Transcript WWI - Shasta Union High School District

World War I Dates: 1914-1918
Great Nations at the start of the Great War (World
War I):
Great Britain (England) France
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Russia
Italy
USA
Ottoman (Turkish) Empire
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Militarism – Extreme readiness for war by
building up of arms, army and readiness
(population).
◦ Caused a buildup of military during late 1870-1914,
esp. 1890s.
◦ By 1914 all but Britain had large army and plans for
mobilization
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Alliances – Used to boost defensive power, these
proved to be the cause of major tensions due to
the connections between so many nations.
Imperialism - Caused competition for pride,
land, resources.
Nationalism – Nations acted in their own selfinterest, desiring to be free from the influence of
other countries and prove their ethnicity as best.
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Britain vs. Germany
◦ Industrialization
◦ Navy buildup (British “two power standard”, Germany was
#2)
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France vs. Germany
◦ Franco-Prussian War (1870)
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(Germany Won)
◦ Morocco (1905, 1911) (France Won)
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Austria-Hungary vs. Russia
◦ Balkans and ethnic disputes
◦ Non-frozen seaport for Russia
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Unification of Germany by Otto von Bismarck
through wars and diplomacy from 1864-1871.
1879 – Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria
Hungary (Secretly included Russia)
1882- Italy joins making the Triple Alliance
1887 – Reinsurance Treaty between Russia and
Germany after Austria Hungary breaks 1879 treaty
with Russia.
1890 – Kaiser Wilhelm II forces Bismarck to Resign
and lets Russian treaty expire
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1892 and 1894 – France and Russia make
treaties
1904 – Britain signs am entente cordiale or
friendly understanding with France
1907 – Britain signs a treaty with Russia,
completing the Triple Entente (Britain, France,
and Russia)
1908 – Austria annexed Bosnia and
Herzegovina
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Balkans as the “Powder Keg of Europe”
Austria-Hungary and Serbia both hoped to absorb
all the Southern Slavic people into their nation.
1912- First Balkan War - Serbia, Bulgaria, and
Greece take remaining Balkan lands from the
Ottoman Empire (Albania was created).
1913 – Second Balkan War – Bulgaria attempts to
take the spoils from first war from Greece and
Serbia but loses.
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June 28, 1914 Franz and Sophie Ferdinand visit
Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia.
◦ Assassinated by Serbian Nationalist Gavrilo Princip (19) of
“Black Hand”
◦ Serbian officials knew of attempt but were not involved.
◦ Austria-Hungary asks for and receives a “blank
check” promise of support from Germany to attack
Serbia.
◦ July 23 48 hour Ultimatum made by Austria to Serbia.
Serbia accepts all but one demand (Austrian-Hungarian
officials into Serbia)
◦ July 28, 1914 Austria declares war on Serbia
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July 28 - Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war
lead to…
July 29 - Russia mobilizing on Austria-Hungary
leading to…
July 29-31 - Germany asking Russia to stop or
else leading to…
August 1 – Germany declaring war on Russia
(after no response) and then…
August 3 – Germany declared war on France and
marched through neutral Belgium, which lead
to…
August 4 - Britain declaring war on Germany to
defend Belgium.
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Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria, and Ottoman Empire)
Allied Powers (Britain, France, Russia, Italians
(switch sides, Spring 1915) and later the U.S.)
◦ Japan sided with the Allies under Emperor Hirohito
◦ T.E. Lawrence of Arabia led the Arab resistance against
the Ottoman Empire
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Japanese over German China and Pacific
island colonies
English and French over 3 out of 4 German
African colonies
In India, Mohandas Gandhi urged Indian
support for the War
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All resources devoted to war
No unemployment
Rationing is widespread including both foods
and materials
Suppression of information including
propaganda
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Machine Gun
Flamethrower
◦ Used Napalm or jellied gasoline
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Artillery
◦ Long range guns that could fire different types of rounds,
including some filled with poison gas or even propaganda
literature.
