Transcript France
1914-1918:
The World
at War
Differing Viewpoints
“Family Feud”
“Fall of the Eagles”
“The War to End All Wars”
“The War to ‘Make the
World Safe for Democracy’”
1871
The world was a much better place in
1871
Capitalism had created abundant
affluence
La belle époque (the golden age)
International law ensured everyone had
rights and they were respected by others
But there was a serious gap between
reality and theory –the Great Powers
dominated
- Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia, Italy,
France
They were spokesmen for the Concert of
Europe
Peace and stability was based on the
balance of power
An attack against one was an attack
against all
Liberal ideals were being replaced by
more conservative thoughts
Western Europe was considered solidified
national units
The unification of Germany had involved
3 wars and humiliated France
France lost the Franco-Prussian war and
also Alsace and Lorraine
Alsace had been part of the HRE but
had been French for over 200 years
Lorraine was wholly French in
population
Nowhere did political frontiers match
lines of nationality
Gladstone supported every countries’
claim to independence
Yet eastern Europe was a quilt of
countries wanting independence
Rumania had been created in 1871 and
had been ruled by the Turks, Germans,
and Austrians
Poland was a bigger issue because it lay
in the borders of 3 other countries –
Prussia, Austria, and Russia
Bismarck had supported Russia
repression of the Poles in exchange for
Russian neutrality in the FrancoPrussian War 1870
There where 4 great empires in eastern
Europe:
Germany, Russia, Austria, Turkey
(Ottoman)
There were also 4 independent
countries:
Serbia, Montenegro, Rumania,
Greece
They all shared 2 traits:
a) hatred of the Turks
b) the ability to be friends with
Great Powers
Austria
Austria had an empire but it wasn’t a nation –
it was entirely comprised of minorities
1860 Austria was defeated by the French
1866 Austria was defeated by the Germans
By 1867 Austria was neither a German nor
Italian power but it had millions of both
In 1867 Austria-Hungary was created – 2
countries – 1 ruler, hence the Dual Monarchy
Hungary was ruled by the Magyars, very proGerman and anti-Slav and anti-Russian
Nobody could afford a war
There would be no winner
The growth of pacifism -war was a thing
of the past - we were civilized.
Europe had seen almost 100 years of
peace
(1871 minor war)
It would be the localized Third Balkan
War that would become World War I
Business prevented any island from
being isolated
Foreign investment was so large
Better communication, cheap
newspapers
Better educated people
The problem was that there was no
means for negotiating peace
European countries controlled the world
Germany - won the Franco-Prussian war,
gained Alsace and Lorraine, wanted to
isolate France, economic stability, led by
the Iron Chancellor Bismarck, little
interest in colonialism, unified.
France - lost Alsace and Lorraine, weak
military, imperialistic in Asia and Africa.
Great Britain - “splendid isolation”,
colonial conflicts with France and Russia
Austria - wanted to limit Slavic nationalism on
southern border and hostile nationalism within
the borders
Russia - very imperialistic throughout the century
– but overland: in the Balkans; disputes with
Austria over Slavs; Ottomans; Japanese
Italy - interest in North Africa led to disputes with
France.
The Balkans - a politically unstable region
comprised of many ethnic groups. Mostly
Christian.
