Transcript War of

THE FIRST WORLD
WAR
1914-1918
“The Great War”; “The War To
End All Wars”
• In your notes: What do you want to learn
about WWI (and America’s participation in
it)?
– “Nothing” is not an acceptable response!
Why Learn About WWI?
• Global effects (Direct)
– “Just about everything that happened in the
remainder of the century was in one way or
another a result of World War I …”
– For Europeans, the war is the epochal event
of the century
• Bolshevik Revolution in Russia
– Lenin, Stalin, USSR, Cold War with USA
• The rise of fascism, World War II, concentration
camps and the Holocaust
– Atomic bomb
Why Learn About WWI?
• Global effects (Indirect)
– The Great Depression & rise of Hitler
– The collapse of European colonialism
• WWI killed more people, involved more
countries (28) and cost more $ than any
previous war in history
– 9 million combatants, 5 million civilians
• Total war
– $186 (directly) and another $151 (indirectly)
– No way to determine what those who died might
have contributed to mankind
Why Learn About WWI?
• First war to use airplanes, tanks, long range
artillery, submarines, and poison gas
• Left 7 million men permanently disabled
• Downfall of 4 monarchies
– Russia (1917); Germany (1918), Austria-Hungary
(1918), and Turkey (1922)
• Severely disrupted the European economies and
allowed the USA to become the world’s leading
creditor and industrial power
• Social consequences
– Armenian genocide
– Influenza epidemic (25 to 50 million killed worldwide)
Why Learn About WWI?
• Belief in human progress was shattered
– Created a “lost generation” in both Europe and
the US
• The “Peace to End All Peace” left a legacy of
bitterness that contributed to WWII twentyone years later
• America became a major (although reluctant)
player in world affairs
• Other profound changes in American life
– To be discussed later
CAUSES OF THE WAR
Historians have traditionally cited
four long-term causes of the First
World War
NATIONALISM – a devotion to
the interests and culture of one’s
nation
IMPERIALISM – Economic and
political control over weaker
nations
MILITARISM – The growth of
nationalism and imperialism led
to increased military spending
ALLIANCE SYSTEM – By 1907
Europe was divided into two
armed camps
NATIONALISM
 Often nationalism led
to rivalries and conflicts
between nations (“My
country, right or wrong!”)
 Additionally, various
ethnic groups resented
domination by others
and wanted
independence
 Russia and AustriaHungary disagreed over
the treatment of Serbs in
central Europe
Germany was allied with
Austria-Hungary while
Russia, France and Britain
were partners
IMPERIALISM
 For many centuries,
European nations built
empires
 Colonies supplied European
nations with raw materials and
provided markets for
manufactured goods
 As Germany industrialized it
competed directly with France
and Britain
 Major European countries
also competed for land in
Africa
MILITARISM
 Empires had to be defended and
European nations increased
military spending enormously in
the late 19th and early 20th century
 By 1890 the strongest nation
militarily in Europe was Germany
 Germany had a strong army and
built up a navy to rival England’s
fleet
 France, Italy, Japan and the
United States quickly joined in the
naval buildup
Battleships were being stockpiled by European
nations, Japan and America in the late 19th and
early 20th century – The “Dreadnaught Gap”
ALLIANCE SYSTEM
 By 1907 there were two
major defense alliances in
Europe
TRIPLE ENTENTE
 The Triple Entente, later
known as the Allies,
consisted of France, Britain,
and Russia
FRANCE
BRITAIN
RUSSIA
The Triple Alliance, later
known as the Central
Powers, consisted of
Germany, Austria-Hungary,
and Italy (Soon joined by the
Ottoman Empire
THE SPARK: AN ASSASSINATION
 The Balkan region was considered
“the powder keg of Europe” due to
competing interests in the area
 Russia wanted access to the
Mediterranean Sea
 Germany wanted a rail link to the
Ottoman Empire
 Austria-Hungary, which had taken
control of Bosnia in 1878, accused
Serbia of subverting its rule over
Bosnia
The Archduke is assassinated in
Sarajevo in June 1914
 Finally, in June of 1914, Archduke
Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian
throne was gunned down by a Serbia
radical igniting a diplomatic crisis
Austrian
Archduke Franz
Ferdinand was
killed in Bosnia by
a Serbian
nationalist group
called the Black
Hand who
believed that
Bosnia should
belong to Serbia.