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Poison gas
◦ Including mustard, chlorine, phosgene, etc. that caused blinding,
blisters, and even death.
◦ First used by the Germans in 1915, but both sides used it by the
war’s end.
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Tank
◦ Introduced in 1916 by the British, but both sides were using them
by war’s end.
◦ Heavily armored with mounted machine guns.
◦ Used to cover uneven ground and barbed wire.
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Airplanes
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Submarines (also called the U-boat)
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By 1917, the convoy system reduced sinking by
u-boats by 50%
◦ First used for watching the enemy then bombing then
“dog fights” between planes
◦ Planes were first made of wood and cloth with no
parachutes, the engine could fall out.
◦ French were first to design timer for the machine gun
and propeller
◦ Eddie Rickenbacker (America) vs. Baron Manfred von
Richthofen (Germany aka Red Baron) were the most
famous pilots
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1914 Germans used them the most
Underwater missiles (torpedoes)
¾ of crews never made it home
Mostly used in the Atlantic and the North Sea to break
blockades of supplies
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Home by Christmas turns into a stalemate
Germans were guided by the Schlieffen Plan
◦ General Alfred Graf von Schlieffen
◦ Proposed taking France through Belgium, then focusing
on Russia due to its lack of railroad, slow mobilization and
superior numbers.
Germans push to take Paris, France but are
stopped at the First Battle of the Marne River (Sept
3-9, 1914)
Germans then pushed towards the sea, but were
stopped by the British in a series of battles
(Masurian Lake, Sept 1914; Ypres, Nov 1914)
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After this, trench warfare became the norm. It
included:
◦ Flooded trenches, rats, mud, artillery shelling, and lack of
sleep and food
◦ Death with the average death count at 6400 per day
◦ No man’s land – Space between opposing trenches
 Filled with mines, barbed wire, dead bodies, huge holes from
artillery
◦ After days of artillery shelling, troops would go “over the
top” of the trenches to attack, often retreat, and then
counter attack.
◦ May 1915 – Italy signed a secret treaty to join the Allies,
opening up a southern front
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Feb. 1916 - Battle of Verdun
◦ Won by the Germans against British and French forces
◦ 600000 men lost for 4 miles gained
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July 1916 - Battle of the Somme
◦ Eventually won by the British
◦ 500000 Germans, 600000 Allies men lost for 5 miles
gained
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U.S. entrance in April 2, 1917 due to:
◦ Unrestricted submarine warfare
 May 2, 1915 American tanker sunk by German U-boat
 May 7, 1915 Lusitania is sunk by German U-boat
 128 Americans were killed in the attack
 Germany backs off for a time, but resumed attacks in 1917.
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Oct 1917 – Battle of Caporetto
◦ Austrians, with German reinforcements, push back
Italians
◦ Only with British and French help is the advance
stopped 20 miles north of Venice
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Flu epidemic begins in East Asia and spreads
west
◦ Troops moving cause fast spread
◦ 22 million die worldwide
◦ Over 500,000 Americans
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March to May 1918 – 2nd Battle of Marne River
◦ The French, led by Marshal Ferdinand Foch and
140000 American Troops defeated the Germans with
350 tanks.
◦ The Zimmerman note
 Sent to Mexico April 2, 1917
 Attempted to get Mexico to attack the U.S. on the side of
the Central Powers
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June 1918 - Germans 50 Miles from France were
halted at Chateau-Thierry by US and French Forces
(50% troop loss).
◦ The use of tank helped halt the attack.
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November 1918 - Ottoman, Bulgarians, Austria
Hungary had all surrendered at this point
Sept 26, 1918 Battle of Argonne - Leads to
armistice
Nov 9, 1918 Armistice due to a revolt against
Wilhem II, who fled to the Netherlands
War ends 11/11/18 at 11 am.