United States - not involved in global affairs
Causes
of the
War
1. The Alliance System
Triple Entente:
Triple Alliance:
Alliances
The Russo-Turkish War
1877-8
Bulgaria revolted against Ottoman
Empire (Turks) “sick man of Europe”
Turks slaughter thousands of Slavs
Serbia and Montenegro declared war on
Ottomans
Russia declares herself protector of the
Slavs
Treaty of San Stefano
Treaty of San Stefano
Increased Russian power in the Balkans
and threatened the Austrians
At the Congress of Berlin (1878)
Bismarck(Honest Broker) created:
1 Independence for: Serbia, Montenegro,
and Romania
2 Austria received the right to administer
Bosnia and Herzegovina
3 Russia gained control of Bulgaria
(windows to the west) and some regions of
Turkey
The Driekaiserbund
1879 Germany and Austria signed the
Dual Alliance - which remained in place
for almost 40 years
The Three Emperors’ League created by
Bismarck to keep Austria and Russia at
peace
Germany - Kaiser William
Austria - Emperor Francis Joseph
Russia - Tsar Alexander
1881 Driekaiserbund was revived:
a) Acknowledged Russia had interest
in Bulgaria
b) Austria had interest in BosniaHerzegovenia
c) promised neutrality if anyone was
attacked by a fourth power
1881 France makes Tunisia a
protectorate
Italy seeks allies
1882 Triple Alliance - Germany,
Austria, Italy
a) both would help Italy if Italy
attacked by France
b) Italy would help Germany if France
attacked
c) the treaty did not apply to Britain
Germany has treaties with Austria,
Italy, Russia, and on good terms with
Great Britain
1883 Austria and Rumania (later Germany
added)
1887 Driekaiserbund not renewed because
of problems between Austria and Russia
1887 Germany -Russia sign Reinsurance
Treaty
a) extremely secretive
b) in the event of war both would stay
neutral except: if Austria is attacked by
Russia or France is attacked by Germany
c) Germany promised to promote Russian
goals in the Balkans
Reinsurance Treaty (1887)
Russia dissolved Three Emperors’
Treaty because of tensions in the
Balkans
Signs new treaty with Germany both stay neutral unless: Germany
attacks France or Russia attacks
Austria
1890 Bismarck is dismissed
France signs a military alliance with
Russia – aimed at Britain in the Med.
1896 Kaiser William sent a telegram to
Transvaal President Kruger offering support
Germany also starts to increase naval power
1902 Britain signs the Anglo-Japanese
Alliance
1904 Anglo-French Entente
Britain recognizes French claims to Morocco
France recognizes British claims to Egypt
1900 German prestige had deteriorated
drastically
“Weltmacht” (world power) Germany
wanted to be an equal of Britain and France
Two Armed Camps!
Allied Powers:
Central Powers:
The Major Players: 1914-17
Allied Powers:
Central Powers:
Nicholas II
[Rus]
Wilhelm II [Ger]
George V [Br]
Victor Emmanuel
II [It]
Enver Pasha
[Turkey]
Pres. Poincare [Fr]
Franz Josef [A-H]
Europe in 1914
2. Militarism & Arms Race
Total Defense Expenditures for the Great
Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.]
in millions of £s.
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1914
94
130
154
268
289
398
1910-1914 Increase in
Defense Expenditures
France
10%
Britain
13%
Russia
39%
Germany
73%
The Arms Race
By 1908 the German army was getting the
most money
By 1914:
a) Germany had the second largest navy behind Britain
b) Had pushed Britain closer to France and
Russia
c) Had wasted considerable money because
the fleet was bottled up for most of the war
d) If those resources had gone to the army
Germany would have won the war
William II was a proponent of the arms race
1890 German army was 20,000
1913 German army was 800,000
William was envious of the British
A navy would:
a) protect trade routes
b) express greatness
c) protect colonies
Naval strength: Britain; France; America;
Italy; Germany
1896 Alfred Tirpitz appointed Minister of
Marine
(Fisher was his British counterpart)
March 1898 - Naval Construction Act
called for:
11 battleships
5 heavy cruisers
17 small cruisers by 1905
Tirpitz claimed a navy would make
Germany great - (Bismarck had said it
would drive Britain to France)
Dec 1899 Hihenlohe called for a “Risk
Fleet” - so no power could pose a risk
June 1900 a new naval bill:
