World War One

1. World War One

2. A Two Front War • Germany’s Schlieffen Plan failed, and Germany quickly found itself fighting a two-front war: against Britain and France in the west and against Russia in the east

3. The Western Front • Both sides dug interlocking trenches (deep expansive ditches) for shelter • Conditions were unbearable – hot in summer, cold in winter, wet and muddy when it rained - leading to the rampant spread of disease and trench foot

4. Trench Warfare

6. Trench Foot

7. No Man’s Land • The area between the Entente Powers’ trenches and the German trenches came to be called “no man’s land” – everything there had been destroyed and no one could survive there for long because there was no shelter from enemy fire • No man’s land was riddled with corpses, land mines, unexploded ordinance, and barbed wire

8. Stalemate • The war’s Western Front quickly became a stalemate • Germans attacked at Battle of Verdun: over 500,000 combined casualties in 11 months, before the German attack failed • British attacked at Battle of the Somme: over 1 million casualties in 5 months, including 60,000 British soldiers killed or wounded in just one day, before the British attack failed.

9. The Eastern Front • Russia invaded Germany in August 1914, but were pushed back; all remaining fighting in the east during the war took place in Russia • Russia was not industrialized and struggled to keep its troops supplied, but it had nearly limitless numbers of poorly trained peasants to send into combat

10. The Ottomans • The Ottomans closed the entrance to the Black Sea (a vital supply route for British aid to Russia) • In 1915 a mix of British and colonial troops tried to capture the entrance at the Battle of Gallipoli, but were forced to retreat after 10 months and 200,000 casualties • The Ottomans, however, lost much (including Iraq) when Arabs under their rule took advantage and rebelled (with British aid).

11. Other Participants • Italy left the Triple Alliance and joined the Entente Powers (Britain, France, & Russia) in 1915 after promises of new territory at war’s end • Japan joined the Entente Powers and seized German outposts in China and the Pacific after promises of being given a free hand in China

12. Colonial Fighting • Fighting also took place between the various colonies in Africa, but colonial recruiting efforts received mixed results – many refused to fight for the powers which oppressed them, while others saw it as an opportunity to achieve citizenship or to “earn” independence

13. The War Drags On • By 1917, troops and civilians on both sides were demoralized • Germany was drafting 15 year olds • Britain was nearly bankrupt • French troops had begun to mutiny and Italian troops had started deserting

14. Russia Exits the War • Revolution in Russia • March 1917: bread riots in St. Petersburg grew into a full scale revolution • Thousands of Russian troops left the front to return home to take part in the revolution • Early in 1918, new Russian leader Vladimir Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, surrendering huge amounts of territory, and pulled Russia out of the war • Russia’s withdrawal closed the Eastern Front and allowed Germany to mass all of its troops on the Western Front

15. Submarine Warfare • German U-boats conducted unrestricted submarine warfare, sinking any Entente Powers ships without warning • U.S. insisted that Americans had a right to safe sea travel, even on British ships • May 1915: Germans sank the passenger ship Lusitania, killing 1200 civilians, including 128 Americans – this led U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to openly denounce Germany

16. The Zimmermann Note • Early 1917: British agents intercepted a message from German foreign minister Arthur Zimmermann to the Mexican government • Germany offered to help Mexico retake the American Southwest if they would begin a war that would keep the U.S. from being able to help the Entente Powers in Europe • Britain publicized the note; many Americans reacted angrily and called for declaring war on Germany

17. The U.S. Enters the War • April 1917: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany • The U.S. sent 2 million troops, plus fresh financial aid to Europe in 1918

18. Wilson’s Fourteen Points • January 1918: Wilson proposed “Fourteen Points” or terms for ending the war: • No more secret alliances • Freedom of the seas for all nations • The removal of barriers to international trade • Demilitarization by all nations • An end to colonization • Allow Russia to stabilize itself without interference • Germany must pull out of Belgium

19. Wilson’s Fourteen Points • All captured French territory, including that from the 1871 war, must be returned • All captured Italian territory must be returned • Austria must be freed of German influence • All the Balkan states should become free, independent nations • The Ottoman Empire should be reduced to just Turkey • An independent Poland should be created between Germany and Russia • A League of Nations should be formed to resolve future disputes between nations

20. The War Ends • March 1918: Germany launched an offensive which stalled out by July and used up Germany’s last remaining resources • July 1918: Entente Powers launched a counter-offensive; by September, German military leaders advised the Kaiser that the war was lost • November 1918: Kaiser Wilhelm stepped down as leader of Germany after rioting by German civilians over food shortages • 11 AM, November 11, 1918: All fighting stopped after Germany reached an agreement with the Entente Powers to end the war

21. Costs of the War • 8.5 million dead • 17 million wounded • Widespread famine due to loss of farm production • Influenza pandemic swept around the world in 1918, spread by returning soldiers, killing another 20 million • Much of Europe was in ruins and all of the European governments were deeply in debt • Government had collapsed in Russia, Germany, Austria, and the Ottoman Empire

27. The Peace Conference • The terms of peace would be determined by “The Big Three” after Germany’s unconditional surrender • Woodrow Wilson (U.S.): wanted a lasting peace based on his Fourteen Points • David Lloyd George (Britain): wanted to punish Germany and force them to make financial reparations for costs of war • Georges Clemenceau (France): wanted to leave Germany so weak that they could never again threaten France

28. The Treaty of Versailles • June 1919: Allies presented Germany with the terms: • Germany was to accept all public blame for the war • Germany was to make reparations ($30 billion in 1919 or about $350 billion in today’s dollars) • Limited size of German military • Germany was to return territory to France that was taken in 1871 • Germany was stripped of its colonies • Germany signed the treaty because they had no choice, but they were furious over the terms

29. Nationalism Wins Out • Eastern Europe was broken into many small states: • Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia were broken off of Russia • Poland was recreated from Russian, German, & Austrian territory • Austrian Empire was broken into independent nations of Austria, Hungary, & Czechoslovakia • Balkan region was rearranged into Yugoslavia, Romania, & Bulgaria

30. Reorganized Colonies • German colonies were divided up and Ottoman territories in the Middle East were taken as new colonies by Great Britain and France • Colonized peoples who had sent troops to help the Allies had hoped to be given self-government in return – they weren’t, and felt betrayed as a result

31. Some Still Unhappy • Italy was angry because they did not gain any of the territory that the Entente Powers had secretly promised to give them • Japan angered over Entente Powers refusal to allow them free reign in China • Russia was angry over their exclusion from the treaty process and their loss of territory

32. The League of Nations • Wilson’s League of Nations, with more than 40 member nations, was created to settle international disputes • U.S. did NOT join (also never ratified the Treaty of Versailles), because U.S. became isolationist (wanted to stay out of foreign problems) after the war.