The First World War

1. One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one. The First World War WORLD WAR I JULY 28,1914 – NOVEMBER 11,1918 THIS WAS TO BE THE WAR TO END ALLWARS…OR WAS IT?

2. The First World War: • Long term causes of the war: • Alliance system • Nationalism • 3. Imperialism- competition for colonies • 4. Militarism- stockpiling of Weapons • Why did the war begin? Short term “spark”- Assassination of Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his Wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg one hour before their deaths, June 28, 1914

3. DECLARATIONS OF WAR!!! • FOLLOWING THE ASSASINATION OF ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND IN 1914, THE EMPORER OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY DECLARED WAR ON SERBIA. • RUSSIA SENT TROOPS TO DEFEND SERBIA • GERMANY DECLARED WAR ON RUSSIA • THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF WWI!

4. The First World War: • Who fought in the war? Central Powers: Allies: Germany Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire (Turkey) Bulgaria Russia Portugal North Africa France Great Britain Italy Romania Serbia Montenegro Albania Greece United States (1917)

5. The First World War: • Where did most of the fighting take place?

6. TRENCH WARFARE WAS USED IN WWI In September, 1914, the German commander ordered his men to dig trenches that would provide them with protection from the advancing French and British troops. As the Allies soon realized that they could not break through this line, they also began to dig trenches. As the Germans were the first to decide where to stand fast and dig, they had been able to choose the best places to build their trenches. The possession of the higher ground not only gave the Germans a tactical advantage, but it also forced the British to live in the worst conditions. Most of this area was rarely a few feet above sea level. As soon as soldiers began to dig down they would find water two or three feet below the surface. Along the whole line, trench life involved a never-ending struggle against water and mud. Boards were placed at the bottom of the trenches to protect soldiers from problems such as trench foot. Much of the land where the trenches were dug was either clay or sand. The trenches became waterlogged when it rained. The trenches were hard to dig and kept on collapsing in the waterlogged sand. As well as trenches, the shells from the guns and bombs made big craters in the ground. The rain filled up the craters and then poured into the trenches.

7. NEW WEAPONS WERE USED IN WWI

8. Which side should the US pick? Central Powers: Allies: • 11 million German-Americans • Irish-Americans hated Great Britain • Close cultural ties • Shared transatlantic cables (so censored stories) • Big business loaned much $ to allies US Exports to both sides:

9. What did it take to get the US involved? • Zimmerman telegram + the sinking of 4 unarmed ships led to a declaration of war

10. How was the war looking for the allies before the U.S. entered the war? • Not Good... • Russia left the war after its communist revolution in 1917 • Made it a one front war for Germany - all its troops could concentrate on France

11. Convincing People to Fight… • Propaganda!!

12. What did the US do to help? • Supplies: • US provided the food, money, and fresh toops needed to win the war American Troops March Through London

13. Final days of WWI: • Over a four-month period in 1918, the German army launched five major assaults at different parts of the allied line. • Initially the plan worked. The British Fifth Army collapsed. The allies gave ground. • Within a week the advance had ground to a halt. Soon the elite German storm troopers were a spent force. The allies now reversed it. • On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the armistice went into effect.

14. EFFECTS OF WWI • World War I left Europe devastated. The countries that fought in it suffered casualties: • Allied Powers • Britain :  750,000 soldiers killed; 1,500,000 woundedFrance : 1,400,000 soldiers killed; 2,500,000 woundedBelgium : 50,000 soldiers killedItaly : 600,000 soldiers killedRussia : 1,700,000 soldiers killedAmerica : 116,000 soldiers killed • Central Powers • Germany : 2,000,000 soldiers killedAustria-Hungary : 1,200,000 soldiers killedTurkey : 325,000 soldiers killedBulgaria : 100,000 soldiers killed • The total deaths of all nations who fought in the war is thought to have been 8.5 million with 21 million being wounded

15. WWI caused areas of north-eastern Europe to be reduced to rubble. • The homes of 750,000 French people were destroyed. • Roads, coal mines, telegraph poles had all been destroyed and such a loss greatly hindered the area's ability to function normally. • The victors from World War One were in no mood to be charitable to the defeated nations and Germany in particular was held responsible for the war and its consequences. • During mid-1918, Europe was hit by Spanish flu and an estimated 25 million people died. This added to the feeling of bitterness that ran through Europe and this anger was primarily directed at Germany.

16. The treaty was signed on June 28th 1919 after months of argument and negotiation amongst the so-called "Big Four" as to what the treaty should contain. • The "Big Four" were David Lloyd George of Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Orlando of Italy and Woodrow Wilson of America.

17. TREATY OF VERSAILLES • The treaty can be divided into a number of sections; territorial, military, financial and general. • Territorial • Land was taken away from Germany and given to countries of Europe who fought for the Allied Powers • The League of Nations also took control of Germany's overseas colonies. • Germany had to return to Russia land taken in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (the treaty that was signed when Russia left WWI). Some of this land was made into new states : Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Poland also received some of this land.

18. TREATY OF VERSAILLES CONT. • Military • Germany’s army was reduced to 100,000 men; the army was not allowed tanks, an airforce Germany was only allowed 6 naval ships and no submarines • The west of the Rhineland and 50 km east of the Rhine River was made into a demilitarized zone (DMZ). No German soldier or weapon was allowed into this zone. • The Allies were to keep an army of occupation on the west bank of the Rhine for 15 years.

19. Financial • The loss of vital industrial territory would be a severe blow to any attempts by Germany to rebuild her economy. Germany lost access to coal, which was a vital economic loss. Combined with the financial penalties linked with reparations, Germany was going to be left bankrupt.. • Germany was also forbidden to unite with Austria to form one superstate. • Germany had to admit full responsibility for starting the war. • 2. Germany was responsible for starting the war, therefore responsible for all the war damage caused by the First World War. Germany had to pay reparations, the bulk of which would go to France and Belgium to pay for the damage done to the infrastructure of both countries by the war. Reparations would be used to pay for the damage to be repaired. The figure was eventually put at £6,600 million - a huge sum of money well beyond Germany’s ability to pay. • A League of Nations was set up to keep world peace.

20. WORLD WIDE DEPRESSION FOLLOWING WWI • The Great Depression (also known in the U.K. as the Great Slump) was a dramatic, worldwide economic downturn beginning in some countries as early as 1928. • The beginning of the Great Depression in the United States is associated with the stock market crash on October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. • The depression had devastating effects in both the industrialized countries and those which exported raw materials. • International trade declined sharply, as did personal incomes, tax revenues, prices and profits. • Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially those dependent on industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries. • Farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by 40 to 60 percent. • Mining and logging areas had perhaps the most striking blow because the demand fell sharply and there were few employment alternatives. • The Great Depression ended at different times in different countries. • The majority of countries set up relief programs, and most underwent some sort of political change. • Democracy was weakened, as dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini made major gains, which helped set the stage for World War II in 1939.

21. HOW DID WWI LEAD TO WWII? • Throughout the 1920’s, nearly all parts of the Treaty of Versailles were carried out. It was after 1933, that there was a systematic breaking of the terms when the Nazis came to power.

22. POST WWI EUROPE TERMS • Debt: money owed to another person • Depression: a world wide time of reduced business activity and debt • Disrupt: to break the order of something • Economics: study of production and consumption of goods and services • Import: to bring goods into a country • Export: to send goods out of a country • Reparation: compensation for wrong or injury caused • Treaty: a formal agreement between nations