a) called 38 battleships in 20 years
b) regardless of cost
c) Reichstag to have no control over
spending
1905 Britain started the H.M.S.
Dreadnought
1906 German starts her own Dreadnought,
with demands for 6 before 1918, but their
model was susceptible to explosions
Britain was forced into the Naval Panic of
1909
But Germany couldn’t afford the largest
navy and largest army
3. Economic & Imperial Rivalries
Moroccan Crisis
The French wanted to establish a
protectorate over Morocco and gained
the support of other European countries
The Germans defended the rights of the
Moroccans
January 1905 German Chancellor
Bulow told Morocco of German support
The Dreyfus affair had wrecked France
France’s ally Russia was busy with
Japan
France was in no position to negotiate
Jan 16 Algeciras Conference Germany optimistic
a) Britain was France’s only ally
b) Italy, Austria-Hungary, US
supported Germany
c) Believed Spain would switch sides
German inept diplomacy alienated
everyone
Germany was now isolated
Prime Minister of Britain Lord Grey
discussed with France and Belgium
the possibility of war
4. Aggressive Nationalism
Nationalism
1900 there were 25 sovereign states in
Europe - none would admit to a higher
authority
Alliances created states less willing to
compromise
There was a huge build up in armament
after the Franco-Prussian War
Each nation should have its own state
France wanted Alsace-Lorraine returned
Italy wanted Austrian land
Patriotic literature motivated people “my
country, right or wrong”
Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914
The
“Powder Keg”
of Europe
1905 - Russia defeated by Japan
and loses credibility
1905 Failed revolution in Russia
causes countrywide instability
The Treaty of Berlin had given
Austria the right to administer
Bosnia-Herzegovina
In 1908 Austria annexed Bosnia and
Herzegovina - Serbia could do nothing
without Russian help
Russia and Austria made a deal for
mutual prestige
Russia acknowledges Austria’s right to Bosnia
Austria agreed with Russian control of the
Dardanelles
Austria took control of Bosnia
Russian control of the Dardanelles was
rejected
Serbia threatened to invade Bosnia to liberate
the Serbs
Austria-Hungary threatened to destroy Serbia
Germany supported Austrian claims to Bosnia
Russia supported Serbia
1911 Tripolitan War - Italy takes
Libya from Turkey
1912 Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece
wage war on Turkey - First Balkan
War
1913 Greece, Serbia, Rumania and
Turkey wage war against Bulgaria
- Second Balkan War
Archduke Franz Ferdinand &
His Family
The
“Spark”
Sarajevo
Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the
Austrian throne visit Bosnia on
Serbian Independence Day
He and his wife are assassinated in
Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip
Princip was a member of The Union
or Death (Black Hand)
This was the spark that ignited the Balkan
“powder keg”
His death was the excuse for Austria to move
against Serbia
July 6 1914 Germany promised to help Austria
in the event of war - the “blank check”
Austria demanded Serbia met their demands
i) condemn anti-Austrian propaganda
ii) suppress all anti-Austrian publications
iii) eliminate critical teachers and books
iv) allow Austria control the investigation
v) Serbian officers suspected were to be
arrested
July 22 Austrian ultimatum sent with
German approval and demanded a reply in
48 hours
Serbia agreed to all demands except those
over sovereignty
Serbia suggested arbitration
Austria refused and:
a) severed diplomatic relations
b) ordered partial mobilization
c) euphoria swept across Vienna
Russia was determined to support Serbia
Russia considered war inevitable
July 26, issued secret orders for a “period
preparatory to war”
July 27 Russia notified Austria if they crossed
the Serbian border the Russian army would
mobilize
July 28 Austria issued a declaration of war to
avoid more discussion
July 29 Austrian artillery bombards Serbia
July 29 Russia declares war against the Dual
Monarchy
The Assassination: Sarajevo
The Assassin:
Gavrilo
Princip
Who’s To Blame?
The Schlieffen Plan
German Atrocities in Belgium
Mobilization
Home by Christmas!
No major war
in 50 years!
Nationalism!
It's a long way to Tipperary,
It's a long way to go;
It's a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!
Goodbye, Piccadilly,
Farewell, Leicester Square,
It's a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart's right there!