The Black Hand..
• The main objective of
the Black Hand was the
creation, by means of
violence, of a Greater
Serbia.
• Its stated aim was: "To
realize the national
ideal, the unification of
all Serbs. This
organization prefers
terrorist action to
cultural activities; it will
therefore remain
secret."
Domino Effect
Austria blamed Serbia for Ferdinand’s death and declared
war on Serbia.
Germany pledged their support for Austria -Hungary.
Russia pledged their support for Serbia.
Domino Effect
Germany declares war on Russia.
France pledges their support for Russia.
Germany declares war on France.
Germany invades Belgium on the way to France.
Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on Germany.
Review – The MAIN causes of
WWI
•
•
•
•
•
M = militarism
A = alliances
I = imperialism
N = nationalism
In your notes: “ Which of the above was
the most significant cause? Explain your
answer.
THE FIGHTING BEGINS
 The Alliance system pulled one
nation after another into the conflict
– The Great War had begun
 On August 3, 1914, Germany
invaded Belgium, following a
strategy known as the Schlieffen
Plan
 This plan called for a quick strike
through Belgium to Paris, France
Next, Germany would attack
Russia
 The plan was designed to prevent
a two-front war for Germany
 see map on page 375
The Schliefflen Plan
THE WAR BECOMES A STALEMATE
 Unable to save Belgium, the Allies
retreated to the Marne River in France
where they halted the German
advance in September of 1914
 Both sides dug in for a long siege
 By the spring of 1915, two parallel
systems of deep trenches crossed
France from Belgium to Switzerland
 There were 3 types of trenches;
front line, support, and reserve
 Between enemy trenches was “no
man’s land” – an area pockmarked
with shell craters and filled with
barbed wire (see graphic on pg 376)
British soldiers standing in mud
Why was WWI a Stalemate?
• What’s a stalemate?
– Neither side can make a move to win.
• Machine gun. How did this change war?
How was it fought before?
• Trench Warfare = “solution”.
• Millions die without gaining ground.
#23
FIRST BATTLE OF THE SOMME
 During the First Battle of the
Somme - which began July 1, 1916
and lasted until mid-November –
the British suffered 60,000
casualties the first day
 Final casualties for the First
Battle of the Somme totaled 1.2
million, yet only 7 miles of ground
was gained
Gas attacks were common
features of trench life and often
caused blindness and lung
disease
 This bloody trench warfare, in
which armies fought for mere
yards of ground, lasted for three
years
#35
TECHNOLOGY
IN THE GREAT
WAR 1914-1918
“Industrialized
warfare: “death
wholesale not
retail”
6000 killed/day
#36
#37
NEW WEAPONS USED
 Machine Guns – Guns could now fire 600 rounds per minute
 The Tank – New steel tanks ran on caterpillar treads
 Airplanes – Early dogfights resembled duals, however by 1918 the
British had a fleet of planes that could deliver bomb loads
 Poison Gas – mustard gas was used to subdue the enemy
#50
Chlorine Gas
#51
Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum est (1917)
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And floundering like a man in fire or lime.
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in.
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Famous poem by Wilfred
Owen about the evils of
mustard gas
Soldier Poets
In Flanders Field – John
McCrae (Br)
I have a rendezvous with
death – Alan Seeger (US/Fr)
•
I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air—
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath—
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.
God knows 'twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where Love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear...
But I've a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.
AMERICANS QUESTION NEUTRALITY
 In 1914, most Americans saw no
reason to join a struggle 3,000 miles
away – they wanted neutrality
 Some simply did not want their
sons to experience the horror of
warfare
 German-Americans supported
Germany in World War I
 However, many American felt close
to the British because of a shared
ancestry and language
 Most importantly, American
economic interests were far stronger
with the Allies
French propaganda poster portrayed
the Germans as inhuman and impacted
American attitudes toward the Germans
U.S. Neutrality
-U.S. declares neutrality in the
war– President Wilson
-develops sympathy for the
Allied cause
Some atrocity stories—spread by
British propaganda—referred to
Germany as the “Bully of Europe.”
