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The Great War 1914-1918. WWI- A Unique Look. What caused WWI? Who fought in WWI? Where did they fight? What was different about WWI? What ended WWI? What was the outcome of WWI? What was the United States’ role in WWI?
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WWI- A Unique Look What caused WWI? Who fought in WWI? Where did they fight? What was different about WWI? What ended WWI? What was the outcome of WWI? What was the United States’ role in WWI? Each group must provide a creative presentation that specifically addresses their question.
Marching Toward War • Nationalism caused intense competition among nations. • By the turn of the 20th century, a fierce rivalry had developed among Europe’s great powers.
Imperialism/ Militarism • The quest for colonies sometimes pushed European nations to the brink of war. • The rise of militarism, the policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war.
Alliances • Triple Alliance- Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. • Triple Entente- Great Britain, France, and Russia.
Problems in the Balkans • Serbia had a large Slavic population and wanted to absorb all the Slavs on the Balkan peninsula. (Russia supports Serbs) • Austria took over Bosnia and Herzegovina. • The Serbs continually vowed to take Bosnia/ Herzegovina away from Austria.
The shot heard around the World • Heir to the Austria- Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Bosnia on June 28th, 1914. • Suspected killer is a member of the Black Hand, a secret society committed to ridding Bosnia of Austrian rule.
Europe Plunges into War • Austria’-Hungary’s declaration of war against Serbia set off a chain reaction within the alliance system. • Russia mobilizes on both the Austrian and German front. • Germany declares war on both Russia and France.
Sides • Central Powers- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire. • Allied Powers- Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Italy.
War • In the summer of 1914, the war turned into a long and bloody stalemate. • The deadlocked region in northern France became known as the Western Front.
Trench Warfare • By early 1915, opposing armies on the Western Front had dug miles of parallel trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire. • Armies traded huge losses of life for pitifully small gains of land.
Voices from the Trench • “The trench, when we reached it, was half full of mud and water. We set to work to try and drain it. Our efforts were hampered by the fact that the French, who had first occupied it, had buried their dead in the bottom and sides. Every stroke of the pick encountered a body. The smell was awful.” Private Pollard • “The stench of the dead bodies now is awful as they have been exposed to the sun for several days, many have swollen and burst. The trench is full of other occupants, things with lots of legs, also swarms of rats.” Sergeant A Vine • “The other soldiers in the hut took their shirts off after tea. They were catching lice. We had never seen a louse before, but they were here in droves. The men were killing them between their nails.” Henry Gregory • “All we lived on was tea and dog biscuits. If we got meat once a week we were lucky, but imagine trying to eat standing in a trench full of water with the smell of dead bodies nearby.” Richard Beasley
Voices from the Trench Activity • “No washing or shaving here, and the demands of nature answered as quickly as possible in the handiest and deepest shell-hole.” Guy Chapman • Imagine that you are a soldier fighting in the trenches. Write a letter home describing the conditions in the trenches…
The Schlieffen Plan • The German military plan called for attacking and defeating France in the west and then rushing east to fight Russia. • Speed was vital to the Schlieffen Plan. • The defeat of the Germans at the Battle of the Marne left the Schlieffen Plan in ruins.
A Global Conflict • As the war dragged on, the main combatants looked beyond Europe for a way to end the stalemate. • The Gallipoli Campaign and Allied assaults on Germany’s colonial possessions are examples of this global war.
America joins the fight • In Jan 1917, the Germans announced that their submarines would sink without warning any ships in the water. (unrestricted total warfare) • German U-boats sink three American ships. • Zimmerman telegram pledged German support for Mexico against the United States. • April 2nd, 1917, America declares war.
Total War • Countries devoted all of their resources to the war effort. (total war) • Nearly every able-bodied civilian was put to work. • Propaganda utilized by governments to persuade and keep up morale and support for the war.
Propaganda Activity • Every nation that participated in WWI used propaganda posters to justify their involvement to their own population and as a means of procuring men, money, and resources. • Even though the United States joined in April 1917 she produced many more propaganda posters than any other single nation.
