Transcript The Great War

The Great
War
The Christmas Truce - 1914
Nationalism
#1 - Devotion to
the culture and
interests of one’s
own nation –
Russia, under
the leadership of
Czar Nicholas II,
felt the need to
protect the
interests of all
Slavic people
Imperialism
#2 – Empire building
led to competition
among countries for
colonies and
markets
-Countries had to
show their power
and economic might
by spreading out!
- Germany, under the
leadership of Kaiser
Wilhelm II, felt the
need to compete
with Great Britain
and France
particularly.
Militarism
#3 – The
development of
armed forces to
use as a tool of
diplomacy
- Countries like
Germany beefed
up their military to
be stronger than
any potential
enemy, and so
they could
compete for
empires more
successfully
The Alliance System
#4 – The Triple
Entente (France,
Britain, and Russia)
vs. The Triple
Alliance (Germany,
Austria-Hungary,
and Italy).
-Alliances provided a
measure of
international
security – nations
were reluctant to
disturb the balance
of power – until
they all got sucked
into war
Changing Sides

Central Powers

Allied Powers
 As the war gets under way,
 Italy is promised land they had
the Ottoman Empire and
Bulgaria join in on the side
of Germany, creating the
Central Powers. Italy, not
wanting to get involved,
leaves the alliance.
lost to Austria-Hungary, if they
join the war on the allied side,
which they do, along with
other countries like Romania,
Greece, and Montenegro,
effectively surrounding the
Central Powers.
The United States


United States tried to
keep a policy of
Isolationism – opposition
to political and economic
entanglements with
other countries
Things such as the
Zimmerman Note,
German u-boat activity
(read Lusitania), and the
overthrow of the
Russian monarchy
changed our minds
Total War


War that targets the entire
social and economic
infrastructure of a state
and kills civilians
indiscriminately
When British blockaded
Germany, causing
starvation of Germans,
and Germany retaliated
by sinking all ships in
British waters, it became
TOTAL WAR
America Mobilizes


US didn’t have the military
forces they needed, so
Congress passed the
Selective Service Act
 Men had to register with
the government to be
randomly selected for
military service
 24 million men registered,
nearly 3 million were called
up
War Industries Board was
created as well to regulate
industries – telling corporations
how much to produce, where
to sent it, and how much it
should cost.
Mobilization
included more than
400,000 African Americans, who
were segregated in non-combat
white units, or put into entirely
African-American units
Women joined the Army Corps of
Nurses, with no benefits, or joined
the Navy and Marines as
administrative personnel
Mass Production

The US needed to find a way to get mass
amounts of men, food, and equipment over
thousands of miles of German u-boat infested
waters
- The Convoy System was created, which was a fleet
of destroyers sent to escort merchant ships safely to
ports
The government exempted shipyard workers
from the draft
 They started a public relations campaign about
the importance of shipyard work
 Shipyards used new fabrication techniques to
built ships faster
 Government took over commercial and private
ships for war use

New Technologies
- Machine guns were refined to shoot 600
rounds per minute
- Tanks ran on caterpillar treads and were
made of steel so bullets bounced off
- Airplanes gathered information, then were
fitted with mounted machine guns for air
combats or “dogfights”
- Submarines used their torpedoes, which
were several times more destructive than
any artillery
The Trench System
Hazards of War
Filth, lice, rats and polluted
water caused dysentery
Inhalation of poisoned gas –
chlorine, phosgene, and
mustard gas
Battle fatigue, or “shell shock”
led to emotional collapses
Trench foot
• Mustard Gas. Unlike the other gases
which attack the respiratory system, this
gas acts on any exposed, moist skin.
This includes, but is not limited to, the
eyes, lungs, armpits and groin. A gas
mask could offer very little protection.
The oily agent would produce large
burn-like blisters wherever it came in
contact with skin. It also had a nasty
way of hanging about in low areas for
hours, even days, after being dispersed.
Gen. John J. Pershing
Pershing led the American Expeditionary Force,
changing the tide of the war from Allies on the
defensive, to Allies on the offense.
 The captured important enemy positions and
stopped German advances
 Pershing was made General of the Armies of the
United States

US at Home, Preparation
Business and government collaborated in order
to meet the challenge of shifting the economy to
focus on war
 The Presidents powers expanded, giving him
direct control over the economy, such as
regulating and fixing prices, and nationalizing
industries

The American People
Americans
helped by rationing
their food intakes
Wages rose, though prices rose
quicker
People planted “victory gardens”
and farmers put 40 million more
acres of land into production
Selling the War
The
government set up a
commission to popularize the war
through “propaganda”
The promotion of patriotism
inflamed hatred and violations of
civil liberties of those of certain
ethnic groups, or those who
opposed the war
Espionage and Sedition Acts
June 1917-May 1918, Congress passed
Espionage and Sedition Acts, making it illegal to
interfere with the war effort, say anything disloyal,
profane or abusive about the government or the
war effort.
 Conscientious Objectors, those opposing war on
moral grounds, were persecuted along with others

Great Migration

During this time period, hundreds of thousands of
blacks migrated north:
 To escape discrimination in the South
 Southern cotton fields had been destroyed by boll
weevil infest
 More jobs in North due to war
Women in the War
 Women
were able to hold jobs previously
held exclusively by men:
 Bricklayers
 Dockworkers
 Railroad workers
Women also were active in the peace
movement , and Red Cross
The Flu Epidemic
Fall 1918, a flu epidemic spread through the US,
affecting more than ¼ of the population
 Troops spread the disease overseas, creating an
international epidemic
 Believed that 30 million people worldwide died
from the disease (500,000 Americans)

The Tides Turn in Europe
In
1917 Russia pulled out of the
war to deal with internal conflicts
Germans shifted all troops to
battle in France – but the
Americans arrived just in time to
stop the German advances
November 3, 1918, Austria-Hungary surrenders to
the Allies
 The same day, German sailors mutinied against
their government, which spread throughout their
country
 By November 9, socialist leaders took over the
capital, establishing a republic, and the Kaiser
gave up his throne

Armistice
Germans, though not defeated
in battle, were too tired to keep
fighting
November 11, 1918, Germany
agreed to a cease fire and
signed an armistice, or treaty to
end the war.
The Final Tolls
Total WWI deaths – 22 million,
more than half of which were
civilians
Direct economic costs $33.8
billion
US lost 48,000 in battle, 62,000 to
disease, and 200,000 were
wounded