Recruitment Posters
A Young Australian Recruit
Recruits of the
Central Powers
A German Soldier
Says Farewell to
His Mother
AustroHungarians
New French Recruits
A German Boy Pretends to Be a
Soldier
Soldiers Mobilized
14
12
Millions
10
8
6
4
2
0
France
Germany
Russia
Britain
Women
and the
War
Effort
Financing the War
For Recruitment
Munitions Workers
French Women Factory
Workers
German Women Factory Workers
Working in the Fields
A Woman Ambulance Driver
Red Cross Nurses
Women in the Army Auxiliary
Russian Women Soldiers
Spies
“Mata Hari”
Real Name:
Margareetha
Geertruide
Zelle
German Spy!
Posters:
Wartime
Propaganda
Australian Poster
American Poster
Financing the War
German Poster
Think of Your Children!
The Western Front:
A “War of
Attrition”
“The lights . . .”
France approved of Russian policy
Russia asked Britain to mediate
Britain suggested Austrian occupy part
of Serbia
Germany agreed to the Pledge Plan
July 30 Germany gave the plan to
Austria
Germany planned a meeting for July 31
July 31 Austria mobilized against Russia
British Foreign Secretary Grey “The
lamps are going out all over Europe, we
shall never see them lit again in our
lifetime”
The Outbreak of War
Austria hoped for a limited war
Austria declared war on Serbia
German “Blank Check” and urged
aggression
British followed isolationist ideals until
the violation of Belgium
élan vitale (strength of the people)
Revanche (revenge for 1870)
Most Europeans believed it would be a
short and decisive war
Germany, committed to fighting Russia in 1914, urged
Austria to invade Serbia
Germany was sure they could defeat France
and Britain would then stay neutral
Germany declared war on Russia and then two days
later France
Schlieffen Plan - indicated the Germans anticipated a
war on two fronts
August 4 1914 Germany invaded Belgium
France was utterly defeated, but Britain joined the war
Russia mobilized faster than expected
Moltke moved men from the west to the east
Germans reached the Marne River, 40 miles from
Paris
A Multi-Front War
The Western Front
Trench Warfare
Trench Warfare
“No Man’s
Land”
Verdun – February, 1916
German offensive.
Each side had 500,000
casualties.
The Somme – July, 1916
60,000 British soldiers killed in one
day.
Over 1,000,000 killed in 5 months.
War Is HELL !!
Sacrifices in War
Krupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun
The
Eastern
Front
War in the East
Russians invaded East Prussia
defeated at Tannenberg
Austria failing against Serbia and
Russia
Germany aided Austria and turned
the fight
BUT, Germany was fighting on two
fronts
November 1917, revolution in
Russia forced them to seek peace
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Forced by the liberals in Russia
Bolsheviks gain power
Russia loses:
Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Baltic
Provinces 34% of Russia’s population
89% coal mines
32% farmland
54% industry
The Gallipoli Disaster, 1915
Turkish Cavalry in Palestine
T. E. Lawrence
& the “Arab Revolt”, 1916-18
T. E. Lawrence & Prince
Faisal at Versailles, 1918-19
The Tsar with General Brusilov
The
“Colonial”
Fronts
Sikh British Soldiers in India
Fighting in Africa
Black Soldiers in the
German Schutztruppen
[German E. Africa]
British Sikh
Mountain Gunners
Fighting in Africa
3rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade
Fighting in Salonika, Greece
French colonial marine infantry from
Cochin, China - 1916
America
Joins
the
Allies
The United States
America was sympathetic to the Allies
Anti-German feelings
U-Boats
President Wilson
Lusitania
Resumption of unrestricted submarine
warfare
The Sinking
of the Lusitania
The Zimmerman Telegram
The Yanks
Are Coming!
Americans in the Trenches
The War of the
Industrial
Revolution:
New
Technology
French Renault Tank
British Tank at Ypres
U-Boats
Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats
The Airplane
“Squadron Over the Brenta”
Max Edler von Poosch, 1917
The Flying Aces of World War I
Eddie
Rickenbacher, US
Francesco
Barraco, It.
Eddie “Mick”
Mannoch, Br.
Willy Coppens de
Holthust, Belg.
Rene Pauk
Fonck, Fr.
Manfred von
Richtoffen, Ger.
[The “Red Baron”]
Curtis-Martin
U. S. Aircraft Plant
Looking for the “Red Baron?”
