Transcript World War I – Beginnings

World War I –
Beginnings
Chapters 27.1 – 27.2
Causes of World War I
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Nationalism
Many feared Germany’s growing power in Europe
Many ethnic groups resented domination by others and hoped
for independence
Imperialism
As Germany industrialized, it competed with France and Britain
for colonies
Militarism
By 1890, Germany had become the strongest nation in Europe
France, Italy, Japan and the U.S. quickly joined the naval arms
race
If one country mobilized, others would mobilize in selfdefense
Alliance System
Triple Entente, or Allies
Triple Alliance, or Central Powers
Germany tried to remain neutral with Russia – creating the
Three Emperors’ League, and later the Reinsurance Treaty
An Assassination Leads to War
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Conflict arose in the
Balkan Peninsula –
known as the Balkan
“powder keg”
Serbia wanted Bosnia
and Herzegovina to
create a larger Slavic
state
June 1914, Archduke
Franz Ferdinand is
shot in Sarajevo,
Bosnia
Austria-Hungary gave
Serbia an ultimatum
Mobilization of Europe
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July 28, AustriaHungary declared war
on Serbia
Aug. 1: Germany
declares war on Russia;
Aug 3: Germany
declares war on France
Belgium had promised
to remain neutral in all
European wars in 1839
– wouldn’t help any
belligerents
Britain declared war on
Germany and AustriaHungary after they
invaded Belgium
The War Expands
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August – Japan enters the war
Italy remained neutral for 10 months
May 1915 – Italy entered the war
against Germany Austria-Hungary
Germany had persuaded the
Ottoman Empire to fight alongside
them
The Belligerents
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Soldiers felt the
war would be
very quick
Central
Powers:
• Germany,
AustriaHungary,
Bulgaria,
Ottoman
Empire
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Allied
Powers:
• Great Britain,
France, Russia
World War I - Alliances
The War Introduces New Hazards
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Tanks and airplanes helped begin an era of
mechanized warfare
The Germans used U-boats to control the seas
Machine guns and long-range artillery began to
be used
The new weapons and tactics of World War I led
to horrific injuries and dangers:
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Surrounded by filth, lice, rats and polluted water
Suffered from lack of sleep
“Shell Shock”
“Trench Foot”
“Trench Mouth”
WWI - Injuries
Promoting War
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Soldiers in WWI were mostly drafted
civilians
“Total War”
Governments used propaganda to
stir patriotism
The Early Years of the War
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Aug 3, 1914 – Germany enacts the
“Schlieffen Plan”
France and Britain defeated Germany in
the Battle of the Marne
By spring of 1915, two parallel systems of
trenches crossed France
Russia mobilized their troops on the
Eastern Front
August 1914 – Battle of Tannenberg
Germany launched an offensive into
Russian Poland
Continued Fighting
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1915 – Britain and France decide to
take Constantinople
British and French troops bombarded
the Turks on the Gallipoli Peninsula
After 8 months, the Allies abandoned
Gallipoli
Naval Warfare
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British blockaded the North Sea
Germany used its U-boats to set up
its own blockade on Britain
Woodrow Wilson warned Germany
May 1916 – Battle of Jutland
The trench warfare created a war of
attrition
The United States and WWI
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America began to trade with the Allies more than
the Central powers – ships were seized if they
carried contraband
British propaganda about German atrocities
angered Americans
The Zimmerman Note pushed America even
closer towards war
4 unarmed American merchant ships were sunk
as the Germans declared Britain a “war zone”
March, 1917 – Russian monarchy replaced with a
representative government
April 6, 1917 – American officially declares war
on Germany