armies grew rapidly Conscription: military draft; this was common in most Western European countries prior to the war Russia-1.3 million France-900,000 Germany-900,000 Others (British, Italian, A-H) between 250,000 and 500,000 each As armies grew, so did the power of military leaders In 1914 international decisions were made for military reasons rather than political reasons Militarism

8. Underlying Causes Section-1 Rising Tensions in Europe • Industrialism • European countries have the ability to engage in arms race

9. Underlying Causes Section-1 Rising Tensions in Europe Internal Dissent A desire to stop socialism, communism, and other internal problems.

10. Socialist labor movements grew more powerful (internal dissent) Anarchists were active (Pres. McK-1901) Workers and poor people were potentially revolutionary (change in political order, social order or economic order) Conservative leaders feared revolutions would develop across Europe Some historians believe that leaders went to war to stop internal problems Internal Dissentwhat are these big words all about?

11. Causes of the Great War Section-1 Rising Tensions in Europe Alliance System Defensive and Aggressive agreements create a situation where countries would have to fight if their allies go to war.

12. Tangled Alliances • Triple Alliance (1882 ) • Germany • Austria-Hungary • Italy Continued . . .

13. Tangled Alliances • Bismarck Forges Early Pacts • Germany’s Otto von Bismarck works to keep peace in Europe after 1871 • Believes France wants revenge for loss in 1870 Franco-Prussian War • Germany seeks to isolate the French with a series of treaties and alliances: • -signs treaty with Russia in 1881 • -forms Triple Alliance—Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy—in 1882 Continued . . .

14. Shifting Alliances Threaten Peace • Kaiser Wilhelm II becomes German ruler (1888) • Foreign policy changes begin in 1890 with dismissal of Bismarck • -alliance with Russia dropped; Russia then allies with France • -strengthening German navy, alarms Britain

15. Triple Entente (1907) • Britain • France • Russia

16. 1882: Triple Alliance – Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy 1907: Triple Entente – France, United Kingdom and Russia Crises in the Balkans tested these alliances Austria-Hungary and Russia struggled against each other for control in the Balkans System of Alliances

17. Crisis in the Balkans • ARestless Region • Many groups in Balkans win independence during early 1900s • New nation of Serbia made up largely of Slavs • Austria-Hungary annexes Slavic region Bosnia and Herzegovina (1908) • Serbia outraged, because they want to be leader for all slavs.

18. Remember the Ottoman Empire had controlled SE Europe (the Balkans) Some areas gained independence from the Ottomans Parts of the Balkans were under A-H control (Bosnia). Ethnic groups were many in this region. Slavs were a major ethnic group. Serbia was a Slavic nation. Russia wanted to support other Slavic people in the region to form a large Slavic nation. A-H didn’t want this influence in the region, because of its ethnic Slavs in Bosnia. Other European leaders saw the explosive situation in the Balkans. Serbian Problem

19. June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian terrorist who belonged to an organization called Black Hand This was a conspiracy. Sarajevo was part of the A-H Empire with a large Serbian ethnic group. They wanted Bosnia to be free of A-H control to form a large Slavic nation with Serbia. Assassination in Sarajevo

20. They were not sure if the Serbian government was behind the plot or not, but they didn’t care; they wanted to attack Serbia Austrian leaders responded

21. Section-2 Europe Plunges into War One European nation after another is drawn into a large and industrialized war that results in many casualties.

22. They were not sure if the Serbian government was behind the plot or not, but they didn’t care; they wanted to attack Serbia A-H was scared of Russia, so… A-H leaders asked Emperor William II of Germany for support; he gave full support A-H made demands on Serbia that they could not meet and then A-H declared war on Serbia Austrian leaders responded

23. July 28, 1914 A-H declared war on Serbia July 28, 1914 Czar Nicholas II of Russia (PPT4)ordered partial mobilization (process of assembling troops and supplies and making them ready for war; mobilization was considered an act of war) against A-H July 29, 1914 Russian military leaders explain how there could be only full mobilization and that included preparing for war against Germany; Nicholas orders a full mobilization August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia Things happen quickly leading to war.

