Transcript Ch. 8: WWI - cloudfront.net

Ch. 8: WWI – The
Great War
1914 - 1918
Section 1 – The Road to WWI
Objectives: To identify the political &
military forces that took root in Europe
in the late 1800s
To summarize the events that set WWI
in motion
Section 1: The Road to WWI

Objectives: To identify the political &
military forces that took root in Europe in
the late 1800s
AND

To summarize the events that set WWI in
motion
I. Nationalism & the System of
Alliances
A.
After the Congress of Vienna
(1814-15), other attempts to
maintain peace on the
continent failed by the late
1800s –  WHY? 
Rise of NATIONALISM
Led to competition between
nations & rivalry among Europe’s
“Great Powers”: Germany,
Austria-Hungary, Britain, Russia
& France
1.
B.
IMPERIALISM
Competed for colonies: markets
& materials
1.

Disputes in N. Africa
Territorial disputes:
2.


France & Germany over AlsaceLorraine
A-H & Russia over the Balkans
JUST TO CLARIFY!

Alsace –Lorraine

The Balkans
C. Militarism
1.
2.
3.
Arms race: a competition to be the most
armed with weapons, armies, and military
technology
By 1914 all Great Powers had large standing
armies able to quickly mobilize
Glorified military power & kept armies
prepared for war
Rivalries led to the creation of military alliances,
which were designed to keep peace, but ended up
leading to war
Otto von Bismarck, German Chancellor, unified
Germany in 1871 via “blood & iron”
By 1871, Germany & Britain were the two most
powerful nations in the world
3)
4)
5)
•
goal to be in a majority of three in any dispute among
the five great European powers and to preserve
Germany’s peaceful ties with Russia.
3)
Bismarck considered France to be the biggest
threat to the peace & stability in Europe &
wanted to isolate France
a)
b)
c)

1879: Dual Alliance b/w Germany & Austria-Hungary
1882: Triple Alliance created when Italy joined
1887: Treaty w/ Russia (enemy of A-H)
Kaiser Wilhelm II quickly upset Bismarck's delicate
balance of power:
 forced Bismarck to resign in 1890
 refused to renew treaty with Russia, & found itself
in a minority of two. Its only European ally, was the
weakest of the European powers, Austria-Hungary
 1891: Russia formed defensive alliance with France
****war w/ either Russia or France means war w/
both & a 2-FRONT war for Germany*****
By 1907, 2 Rival Alliances in
Europe
Triple Alliance:
 Germany
 Austria-Hungary
 Italy
Triple Entente:
* Britain
* France
* Russia
D. Internal Dissent
1.
Working class & lower middle class wanted a
bigger share of economic wealth




Unions demanded better wages
Socialist parties wanted to end capitalist system
Conservative leaders feared that social class
conflicts would lead to revolution
War was supposed to join all social classes
together against a foreign enemy & distract from
domestic problems
II. The Outbreak of War: Summer
1914
Crisis in the Balkans, the “powder keg” of Europe
A.

Balkan peninsula in SE Europe has history of nationalist
uprisings & ethnic rivalries
With the decline of the Ottoman Empire, several new
nations were created: Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro,
Romania, Serbia
Rivalry b/w A-H & Russia for control of these new
states
Serbia, allied w/ Russia, wanted to create large,
independent Slavic state
1.
2.
3.


A-H feared Serbian nationalism b/c feared revolution
among A-H’s Slavic pop.
1908: A-H annexed Bosnia & Herzegovina, upsetting Serbs
B. Assassination in Sarajevo,
1914
1.
2.
3.
Archduke of A-H:
Franz Ferdinand &
wife, Sophia visited
Bosnian capital
Gavrilo Princip,
Serbian nationalist &
member of the Black
Hand, assassinated the
pair
Results: Austria
declared war on Serbia
1 month later & its
ally, Russia, mobilizes
its troops toward
Austrian border
Chain Reaction
(DO NOT COPY)
The tripwire that set off the
century’s first global conflict
was Austria's declaration of
war against Serbia on July 28,
1914. A war between Austria
and Serbia meant a war
between Austria and Russia,
Serbia's traditional ally. That
meant war between Russia
and Germany. And that
meant war between Germany
and France. And that meant
war between Germany and
Great Britain. In a flash, the
whole continent was at war.
C. Collapse of the Alliance
System
A-H declaration of war
on Serbia sets off
chain reaction:
1.



