World War I: The Great War
World War I: The Great War
4 Causes of World War I
1. Economic and Imperial Rivalries
2. The Tangle of Alliances
3. Militarism and the Arms Race
4. Nationalism
The Spark that started the War
• The Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand and his wife were killed by Gavrilo Princip- a Serbian radical.
The Ultimatum
• Austria-Hungary’s emperor, Francis Joseph was the uncle of the assassinated Franz Ferdinand.
• Emperor Francis Joseph sent Serbia a very harsh ultimatum.
The Austrians wanted Serbia to
1. end all anti-Austrian agitation and hate
2. punish any Serbian official involved in the murder plot
3. let Austria join in the investigation
… OR WAR
• Austria declares War on Serbia because Serbia did not agree to the demands.
• Germany declared war on Russia
• The French back the Russians
• Germany declares war on France
• Germany invades Neutral Belgium on their way to France, Britain declares war on Germany
Enemies on both sides? How can Germany fight a two front war?
Schlieffen Plan
General Schlieffen, came up with a plan to fight a two front war. He theorized that since Russia would not mobilize quickly, Germany would have to defeat France first then quickly fight Russia.
The Fronts
• The Russians mobilized more quickly than expected.
• Germany sent troops over to the East front.
• This weakened forces on the Western Front.
• The battle lines remained almost unchanged for four years.
The major players mobilize for war
French mobilize= 8.5 million
British mobilize = 9 million
Russians = 12 million
Germans = 11 million
No Man’s Land
During WWI, soldiers built an underground network of linked bunkers, communication trenches, and gun emplacement. Between the opposing trench lines lay “no man’s land”
Modern Weapons added to the destructiveness of the war
• Submarines
• Poison Gas
• Airplanes (simple)
• Tanks
• Automatic Machine Guns
Russia… was poorly equipped to fight a modern war. (Some troops didn’t even have rifles)
At the battle of Tannenberg, they suffered the worst defeat of the war.
German U-boats
At sea, German U-Boats sank ships crossing the Atlantic.
Unrestricted submarine warfare worried neutral countries like the USA.
Total War
• As the war continues, nations realized that a modern war required the total commitment from all of society, or total war.
• Total war also meant keeping casualty figures and other discouraging news from reaching the public.
• Many governments in the war raised taxes, borrowed money, rationed food, gas, and boots.
Propaganda War
• Both sides waged a propaganda war, attempting to spread ideas to promote a cause or weaken an opposing cause.
Loss of Morale
By 1917, the morale of both troops and civilians had plunged.
Germany was sending 15 year-olds to the front.
Britain was on the brink of bankruptcy.
Long casualty lists, food shortages, and failure of generals who promised victories led to calls for peace.
Lenin backs out of the war
• Three years of war hit Russia very hard.
• March 1917, Riots spread through Russia and brought down the Russian monarchy.
• Later that year, V.I. Lenin came to power, and pulled all Russian troops out of war.
• Early in 1918, Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended Russian participation in WWI.
• With Russia out of WWI, The Central Powers focus on the Western Front
Germans warn America
Lusitania
• In May 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the Lusitania, a British ship carrying American passengers.
• 1,260 were killed including 128 Americans.
Woodrow Wilson made a deal with Germany
• USA would stay out of WWI so long as the Germans would warn the ships that were going to be attacked.
• It would allow innocent people to escape
US President Woodrow Wilson
• Used diplomacy to keep the USA out of war– think back to the Lusitania
• “He Kept us out of War” 1916 Presidential slogan
• In January, 1917, Germany went back to using unrestricted submarine warfare.
The Zimmerman Note
• In 1917, the British intercepted a message from the German foreign minister, Arthur Zimmerman to his ambassador in Mexico.
• The message stated that if Mexican supported the Germans, they would help the Mexican get back land from USA in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.
• Wilson can take no more!
• In April 1917, Wilson asked congress to declare war on Germany
• The USA declares war on Germany April 6, 1917
“The Yanks are Coming!”
• American troops revived a sense of pride and confidence.
• They also added a much-needed boost as Russia pulled out of the war and the Allies were suffering.
War is Over!
Fourteen Points-- Wilson still hoped to be a peacemaker
Fourteen Points-- terms for resolving WWI and all future wars.
• End all secret diplomacy
• Freedom of the seas in peace and war
• Self Determination to all Nations- end Imperialism
• Creation of League of Nations
League of Nations
• Representatives from different countries working together to sustain world peace
• Weak without a standing army
• There was a major country that wouldn’t join…
Treaty of Versailles (BRAT)
• Blame– German had to accept blame for WWI
• Reparations- Germany had to pay $33 Billion in reparations
• Army– German had to reduce the military to 100,000 men, 6 warships, no submarines or planes
• Territories– German lost territories in Alsace and Lorraine
The Great War’s Leaders
Allies
Great Britain-David Lloyd George
Russia-- Czar Nicholas II
France-- George Clemenceau
USA-- Woodrow Wilson
Central Power
Austria-Hungary- Francis Joseph
Germany… Kaiser Wilhelm II
World War I Casualties
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