The Great War 1914-1918

1. The Great War1914-1918 The War to End War Chapter 33 P. 722-743

2. Nine World Wars

3. Background to WWI • Great War 1914-1918 • Due to loss of life • Nine million dead • Sheer enormity of it all • Major Causes of WWI • Nationalism • Language, geography, culture, heritage, loyalty to king/government • Effects of Napoleon • Imperialism • Empire building driven by industrialization • Need for world markets • British—greatest empire—navy ruled the seas • Militarism and the Balance of Power • Arms race • Emergence of new powers • Germany • Italy • Japan • U.S.

4. MilitarismEurope: The Mighty Continent • Austro-Hungarian Army • 2.5 million men • French Army • 4 million men • German Army • 5 million men • Russian Army • 1 million men • 3.5 million men with reserves

5. Alliance System TripleAlliance1882-1914 TripleEntente1907 Russo-French Alliance 1892 Alarm over Germany First evidence of Europe divided into two armed camps Britain is the swing factor and crucial to the balance Entente Cordiale 1904 Britain and France come to terms over colonial claims in North Africa France brings Britain and Russia together 1907 • Austro-German Defense Alliance 1879 • Cornerstone of German policy • Italy joins alliance 1882 • Concern over the French • Ultimate goal • Isolate France

6. Alliance System Balkan Peninsula Balkan Peninsula

8. Ethnic Minorities in Austria-Hungary Nationalism

9. 19th Century Imperialism in Africa

10. Colonial Possessions 1900

11. Europe at the Outbreak of World War I1914

12. Allied Powers Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria • Britain • France • Russia • Serbia • Belgium • Italy • Japan • China • U.S.A.

13. World War I

14. Timeline 1914 • June 28 Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in Sarajevo • July 5 Austria requests and receives Germany’s “blank check” pledging unconditional support if Russia enters the war • July 25 Austria declares war on Serbia France promises support to Russia in event of war • July 30 Russia orders general mobilization of troops • August 1 Germany declares war on Russia • August 3 Germany declares war on France • August 3 Germany invades neutral Belgium • August 4 Britain declares war on Germany • August 4 Wilson issues Proclamation of Neutrality

15. Europe Goes to War Summer 1914 • Bound by alliances and • Stirred by turmoil in • the Balkans • Where Serbs repeatedly upended peace • Balkan crisis escalated • “Great War"

16. American Neutrality • Did not want to fight Europe’s war • U.S. strong, smug, secure • Despite proclamation • U.S. pro-ally • Britain • Half the people trace ancestry to Britain • Economically bound to Britain • France • Hearts go out to France; U.S. traditional ally • Belgium • Rape of Belgium deepened sentiment • Cultural ties and Allied propaganda changed American opinion • Lafayette Escadrille • American volunteer aviation unit

17. Anti-German Sentiment • Germany • Collided with U.S. in • China • Pacific • Africa • Overtook U.S. in the naval race • Low priced goods displaced competitors • Kaiser Wilhelm II • Autocratic, militaristic, saber-rattling • Slaughter of Belgians • Execution of British nurse behind German lines

19. Arsenal for Democracy • U.S. production necessary for allied effort • Exported > $800 million in goods to the Allies • Loans to the Allies in the millions • Greatest economic prosperity in US history • National Defense Act June 1916 • Increased size of army from • 175,000 to 450,000 • Emphasis on naval preparedness • Concentrated on battleship • Should have built anti-sub craft

20. Industrialization of War • New weapons • Trench warfare • Tanks • Rapid fire machine guns • Poison gas • Barbed wire • Airplane

21. Stalemate • War of attrition • Verdun February-December 1916 • France and Germany • 250,00 battlefield deaths • half a million wounded • Longest battle and one of the most devastating • Represented the horrors of war • Battle of the Somme July-November 1916 • Britain and Germany • 1.5 million casualties • One of the bloodiest military operations ever recorded

23. British Blockade • Slow strangulation of Germany • By 1915 almost eliminated the flow of military supplies from neutral nations • Britain proclaimed North Sea a military zone • November 1914 • Redefined blockade • Forced neutral ships off high seas • Violated freedom of the seas • U.S. did not want war with Britain • Close-in blockade too risky due to • submarine and long-range guns • Redefined contraband • Now included foodstuffs

24. Unrestricted Submarine WarfareCounter-blockade • Submarine Warfare • Such a new weapon that existing rules of naval warfare were useless • Berlin announced February 1915 • Unrestricted submarine warfare around British isles • All cargo ships moving toward Britain would be sunk • Not possible to warn before firing • Aim to frighten away neutrals (U.S.) • February to May 1915 sank ninety ships • Lusitaniasunk (passenger liner)May 7, 1915 • Unarmed, unresisting • 1200 dead • 128 Americans • Arabicsunk August 1915 • U.S. warned Germany • Held to strict accountability • Germany agreed not to sink unarmed ships without warning • Diplomatic victory for Wilson

25. Sussex Ultimatum March 1916 • Sussex (French passenger liner) torpedoed • Wilson informed Germany • Sussex Ultimatum • Renounce sinking of merchant ships without warning or • U.S. will be forced to break diplomatic relations • Germany accepted the ultimatum • Wanted to keep U.S. out of the war • Germany cannot survive without the submarine • Announced and resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in January 1917