The Zeppelin
Flame
Throwers
Grenade
Launchers
Poison Gas
Machine Gun
“Art”
of
World
War I
“A Street in Arras”
John Singer Sargent, 1918
“Oppy Wood” – John Nash,
1917
“Those Who Have Lost Their
Names”
Albin Eggar-Linz, 1914
“Gassed and Wounded”
Eric Kennington, 1918
“Paths of Glory”
C. R. W. Nevinson, 1917
German Cartoon:
“Fit for active service!”, 1918
1918 Flu Pandemic:
Depletes All Armies
50,000,000 –
100,000,000 died
Kaiserschlacht
German’s last offensive before the US
joins the war
Major gains to break the deadlock
Battle of Belleau Woods the Allies
stopped the Germans
Armistice Day - November 11, 1918
11 a.m., November 11, 1918
The Armistice is Signed!
9,000,000 Dead
The Somme American
Cemetary, France
116,516 Americans Died
World War I Casualties
10,000,000
9,000,000
8,000,000
7,000,000
6,000,000
5,000,000
4,000,000
3,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
0
Russia
Germany
Austria-Hungary
France
Great Britain
Italy
Turkey
US
Turkish Genocide Against Armenians
A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!
Turkish Genocide Against Armenians
Districts & Vilayets of Western
Armenia in Turkey
1914
1922
Erzerum
215,000
1,500
Van
197,000
500
Kharbert
204,000
35,000
Diarbekir
124,000
3,000
Bitlis
220,000
56,000
Sivas
225,000
16,800
Western Anatolia
371,800
27,000
Cilicia and Northern Syria
309,000
70,000
European Turkey
194,000
163,000
73,390
15,000
2,133,190
387,800
Other Armenian-populated Sites
in Turkey
Trapizond District
Total
The Legacy of War
July 16, 1918 the Czar and his family are
massacred by Bolsheviks
September 30, Bulgaria accepts armistice – King
Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son
London – over 2,000 people were dying every
week from flu
October – Czechoslovakia proclaimed itself a
republic
Hungary announced independence of Austria on
the same day
October 30, Turkey makes a separate peace, but
a settlement would come later (Peace of Sèvres,
1920)
November 3, Austria signs an armistice and
becomes a republic when Emperor Karl resigns
Hungary announced independence of Austria on
the same day
November 11, fighting is stopped
Britain, France, and Russia had promised
Greece large parts of Turkey
1919 Greece took Ismir and started Turkish
resistance
Britain had promised Constantinople to the
Russians – but not the Bolsheviks
Britain and France had secretly decided to
divide the Middle East between themselves
(Sykes-Picot Treaty)
Iraq and Palestine being British
Syria being French
The British had told the Russians the secret
before the Revolution. Now the Bolsheviks told
the world
Italy became furious – Britain offered Italy
parts of Turkey including Ismir
Civil war broke out in Italy – settled in 1922 by
Mussolini
In 1914 Egypt had been made a British
protectorate and expected independence in
1918 but didn’t get it until 1922
Palestine was made British Mandate with the
aim of creating a Jewish homeland - Uganda
Iraq became a British Mandate (Arabic
=domination)
Syria became a French Mandate
Versailles Treaty
Initially all agreed but later Europeans wanted to punish
Germany
Russia was not invited
Controlled by Britain, France, Italy, US
Clemenceau most concerned with future French future
France received the coal mines of the Saar for 15 years
Allied troops would occupy Germany for 15 years
Germany had to renounce the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Germany lost her colonies
Germany had to pay for the damage done
League of Nations
President Wilson’s Fourteen point plan
was designed to create world peace
League of Nations to prevent future wars
France regained Alsace-Lorraine
U.S. refused to sign - Senate believed they
would lose the power to declare war
For security:
a. France signed a defensive alliance with
Poland
b. Wanted strict implementation of the
Treaty if the U.S. would not sign
The dictated peace only served to anger
Germans and encourage German
hostility
Clause 231 – War guilt clause – blamed
Germany for the war