World War I

1. World War I

2. The Coming of the Great War • There were a host of different long-term factors that led to the outbreak of WWI, including: • 1) Alliance systems • 2) Imperialism • 3) Militarism • 4) Nationalism • We will discuss them in this order, but the acronym M.A.I.N. is a good one to help you remember these long-term causes.

3. The Coming of the Great War • A) Alliance systems • Germany’s growing industrial and military power in Europe threatened the major powers on the continent (France, Russia, and Britain) • Germany’s neighbors, France and Russia, allied themselves in the 1890’s to surround Germany and discourage a declaration of war or invasion by Germany. • Britain responded in part due to Germany’s growing economic power and threatening naval capabilities. • By the early 1900’s the three (Russia, France, and Britain) had formed the Triple Entente (agreement). • Germany responded by allying with Austria-Hungaryand Italy. (The Triple Alliance)

4. Pre-WWI Alliances

5. Super-Mega Pre-WWI Alliances Venn Diagram

6. The Coming of the Great War • Imperialism • For decades, most European powers had been engaged in an imperialist rivalry around the globe. These rivalries heightened tensions between the nations. • Imperialist rivalries only served to further the tensions between nations and feed the jingoism (warlike nationalism) of each nation.

7. The Coming of the Great War • Militarism • Alliance systems and imperialist rivalries only helped to fuel the arms race of the early 1900’s in Europe. • Naval power was the most obvious form of military buildup. • Germany poured money into its navy in order to challenge Britain on the open seas. Both nations built more and better naval vessels as a result (including the submarine in Germany). • The size of armies grew steadily to number in the millions. Each nation was preparing itself for war.

8. Militarism Continued • All the countries of Europe built up their armies and navies.   In 1914, their armed forces stood like this: •   Germany: 2,200,000 soldiers, 97 warships •   Austria-Hungary: 810,000 soldiers, 28 warships. •   Italy: 750,000 soldiers, 36 warships •   France: 1,125,000 soldiers, 62 warships •   Russia: 1,200,000 soldiers, 30 warships •   Great Britain: 711,000 soldiers, 185 warships • As one country increased its armies, so all the others felt obliged to increase their armed forces to keep the ‘balance of power’.

9. Nationalism • Lastly, nationalism played a vital role in the outbreak of the war. Intense pride in one’s shared identity began to encourage different ethnic groups to break free from the empires the belonged to. • Arabs in the Ottoman realms and Serbian resistance to Austria-Hungary’s encroachment were examples of militant behaviors that furthered worldwide tensions. Monument in Serbian capital that commemorates the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, where the Ottomans first conquered the region. This date is extremely important to Serbs because it honors their fallen brethren who gave their lives fighting for freedom.

10. The Balkan problem • Nowhere was the tension higher in Europe than in the Balkans. • Complex ethnic divisions and rivalries made this territory a hotbed of crisis. • On top of this, in the years before WWI, there had been a series of regional wars in this region over territories and resources. (map on p. 535)

11. The Balkan Problem • The races ruled by the Ottoman Turks (such as the Romanians and the Bulgarians) and by Austria-Hungary (such as the Serbs) want to be free to rule themselves.   • In the Balkans this was called ‘Panslavism’ because the people who wanted to be free were all Slavic races.   • The most nationalistic of all were the Serbs – Serbia had became an independent country in 1878, but by 1900 Serbia was being increasingly threatened by Austria-Hungary. • This led to rebellions and terrorism which destabilized the Balkans.

12. The Balkans in 1914 Annexed to Austria in 1908

13. “The Powder Keg of Europe” • On June 28, 1914, the Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand visited the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo. • Bosnia had been taken from Serbia by Austria-Hungary years earlier. • A Serbian nationalist, GavrielPrincip, assassinated the Archduke. (you will read an article on this)

14. GavrielPrincip’smugshot (19 yrs. old) Franz Ferdinand’s Car Assassination leads to war

15. Alliance System takes over • Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Serbia (exactly one month after the assassination). • Serbia was backed by Russia (defender of the Slavic race), so Russia declare began mobilizing its troops to the border of Austria-Hungary. • Germany backed Austria-Hungary, and was worried about Russian troop movements, so it declared war on Russia. • Britain and France then declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary • The Ottoman Empire joined Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1915. They had for decades been reliant upon German military advisors and financiers.

16. Alliance System

17. WWI Map (Central Powers and Allied Powers)

18. Trench Warfare (p.495 in Amsco)

19. Trench Warfare

20. Effects of WWI Weaponry • On top of having devastating killing power, the weapons of WWI were best used to hold defensive positions rather than lead charges or offensive maneuvers. • As a result, very little ground was gained by either side between 1914 and 1917.

21. War on the Eastern Front • Though war in the East was just as horrific, the results were much different. • German armies were able to make large gains against the poorly trained and ineptly led Russian forces. • The highest levels of casualty of any of the nations involved in the war and the poor leadership of the Russian state led to outright mutinies and revolts that toppled the tsarist regime in 1917.

22. Direct Control from Governments • As war continued, governments took more and more control over areas of both public and private life: • Industrial sectors were taken over by gov’t. Factories were told what to produce and railroads were administered by the state. • Massive censorship took place (Sedition Acts) • Propaganda departments were created to stir public support and opinion. - As a result, WWI became the first total war in human history. A total war is one where the participating nations commit all of their resources to the war effort.

23. The Order of the White Feather The British government enlisted the help of its women to shame men into joining the war effort.

24. War Brings Change for Women • Because WWI was a total war, all members of the society were asked to participate. • More than any other previous war, women’s involvement increased tremendously. • Millions of women in Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and the U.S., joined the work force or military. • Wages for women increased and they gained a newfound sense of confidence that was rooted in the reality of their importance to their countries and societies.