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Extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea
Russians and Serbs battled Germans, AustriaHungarians, and Turks (Ottoman Empire)
1914 – Armenian Massacre 2 million Christians
killed by Turks
August 1914 - Battle of Tannenberg
◦ Germans beat 2 Russian Armies
◦ Russia not industrialized which meant short on food,
ammo, clothes, etc. due to Germany’s blockade of Baltic
Sea and Ottoman Empire’s blockade of Black Sea
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December 1914 - Limanova
◦ 17-day battle where Austria defeats Russia
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Fall of 1915 – Bulgaria joins the Central
Powers
◦ With the help of German, Bulgaria overruns Serbia
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Feb 1915 to Jan 1916 – Battle of Gallipoli
◦ British, Australian, New Zealand and French troops
vs. Ottoman Empire, with help from Germany and
Austria-Hungary
◦ Allies Retreat losing 250000 troops
◦ Allies wanted Constantinople to open Russia and
Austria via the Danube River through the Bosporus
and Dardanelles (Black Sea Entrance)
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Russian withdrawal from the war
◦ Fall of Czar Nicholas II
 Lack of food for population
 Lack of victory on the battlefield
◦ March 1917 – March Revolution
 Replaced the Czar with a provisional government
◦ Nov.1917 - Communist Revolution
 Lead by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
◦ March 1918 - Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
 Peace with Germany
 Surrendered about 25% of their land and population to
Germany as part of the treaty
 Done with the war
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Lodz
November 1914
Galicia
May 1915
Kovel
June 1916
Czerowitz
June 1916
Kerensky Offensive July 1917
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8.5-10 million soldiers died
1 millon civilians died
21 Million wounded
$350 billion dollars total cost
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Jan 18, 1918 - Versailles Peace Conference
◦ 32 countries in attendance
◦ The Big Four
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USA (Woodrow Wilson)
France (Georges Clemenceau)
Great Britain (David Lloyd George)
Italy (Vittorio Orlando)
◦ No Central Power representation
◦ No Russian representation
◦ Issued first in Jan. 1918 (before war’s end)
◦ Point 1 - Called for the end of secret treaties
◦ Point 2-5 – Called for freedom of the seas, free
trade, reduced armies and navies, and colonies
resolved
◦ Points 6-13 - creating new nations (self
determination) by ethnic lines
◦ Point 14 – Creation of a “League of Nations”
 Executive council (5), General assembly (32))
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Motives differed during the conference:
◦ Britain
 David Lloyd George won reelection on saying he would squeeze
Germany dry
 Britain wanted revenge and rewards (mostly African colonies)
◦ France
 Most of fighting took place on their land
 Revenge and security from Germany
 Wanted Alsace-Lorraine back, the creation of a buffer zone
known as the Rhineland (between Germany and France)
 Also wanted reparations from Germany
◦ Italy
 Wanted the promise Austrian lands and one of its captured cities
◦ US wanted peace for all (Peace without victory) instead
of rewards
◦ 5 treaties in total (Germany, Austria, Hungary,
Bulgaria, Ottoman)
◦ Germany
 Had to claim guilt for the War (War Guilt Clause)
 Lost land
 Alsace-Lorraine to France
 Colonies to League of Nations as Mandates (Controlled but
not owned)
 Lost armed forces (No subs, planes, and weapons)
 Lost money (33 billion over 30 years (reparations)
 Germans signed only after threat of more war
◦ Austria-Hungary
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Divided into Austria and Hungary
Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were created from their lands
Romania and Italy increased in size from their lands
Austria could never unite with Germany
Had to pay reparations
◦ Bulgaria
 Lost Aegean Sea coastline to Greece
 Had to pay reparations
◦ Ottoman Empire
 Divided into Turkey
 Divided into Palestine, Iraq, Trans-Jordan as mandates
under British control
 Divided into Syria and Lebanon as mandates under
French control
◦ Russia
 Romania was increased by their lands
 Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were all
created from their lands
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Problems with the Treaty:
◦ Too much put on Germany
 Guilt
 Debt
◦ Territory was not as justly divided by
national/ethnic lines
◦ Not enough given to Japan and Italy as promised
◦ Russia excluded and lost more land than Germany
◦ No American support for the Treaty or the League
of Nations