Stories of Germany attacking
civilians, destroying villages,
cathedrals, libraries, and even
hospitals prompted sympathy
among Americans. This was spread
through British propaganda aimed
at the US:
"It should be America's duty to help
us subdue the mad dog of Europe."
•Americans feel loyalty to
Britain as stories of atrocity
circulate through propaganda
-Begin to export war materials
•U.S. begins to ship millions of
dollars in supplies to Allies
United States Policy Towards War
Economics
- During the first two years of the war the U.S. had a business
recession and unemployment reached approx. 15%.
- Economic recovery became dependent on sales of war materials
to the Allies.
- Allies took out loans with American Banks = good financial
sense for the U.S. to see Allies win. Allies would need victory to
pay off war debts to U.S.
IS THIS NETURALITY?
War at Sea
• The Schlieffen Plan fails and a stalemate ensues.
•1) British impose a strict BLOCKADE (map pg 375)
–This was meant to starve out the enemy regardless of international law.
–The British stopped, searched, and (sometimes) seized American Ships.
• deja vu all over again (War of ______ ?)
–There was a difference between war supplies and food under
international law but it was ignored by the British.
(Is there a difference?)
2) Germany responds with submarine warfare
–- Waters
were declared war zones.
–- NEUTRAL ships became unsafe.
–- Sinking NEUTRAL ships was looked upon as more offensive
than the British Blockade.
THE WAR HITS HOME
 During the first two years of
the war, America was providing
(selling) the allied forces
dynamite, cannon powder,
submarines, copper wire and
tubing and other war material
 Both the Germans and British
imposed naval blockades on
each other
German U-boat 1919
 The Germans used U-boats
(submarines) to prevent
shipments to the North Atlantic
 Any ship found in the waters
around Britain would be sunk
United States Policy Towards War
1914 – American public firmly opposed to intervention in a
European War.
- Wilson re-elected in 1916 running on a NON-INTERVENTION
platform. (“He kept us out of war”)
- HOWEVER, after the outbreak of war the U.S. pursued a neutrality
that favored the Allies. This made it so the U.S. became increasingly
tied to an Allied victory. HOW? WHY?
United States Policy Towards War
German Submarine Warfare
- U.S. officials asserted the doctrine of neutral rights for American
ships.
- Germany relied on their submarine fleet to break the British
blockade and strangle Britain economically. Believed the could
defeated Britain in six months if they were successful.
- Attacked ships of great Britain and ships
headed to Great Britain.
- German subs often fired on neutral ships
without firing a warning as required by
international laws.
THE LUSITANIA DISASTER
 United States involvement in
World War I was hastened by the
Lusitania disaster
 The Lusitania was a British
passenger liner that carried 1,198
persons on a fateful trip on May 7,
1915
 A German U-boat sank the British
passenger liner killing all aboard
including 128 American tourists
 The Germans claimed the ship
was carrying Allied ammunition
 Americans were outraged and
public opinion turned against
Germany and the Central Powers
May 7, 1915
United States Policy Towards War
Sinking of the Lusitania: May 7, 1915
- German submarine sank the British passenger liner Lusitania off the
Irish coast with a loss of 1,198 lives, including 128 U.S. citizens.
-Technically, the ship was a legitimate target, because it carried 4,200
cases of AMMUNITION and traveled through a
declared war zone.
- Much of the American public was outraged
and public opinion began
to turn against
Germany. (Propaganda)
1916 ELECTION
 The November 1916 election
pitted incumbent Democrat
Woodrow Wilson vs.
Republican candidate Supreme
Court justice Charles Evans
Hughes
 Wilson won a close election
using the slogan, “He kept us
out of war”
Wilson
 That slogan would prove
ironic because within a few
months the United States
would be embroiled in World
War I
Election of 1916
“He kept us out of war!!!!”