26. Zimmerman NoteMarch 1917 • British intelligence intercepted • Zimmerman Telegram sent from the German foreign secretary to the German ambassador to Mexico • Suggested Mexico enter the war against the U.S. in return for a German pledge to aid in the restoration of Mexico’s former territories of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico • Germany also promised to help Japan if Japan went to war against the U.S. • Telegram and • Unrestricted submarine warfare • Convinced Wilson to break US neutrality and call for war

27. Declaration of War • February 3, 1917 • U.S. severed relations with Germany • March 1917 • Four U.S. merchantmen • Unarmed • Sunk • Czar overthrown • April 6, 1917 • Congress declared war

28. Reasons for American Entrance • U-boat threat to freedom of the seas • Allies—gang of thieves • Germans—gang of murderers • U.S. pro-ally at heart • 1917 U.S. prefers to fight while Allies are still afloat • Zimmerman note • Allied propaganda

29. European Alliances and Battlefronts 1914-1918

30. War in Europe 1914-1918 Central Powers and the Allied Powers Notice how much territory Russia lost by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk as compared to the armistice line (line between the two armies when Russia sought peace).

31. Anti-German Hysteria • Orchestras—unsafe to play Beethoven, Wagner • German language forbidden to be taught • Espionage Act 1917 • Prohibited written, spoken language causing • Insubordination in armed forces • Obstruction of the enlistment and recruitment of men • Sedition Act 1918 • Felony to say, print • “disloyal, profane, or abusive language” about • “form of government, Constitution, soldiers, sailors, flag…” • Or support by word or act the German cause

34. U.S. Mobilization • President Wilson given a blank check from Congress • War Industries Board (Bernard Baruch) • Fixed prices • Established priorities • Reduced waste • Achieved increased production through standardization • Raised income taxes • Liberty Bond campaign to raise money • Anti-trust legislation relaxed • Women encouraged into industry • Economies in food and fuel • Food Administration (Herbert Hoover) • Called on American public to conserve and support the war effort • Liberty gardens • Voluntary –Wheatless Wednesdays • Drive to construct ships • Liberty ships • Philadelphia shipyards • Twice the building the capacity of the rest of the world • Washington took over • Railroads • Phones • Telegraph Douglas Fairbanks New York City Bond Rally

35. U.S. Military Build-up • Navy • First into war • Tighten British blockade • Convoy troops • Advent of destroyer • Battleship on the way out • Selective Service Act May 18, 1917 • Conscription (a draft) • Exemption for those in war industries • Army • AEF • “doughboys” • General John J. Pershing • “Black Jack” Pershing • Need for haste because of Russian withdrawal

36. Convoy System

38. Over There • Over There • George M. Cohan • Anthem of the war

39. Troops embarking for France

40. American Workforce Changes • Two groups benefitted from the war effort • Women • New sense of independence • African Americans • Migration from the South to northern cities

41. African-American Migration Northward 1910-1920

42. “Over There” • American Expeditionary Force (AEF) • Commanded by John Pershing • June 1917 arrived in France • Two million American soldiers fought the Battles of • Château-Thierry • Belleau Woods • Second Battle of the Marne • St. Mihiel • Meuse-Argonne Offensive Wounded U.S. marine receives first aid Toulon, France, March 1918

43. Major U.S. Operations in France 1918

44. American Participation Western Front 1918

45. American Troops Western Front 1918 • America's two million troops in France met German forces head-on • Insured the defeat of the Central Powers in 1918

46. Fourteen Points • Typical Wilsonian ideology • Wilson the moral leader of the war • “War to end war” • “Make the world safe for democracy” • Use as the basis for a peace settlement • Create an international atmosphere in which democracy can flourish • Attempted to correct the general causes of the war • Coax Germany to surrender

47. The Fourteen PointsWoodrow Wilson January 1918 • Open covenants • Freedom of the seas • Equality of trade • Reduction of arms • Adjust colonial claims • Evacuate Russian territories • Self-determination • Restoration of Belgium • Free Alsace-Lorraine 9. Readjust Italian frontier 10. Autonomy to Austria and Hungary 11. Balkan states evacuated 12. Turks of Ottoman Empire be sovereign 13. Polish independence 14. League of Nations -- Collective security

48. ArmisticeNovember 11, 1918 • Hostilities officially ended the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month • Prospect of endless U.S. troop reserves forced the Germans to surrender • Germans believed peace treaty will be based on the Fourteen Points • Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated

49. Paris Peace Conference 1919 • Woodrow Wilson • “Peace without victory” • First president to attend peace talks • Failed to seek the advice of the Senate • Primary goal—League of Nations • Meeting at Versailles • 6 months • 60 countries in the war • “Big Four” (l. to r.) • Great Britain—David Lloyd George • Italy—Vittorio Orlando • France—Georges Clemenceau • United States—Woodrow Wilson • Excluded the defeated powers • Excluded Russia Big Four David Lloyd-George, Georges Clemenceau Vittorio Orlando, Woodrow Wilson

50. Hall of Mirrors Palace of Versailles Versailles Treaty June 28, 1919