Russia mobilizes on
G. & A-H borders “as
a precaution”
G. sees it as
declaration of war &
Aug. 1 declares war
on Russia
Expecting France to
aid Russia, G. also
declares war on
France, Aug. 3
British recruiting office
Students in Berlin enlisting
D. Schlieffen Plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
German military strategy in
the event of 2-front war
Attack France in West, quickly
defeat, then move east to fight
Russia
Dependent upon 6-week
mobilization of Russia, but
only took 10 days (oops!)
French troops already
stationed along German
border


Germany asked Belgium to
allow its troops to pass
through to attack N. France,
but, as a neutral nation,
refused: Germany invaded!
Britain declared war on
Germany Aug. 4 for violating
Belgian neutrality & also for
concerns if allies lost
Ch. 8.2: The War
I. 1914 – 1915: Stalemate
A.
Countries take
Sides:
Central Powers:
Germany, A-H,
joined by the
Ottoman Empire &
Bulgaria
B.
Most people
believed the war
would be over by
Christmas due to
new technology
VS.
Allies: France,
Russia, GB, joined
by Japan & Italy
C. The Western Front
1.
Allied victory at 1st Battle of the Marne (Sept. 6-12,
1914) & Belgian resistance breaks Schlieffen Plan

2.
Considered most important battle of WWI

3.
Germans at edge of Paris by Sept. 3, French launch
counter attack 9/5 at Marne River Valley forcing German
retreat 60 mi. by 9/13
Caused collapse of S. Plan & w/ Russia’s invasion in
east, forced German army to send troops to eastern front
& into a 2-Front war
Stalemate on Western Front
READ ONLY SLIDE!!!!!!!!!!!
Battle of the Marne leads to
stalemate on the Western Front
Battles fought along this front include - Marne,
September 1914; first battle of Ypres, October November 1914; Verdun, February - December
1916; Somme, July - November 1916;
Passchendale, July - November 1917; Cambrai,
November 1917; Marne, July 1918.
The map below shows the
geographical position of the Western
Front stretching from Belgium in the
north to Switzerland in the south.
Each colored square represents 50,000
men. Yellow represents the German
army, blue the French, red the British
and orange the Belgian army.
Battle of the Marne (1st)

By the end of August 1914, the German armies were
heading towards Paris. The British and French armies were
in retreat, and many of Paris' citizens evacuated. The French
Commander-in-Chief, Joseph Joffre, organized an attack on
the Germans. The Allied forces made defensive lines near
Paris. On September 6 many French armies, including the
French 6th army, wheeled around to attack the Germans.
The French 5th army and the BEF advanced into the hole
created by the attacking armies. They battled for three days.
The French 6th army came close to defeat, but 6,000 reserve
troops were rushed into the fray. The German Commanderin-Chief, General Helmuth von Moltke, ordered the armies
to retreat. The Allies forces advanced slowly allowing the
Germans to reunite at River Aisne. The French and German
lost around 250,000 men each, and the British lost around
12,733 men. The Allied victory prevented Germany from
winning the war in one swift attack. However, hope of a
short war was lost when the German armies escaped.
STUDENT VOLUNTEER?
4. Trench Warfare on the Western
Front:



By 1915, 500 mi. of
parallel trenches
separated by barbed
wire entanglements &
strips of territory
called “no man’s
land” were dug from
the N. Sea to
Switzerland
Small land gains,
large casualties
Soldiers slept, ate,
lived in mud w/ rats,
disease, no fresh food
Trench models:
Trench Warfare:


Soldiers in the trenches
suffered from trench foot,
being buried alive in mud,
eaten by rats, and
dysentery, in addition to
the constant threat of
gunfire, grenades, poison
gas and flamethrowers.
Some soldiers committed
suicide rather than deal
with trench life.
Trench Warfare
[READ ONLY]


Soldiers were required
to carry kit bags over
the trenches that
weighed on average
66-lbs.
Extra socks were
necessary to avoid
trench foot, and
soldiers were required
to change socks twice
a day.
5. Weapons Technology


New weapons included
the tank, use of poison
gas, improved machine
guns, combat airplanes,
and the U-boat, or
submarine.
The new weapons
technology did not end
the war faster, it only
succeeded in killing
greater numbers of men.
Machine Guns
Rifles
Tanks
Poison Gas
Artillery
Aircraft
Airships
U-Boats
D. The Eastern Front
1.
2.
3.
4.
The war on eastern front
was more mobile than the
west.
Russia & Serbia vs.
Germany, A-H, Ottomans
Russia initially successful,
but driven back by
Germans
By 1916, Russia’s army was
in desperate need of
supplies and was in danger
of withdrawing: unable to
get supplies from Allies:
German naval blockade in
N. & Ottomans blocked S.
The map above shows the geographical location of the Eastern front stretching from Riga in
the north to Czernowitz in the south. The orange line shows the position of the Eastern Front
in 1915. Each colored square represents 50,000 men. Red represents the Russian army, yellow,
German soldiers and blue Austro-Hungarian.
E. The Gallipoli Campaign
1.
2.
The Allies launched the
Gallipoli campaign in
1915 in an attempt to
defeat the Ottomans
and thereby open up a
supply-line to Russia, as
well as a route to attack
A-H via the Danube.
It failed, but Russia
stayed in war until 1917
& tied up German
army for 3 years
F. A Global Conflict
1.
SW Asia / Middle East