25. War Brings Change for Women • It is no coincidence that women’s liberation movements began around this time. • Rising hemlines on dresses, acceptance of smoking in public, and unchaperoned dating were results. • The apex of women’s gains came after the war when most western nations extended suffrage.

26. The Armenian Genocide • WWI also provided cover for the first genocide of the 20th century, the Armenian genocide. • After severe losses to Russia, the Turkish government sought to blame minority groups in their empire, mainly Armenian Christians. • The government lashed out in a campaign of violence, killing as many as a million Armenians from 1915-1918. • This was part of the broader policy of the Ottoman regime, called Turkification, which was the promotion of Turkish language, religion, and culture. It opposed ethnic minority values.

28. U.S. Entry into WWI • By 1917, much of the war in Europe had settled into a stalemate, especially on the Western Front, due to trench warfare. U.S. entry in that year would turn the tide for the Allied nations. • When the war broke out in 1914, most of the American public and its leaders were indifferent toward the cause. In fact, U.S. president Woodrow Wilson had won re-election in 1916 on the campaign slogan, “He kept us out of war!” • That would all change in 1917.

29. U.S. Entry into WWI • Reasons for U.S. entry into WWI include: • 1) British propaganda efforts. America was naturally pro-British due to our common heritage and strong trade links, but the British launched a massive campaign of propaganda against Germany that influenced American public opinion. • 2) Germany’s need to attack ships with their submarines to enforce their blockade on Britain and France led to the sinking of U.S. ships and death of U.S. citizens, greatly angering our nation. • 3) The Zimmerman Telegram – Fearful of American entry into the war, Germany proposed an alliance with Mexico that would require Mexico to attack the US in order to reclaim land lost during the Mexican-American War. Germany would send financial and military support. This telegram was intercepted by British agents and sent to the US. We declared war shortly after (April 6, 1917).

30. British Propaganda

31. Armistice • U.S. entry into the war was just in time. Russia had gotten out of the war in November 1917 and the U.S. entered in April 1917. A German drive on the western front was stalled by the arrival of American troops. • With casualties mounting and their armies losing ground, the Germans signed an armistice on Nov. 11,1918. • Many German citizens were enraged due to the fact that German propaganda in the months before that promised a victory “within weeks”. Much of the blame was transferred by the government to socialist groups and Jewish politicians (because they were minorities). This would become a rallying cry for Hitler in the 1920s.

32. American newspaper headline Allied representatives at Armistice signing (Nov.11, 1918) Armistice Day

33. The War’s Effect • The effects of WWI prove its devastation: • 1) At least 10 million dead and 20 million wounded. An influenza outbreak, known as the “Spanish flu” in 1918 killed millions of civilians worldwide as well. • 2) Hundreds of billions of dollars of damage was inflicted on cities, railroads, bridges, farms, and factories. • 3) This devastation led to a global economic downturn into the mid-1920’s and contributed to the outbreak of the Great Depression.

34. The Paris Peace Conference • Once the armistice was signed in Nov. 1918, the victorious nations had to settle upon a plan for peace by signing a treaty. • Over the next 7 months, representatives met in Paris to hammer out the details of the historic treaty. • Though there were diplomats from all over the globe, Georges Clemenceau (France), David Lloyd George (Britain), and Woodrow Wilson (United States) were the undisputed leaders of the conference. They were known simply as “The Big Three”.

35. The BIG THREE From left to right: David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson

36. Paris Peace Conference Cont’d • Because the Germans had so many overseas colonies and the Ottoman empire controlled so many lands, representatives from all these territories showed up expecting to be granted self-determination. • This was an idea set forth by Woodrow Wilson that people had the right to choose their own form of government, without outside interference. • Unfortunately, Wilson only thought this applied to white people, so Arabs, Indians, Vietnamese, and Africans did not get this privilege (leading to outrage in those regions).

37. The Effects of Self-Determination Pre-WW1 Europe Post-WW1Europe

38. Paris Peace Conference Cont’d • The French were determined to punish Germany for their aggression in WWI. Germany had invaded their country twice in the span of 50 yrs. (Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and WWI) and they wanted to make sure it did not happen again. • The French premier, Clemenceau, actually ran his re-election campaign on the slogan “Make Germany Pay”. He won convincingly.

39. Paris Peace Conference Cont’d • There were four major punishments for Germany. • 1) War-Guilt Clause: Germany had to admit to sole responsibility for starting the war. • 2) Reparations: Huge war-time damage fees that Germany was required to pay to the nations it assaulted (33 billion in US currency in 1919, a little over 400 billion in today’s money) • 3) All German colonies were stripped from them and given to members of the Allies. • 4) The German military was severely decreased. They could only have 100,000 soldiers and a limited number of battleships, but no submarines.

40. German Economic Crisis in the 1920’s

41. The Versailles Diktat • The final treaty to come out of the Paris Peace Conference was the Treaty of Versailles (signed at the Versailles Palace). • For Germany, it was nothing more than a diktat, or dictated peace, with no room for negotiation. • German representatives were not even invited to Paris until May of 1919 and were never consulted or asked for input. • Additionally, they were lodged in the most run down hotel in Paris, brought in through the servants door to the palace and made to stand for hours while the treaty was read to them.

42. Signing of the Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919) The Hall of Mirrors

43. What about Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire • Germany was not the only country punished. Austria-Hungary’s empire was carved into several new nations (Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia). • The Ottoman lands in the Middle East were not given independence, but instead became mandates (territories whose control was swapped from one nation to another) of Britain and France. • Italy and China lost land despite fighting with the Allies. • Russia lost more land than any nation even though they were members of the original Triple Entente’. Because they quit the war early and were now Communist, they were an easy target for punishment. • p 501-503 in AMSCO book