24. Schlieffen Plan: created by General Schlieffen called for a two-front war. This plan called for attacking France first, then Russia after France was conquered. Under this plan Germany could not attack only Russia…so, Germany declared war on France on August 3. Germany told Belgium that it would send troops through Belgium to attack France; Belgium was neutral. So… August 4, 1914: Great Britain declared war on Germany German military plan

26. June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian terrorist July 28, 1914 A-H declares war on Serbia July 29, 1914 Czar Nicholas II of Russia orders a full mobilization against A-H and Germany August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia August 3, 1914 Germany declares war on France August 3, 1914 Germany violates Belgium neutrality August 4, 1914 England declares war on Germany Time line

27. Allies Great Britain France Russia Italy, eventually Serbia USA Less known allies: Romania, Greece, Portugal, Belgium (tried to be neutral), local Arabs (against Ottomans) Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Ottoman Empire The two sides

28. July 28, 1914 A-H declared war on Serbia July 28, 1914 Czar Nicholas II of Russia (PPT4)ordered partial mobilization (process of assembling troops and supplies and making them ready for war; mobilization was considered an act of war) against A-H July 29, 1914 Russian military leaders explain how there could be only full mobilization and that included preparing for war against Germany; Nicholas orders a full mobilization August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia Things happen quickly leading to war.

29. Schlieffen Plan: created by General Schlieffen called for a two-front war. This plan called for attacking France first, then Russia after France was conquered. Under this plan Germany could not attack only Russia…so, Germany declared war on France on August 3. Germany told Belgium that it would send troops through Belgium to attack France; Belgium was neutral. So… August 4, 1914: Great Britain declared war on Germany German military plan

30. June 28, 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated by a Serbian terrorist July 28, 1914 A-H declares war on Serbia July 29, 1914 Czar Nicholas II of Russia orders a full mobilization against A-H and Germany August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia August 3, 1914 Germany declares war on France August 3, 1914 Germany violates Belgium neutrality August 4, 1914 England declares war on Germany Time line

31. Allies Great Britain France Russia Italy, eventually Serbia USA Less known allies: Romania, Greece, Portugal, Belgium (tried to be neutral), local Arabs (against Ottomans) Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Ottoman Empire The two sides

32. Europeans went to war with remarkable enthusiasm…we’ll be home by Christmas. Young men “didn’t want to miss it” War was a romantic remembrance for many Propaganda: government spread information to influence public opinion for a cause and to stir up hatred for other nations. People thought their nations’ cause was just Sec 21914

33. Dein Vaterland ist in Gefahr, melde dich!. • German WW1 Propaganda Posters • Dein Vaterland ist in Gefahr, melde dich!. LOC Summary: Poster shows a German soldier, holding a grenade in one hand and a rifle in the other; in background a barbed wire fence and flames

35. As German soldiers approached Paris they were stopped by the French. Each side began to dig ditches for protection. Trench Warfare developed Ditches for protection turned into trenches. Soon the Western Front was stabilized by trenches from the English Channel to Switzerland. Western Front…what is it?

36. A Bloody Stalemate • The Conflict Grinds Along • Western Front—heavy battle zone in northern France • Schlieffen Plan—German plan to defeat France, then fight Russia • German army quickly advances to outskirts of Paris • Forced to retreat at First Battle of the Marne • Schlieffen Plan fails; Germany has to fight two-front war Continued . . .

37. Advanced weapons, repeating rifles and machine guns made the old infantry charge obsolete. (what is obsolete?) Stayed the same for 4 years What was the trench like? Standing water, Trench foot, sewage, lice, dying, food, boredom, fear, cold, “live and let live”, Christmas carols Christmas Truce Great loss of lives Trench Warfare

43. More mobile, high cost of lives Russians defeated and pushed back A-H defeated by Russians in Serbia and Galicia, then Germany came to help A-H and pushed Russians back in Galicia Result for Russia…2.5 million killed, captured or wounded Then Italy switched sides and attacked A-H. (May 1915) Bulgaria joined Germany and A-H in Sept 1915. This led to a defeat of Serbia. These successes in the East allowed Germany to put more effort in the West. Eastern Front

44. Old military school tactics were mostly based on maneuver and movement The new and futile tactic was called the “breakthrough” First artillery would soften up the enemy, then the infantry would run through the area just bombed. How do you think that worked? Tactics of trench warfare

45. Numerous breakthrough attempts by both sides led to millions of deaths WWI had turned into a war of attrition (war based on wearing the other side down with heavy casualties) 1916-1917

46. New Weapons • Machine guns • Poison gas • Tanks • Airplanes • Flame thrower

47. Zepplins bombed London Airplanes first used in warfare observation Some bombing Machine guns were mounted “Red Baron” (German) Air War

48. Allies tried to find a new strategy; they turned to the East Allies decide to open a front in the Balkans at Gallipoli, area of the Dardanelles, SW of Constantinople (April 1915) This was a disaster, Allies withdrew Attempts to broaden the warGallipoli

49. Allies promised Italy land from A-H if Italy opened a front Attempts to broaden the warItaly

50. Zimmerman Telegram • Sent from Germany to Mexico • Secret to try to get Mexico to invade USA • January 16, 1917