Allies determined to
defeat Ottoman
Turks:

British soldier, T.E.
Lawrence
(Lawrence of
Arabia) helped Arab
nationalists rise up
against Turkish
rulers

Successful guerilla
raids allowed Allied
to gain control of
Baghdad, Jerusalem,
& Damascus
2.

3.

4.

Asia:
The Japanese took over
German outposts in
China & colonial
possessions in the Pacific
Africa:
British & French took
control of 3 (of 4) German
possessions
Troops & laborers were
recruited from European
colonies in India, S.
Africa, Senegal, Egypt,
Algeria & Indochina
Colonial subjects fought
& supported war effort in
the hopes it would lead to
independence.
II. Entry of the United States
A. German policy of “unrestricted submarine warfare”
1.
By 1917, Germany suffered due to crop failures
(potatoes 1916) & GB blockade
2.
Germany established its own blockade: German
subs (u-boats) sank any ship in British waters w/o
warning
3.
Re-instatement of earlier policy was abandoned
after the 1915 sinking of the British passenger ship,
the Lusitania (128 US citizens killed; 1198 total
dead)
4.
Germans hoped the strategy would lead to British
defeat before US could mobilize after sinking of 3
U.S. ships
5.
In 1917, Germany sank 3,000 ships w/ Allied
supplies
US Enters WWI: 1917
Propaganda after the
Lusitania
Sun Tzu, The Art of War,
500BC
All warfare is based on deception.
Attack him where he is unprepared,
appear where you are not expected.
These military devices, leading to
victory, must not be divulged
beforehand.
B. The Zimmermann Telegram
1.
2.
3.
4.
The British intercepted &
decoded a telegram from
the German foreign
secretary to the German
ambassador in Mexico.
Germany offered to help
Mexico “reconquer” land
lost to the U.S. if Mexico
would align w/ Germany
(TX, AZ, NM)
British turned over
telegram to U.S
President Wilson asked
Congress to declare war
on April 6, 1917
III. The Home Front: Total
War
1.
2.
3.
Countries at war were
engaged in a total war.
All resources were devoted
to the war effort: factories
shifted production from
consumer goods to war
materials; goods/food was
rationed
Women went to work to fill
in during the war & got the
vote by the end of the war in
Germany, Austria, the US &
GB
4. Propaganda

Propaganda is the spreading of
ideas, information, or rumor
for the purpose of helping a
purpose, a cause, or a country.

Each of the nations which
participated in WWI from
1914-18 used propaganda
posters not only as a means of
justifying involvement to their
own populace, but also as a
means of procuring men,
money and resources to sustain
the military campaign.
Poster #1: Calling for War




Source: Propaganda Slides 34-38 Tom Carty, Middle Level
Learning 30, pp. M9-M15, NCSS 2008.
Published in 1915 in London by the
Parliamentary Recruiting
Committee. Partridge Barnard was
the artist.
Subject: Sinking of the Lusitania by
a German U-Boat, May 7, 1915, in
which 1,153 lives (128 US citizens)
lost.
Germany claimed that munitions
bound for the Allies were in the
ship’s hidden cargo, which, years
later, were proven true.
The 1864 Geneva Convention laid
the foundation for contemporary
humanitarian law. It called for
protecting the victims of conflicts,
respect for medical personnel, &
care of wounded soldiers of any
side. This includes direct attacks on
civilians.
Poster #2: EnticementRecruiting & the Draft



Published in 1917 by the
US. Artist: Howard
Chandler Christy.
Pres. Wilson created the
Committee on Public
Information to win
popular support for the
war & encourage men to
join the military.
The CPI hired artists &
cartoonists to paint
patriotic posters &
murals.
Poster #3: Loyalty on the Home Front



Published in 1918 by the US.
Walter Whitehead was the artist.
The war brought a huge change to
the US economy & to everyday
civilian life. Factories that had
turned out sewing machines or
cars began making machine guns
& airplanes. Materials such as
steel, cloth, rubber, & leather were
diverted to the war effort.
The gov even asked citizens to
change their eating habits as the
country began to ship much of its
food to Europe for the Allied
armies & civilians, whose own
farmlands had become
battlefields.
Poster #4: Imagining the
Enemy (write the yellow text)