United States Policy Towards War
The Zimmerman Note
- Arthur Zimmerman, a German official, sent a telegram to the German
ambassador in Mexico asking him to make an offer to the MEXICAN
Government.
- If Mexico agreed to become an ally with Germany in the war against
the U.S., Germany promised Mexico would regain its “lost TERRITORY
in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona” after the war.
- British intelligence intercepted the message and shortly after it was
leaked to the U.S. press. This infuriated Americans and helped
push the country to war.
AMERICA EDGES CLOSER TO
WAR
Several factors came together to
bring the U.S. into the war;
(Zimmerman note)
Encoded message from Germany
to Mexico
1) Germany ignored Wilson’s
plea for peace
2) The Zimmerman Note, a
telegram from the German
foreign minister to the German
Ambassador in Mexico, proposed
an alliance
 Germany promised Mexico a
return of their “lost territory” in
Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
3) Next came the sinking of four
unarmed U.S. merchant ships by
German subs
Zimmerman
note
intercepted
by a British
agent and
decoded
AMERICA DECLARES WAR
 A light drizzle fell on
Washington on April 2, 1917,
as senators, representatives,
ambassadors, members of the
Supreme Court, and other
guests crowded into the
Capital building to hear Wilson
deliver his declaration of war
 Wilson said, “The world
must be safe for democracy”
 Congress passed the
resolution a few days later
United States Policy Towards War
United States Declares War: April 6, 1917
- February 1917 Germany resumed
unrestricted Submarine warfare.
(Had lessened after sinking of
the Lusitania.)
- Wilson declared, “Warfare against
commerce,” equals “warfare
against mankind. The world must
be made safe for democracy.”
Review
• Answer in your notes
• Describe some ways in which WWI
threatened the lives of civilians on both
sides of the Atlantic.
• Why were America’s ties with the Allies
stronger than its ties with the Central
Powers?
• Why do you think Germany escalated its
U-boat attacks in 1917?
Review
• What were the main reasons for U.S.
involvement in the war?
SECTION 2: AMERICAN POWER
TIPS THE BALANCE
 America was not ready for
war – only 200,000 men were
in service when war was
declared
 Congress passed the
Selective Service Act in May
of 1917
 By the end of 1918, 24
million had signed up and
almost 3 million were called
to duty
 About 2 million American
troops reached Europe
FRESH U.S. SOLDIERS JOIN
FIGHT
 After 2 ½ years of fighting,
the Allied forces were
exhausted
 One of the main
contributions of the Americans
was fresh and enthusiastic
troops
 American infantry were
nicknamed “doughboys”
because of their white belts
 Most doughboys had never
ventured far from the farms or
small towns they lived in
AMERICAN TROOPS GO ON
THE OFFENSIVE
 When Russia surrendered to
the Germans in 1917, it allowed
the Central Powers to focus on
the Western Front
 By May, the Germans were
within 50 miles of Paris
Men of the 42nd Division during the
Second Marne. These men were
killed by artillery fire just 5 minutes
after this photo was taken
 The Americans arrived and
immediately played a major role in
pushing the Germans back
In July and August the Americans
helped the Allies win the Second
Battle of the Marne
AMERICAN WAR HERO
 Alvin York, a blacksmith from
Tennessee, originally sought an
exemption from the war as a
Conscientious Objector
 York eventually decided it was
morally acceptable to fight if the
cause was right
 On October 8, 1918, armed
with only a rifle and a revolver,
York killed 25 Germans and (with
six doughboys) captured 132
prisoners
The man
The movie
 Upon his return home he was
promoted to Sergeant and hailed
a hero
GERMANY
GERMANY COLLAPSES;
COLLAPSES,
THE GREAT
WAR WAR
ENDSENDS
 On November 3, 1918,
Germany’s partner, AustriaHungary, surrendered to the
Allies
 That same day, German sailors
mutinied against their
government
 Other revolts followed, and
Germany was too exhausted to
continue
 So at the eleventh hour, on the
eleventh day, of the eleventh
month of 1918, Germany signed
a truce ending the Great War
War ends 11/11/18