Published around 1918 by the
US. Artist: F. Strothmann.
The US gov sold Liberty Bonds
as a way to finance the war.
The US emerged after the war
as the world’s leading economic
power, but the main legacy of
the war in Europe was
economic instability.
In all combatant countries,
some 70mn. men served in the
military. Of these, about 9mn
died (13%).
About 116,000 US soldiers were
killed.
U.S. Propaganda Posters: Total War
U.S. Propaganda
Canada
Canada
Australia, Canada,
and France
German Propaganda
Ch. 8.4: End of the
War
U.S. In – Russia Out: 1917


By 1917, Russia had
lost millions of
soldiers and were
short of food, fuel and
supplies.
Lenin returns to
Russia with German
aid with the promise
of “peace, land, and
bread.”
I. Allies Win the War
A.
1.
2.
Eastern Front:
By March 1917, Czar
Nicholas II forced to
abdicate throne due to
civil unrest as a result of
food shortages, fuel
shortages & loss of 5.5
mn. Soldiers
Nov. 1917, 2nd Russian
Revolution led by
Bolshevik (Communist)
leader, Lenin, aided by
Germany (b/c Lenin
promised to end war)
B. Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk, 1918
1.
2.
3.
The Treaty of BrestLitovsk, signed in 1918,
ended the war between
Russia and Germany.
Russia gave up lands in
the Baltic area; Finland,
Lithuania, Latvia, and
Estonia.
The treaty was never
enforced because of
Germany’s defeat. Those
countries became
independent.
C. Western Front
1.
2.
Russia’s withdrawal allowed Germany to
focus on 1 front
Second Battle of the Marne, July 1918:

3.
Final German offensive stopped by combined
French, Moroccan, & American soldiers
Central Powers crumble



Bulgarians & Turks surrender
A-H revolution collapses empire
Germany: soldiers mutiny & Kaiser Wilhelm II
forced to resign & the WEIMAR REPUBLIC is
declared
D. Armistice! 1918
1.
2.
3.
4.
With the US entry to the
war in 1917, the Central
Powers were quickly
defeated.
After 4 years of fighting,
an armistice was signed
in November, 1918 after
Kaiser Wilhelm II was
forced to step down.
A revolution in AustriaHungary ended their
war.
The Ottoman Turks and
Bulgaria surrendered.
E. The Paris Peace Conference
1.
2.
The Big 4: Delegates
from France, Britain,
Italy, and the U.S. were
present for the treaty
negotiations at
Versailles in 1919.
None of the Central
Powers were invited,
nor was Russia, who
withdrew early from the
war.
F. Treaty of Versailles, June, 1919
1.
2.
U.S. President Wilson
and Clemenceau of
France did not get along
at the peace talks.
Wilson was trying to
establish a lasting peace
in contrast to France and
Britain, who wanted
revenge against
Germany. Italy wants
land promised out of the
A-H Empire.
G. Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points
1.
2.
3.
U.S. President Wilson
proposed a plan for a
lasting peace that
incorporated 14 points.
Points 1 – 5: goals for the
postwar world: ending
secret treaties, freedom of
seas, free trade
Points 6 – 13: specifics for
changing national
borders & creating new
nations under selfdetermination
4. Point 14: The League of Nations
An organization of nations to solve problems by negotiation
H. U.S. Isolationism
1.
2.
3.
Despite Wilson’s pressure, the U.S. Senate refused to approve
of the Treaty of Versailles.
Congress opposed to the League of Nations because they
believed it undermined their authority to declare war. The
absence of the United States, as well as other great powers left
the League of Nations powerless.
The U.S. policy of isolationism persisted over the next 20 years
until WWII broke out; even then, the U.S. did not enter the
war until the bombing of Pearl Harbor in late 1941, 2 years
after WWII began.
Celebrating in Paris: the signing of
the Treaty of Versailles, 1919
I. The Treaty of Versailles
left a bitter legacy.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Germany was assigned sole
responsibility for the war, the
War Guilt Clause - Article
231 – required Germany pay
$33 billion in reparations to
the Allies over 30 years.
Germany lost land in Europe
as well as its colonies.
The size of the German
military was restricted & not
allowed to have an Air Force.
Russia felt betrayed because
they were excluded.
Italy and Japan felt cheated
because they did not get land
promised to them.
Without several great
powers, including the US,
Germany, and Russia, the
League of Nations was
powerless. It also lacked the
authority of a peace-keeping
force.



Hence, when able to attack, we must seem
unable; when using our forces, we must seem
inactive; when we are near, we must make the
enemy believe we are far away; when far away,
we must make him believe we are near.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign
disorder, and crush him.
There is no instance of a country having
benefited from prolonged warfare.