nationalism caused competition between nations. germany competed with britain for industrial...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 34
The Great War
Rise of Nationalism
Nationalism caused competition between nations.
Germany competed with Britain for industrial dominance. Other countries had territorial disputes over lands such as Alsace-Lorraine and the Balkans.
Nationalism was spreading all across the European continent What is Nationalism? What is Self-Determination?
Independence occurring in many countries Belgium in 1830 Unification of Germany 1871
• The Ottoman Empire was shrinking– Controlled the Balkans since the 15th century– Austria and Russia responsible for the slicing away of
Ottoman Territories in Europe
• Austria-Hungary was dealing with Slavs– Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes– Russia promoted Pan-Slavism• Movement that stressed the ethnic and cultural kinship of
these different groups• Russia did this to hopefully weaken the Austro-Hungarian
Empire for future annexation into the Russian Empire
National Rivalries
Nationalism led to the economic competition of European powers Competed for
Foreign Markets, and were locked in Tariff Wars▪ What is a Tariff?
Biggest Rivalry was between Great Britain and Germany
Economic Jealousy Leads to Tension
In the late 1800s, Great Britain produced almost 32% of the worlds industrial output
At the same time, Germany produced only 13%
By 1914: Britain’s production fell to 14%, which was about the same as Germany’s
This close proximity in production led to a strained relationship
Growth of Militarism
Rivalries led to an arms race.
To be truly great, a nation needed a powerful military.
The nations had large standing armies and the ability to mobilize them.
Naval Race
• Both Britain and Germany felt that the most important aspect during a time of war was Naval Power– Germany announced a
program to strengthen and build up a navy
– Caused Britain to build super ships known as dreadnoughts
ImperialismThe quest for colonies sometimes pushed European nations to the brink of war.
Germany and France nearly fought over Morocco twice.
Rivalry and mistrust between the countries deepened.
Tangled AlliancesThe rivalries led to the creation of several military alliances.
They were meant to keep peace, but instead helped push the continent into war.
• The Triple Alliance= Germany and Austria-Hungary (the Dual Alliance) plus Italy.
• In 1887, Germany also had a treaty with Russia, Austria-Hungary’s enemy.
• When Kaiser Wilhelm II took over Germany, he let the treaty with Russia lapse.
• Russia responded by making an alliance with France.
• Britain was upset by the military growth of Germany and made an entente with France and Russia.
• Triple Entente=Britain, France, and Russia.
• Entente did not bind them to fight for each other, but they would not fight against each other.
Crisis in the BalkansWith a long history of ethnic clashes, the Balkans were known as the “powder keg” of Europe.
Nationalism led groups of people there to break away from the Ottoman Turks.
Serbia: wanted all the Slavswas supported by RussiaAustria-Hungary was threatened by them
Both Russia and Austria-Hungary wanted to control Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
taken over by Austria-Hungary
had large Slavic population Serbia was very upset but could not do anything about it
The Spark to the Powder Keg
• Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand and wife Sophie were shot on June 28, 1914. He was the heir to the throne.
• The killer was Gavrilo Princip, a 19 year-old and member of the Black Hand.
• On July 23, Austria gave Serbia an ultimatum.• Serbia was to suppress all anti-Austrian (and Pan-Slav) publications,
societies and propaganda.
• Serbia was to dismiss all anti-Austrian officials objected by Austria.
• Austrian police and officials were to enter Serbia and to take part in the Serbian police force in order to carry out the suppression of anti-Austrian activities and investigations concerning the Sarajevo murders.
• On July 28, Austria declared war.
• Russia mobilized its troops to support Serbia.
The Central Powers
“Triple Alliance”GermanyAustria-Hungary
Italy
The Allies“The Triple Entente”Great BritainFranceRussia
Plans of Attack• Each country had their own ideas on how the war would be won– The French strategy was called Plan XVII• Entailed a lot of offensive maneuvers• Basically it was an all out ATTACK• Would result in massive casualties that the French
didn’t think of
– The Schlieffen Plan• Germany’s idea to knock out the French quickly and
then focus on Russia• Entailed moving 180,000 soldiers and supplies into
France by way of Belgium
The Schlieffen Plan
How long will the war last?
When the war began many military strategists felt that it would be over quickly The Germans were so confident that they said: “We will be home by Christmas”
The idea of a short war quickly went away when the fronts were formed in which modern weapons ended the lives of millions
Mutual Butchery
• With the promise of a short war, over 20 million men left for the fronts of World War I– Believed that God was on their side
• Defense was not thought about by military leaders, only thoughts of assaults and swift triumphs
• The Germans march towards Paris halted at the Marne River– This location become known as the western front– Next 3 years, the battle lines hardly changed at all
Schlieffen Plan failed by September 1914.
First Battle of the Marne: British and French troops push Germans back, September 5-12
Germany had to fight on two fronts.
The Western Front
On the Western Front, in northern France, troops from both sides dug trenches and there was a stalemate.
Battle of Verdun: February to December 1916, over half a million casualties, Germans gained 4 miles, “They shall not pass.”
The Western Front
Battle of Somme: July to November 1916, over a million casualties, Britain gained only 6 miles
The Western Front
Vast system of deep trenchesUsually about 10 feet deep, fortified with wood or sandbags
Barbed wire barrier in frontMud, rats, lice, no fresh food, little sleep
Trench Warfare
“No man’s land”=area between opposing trenches
Front line trenches were dug in a zigzag pattern
Christmas Truce in 1914Land gains were very small
Trench Warfare
Novel by Erich Maria Remarque who served in the German army in World War I
Considered the greatest novel on WWI
It follows the narrator, Paul Baumer, from eager recruit to disillusioned veteran. In one part of the story, he is trapped in a foxhole for hours with a French soldier he just killed.
All Quiet of the Western Front
New Weapons
Rapid-fire machine gunLong-range artillery gunFlamethrowerPoison gasTanksZeppelinsAirplanesSubmarines
Warfare Technology
Tremendous Amounts of Casualties
Example: Battle of Verdun▪ French- 315,000 dead▪ Germans- 280,000 dead
The amount of casualties was due to the offensive nature of battle and the new technology “machine gun”
German and Russian borderBattle of Tannenberg: August 1914,
Russian army (125,000)crushed by Germans in just 6 days, swamp
Battle of Limanowa: December 1914, Austrians pushed Russians out of Austria-Hungary
Russia was least industrialized of the Allies. They kept sending troops though to keep Germany split between two fronts.
The Eastern Front
Bulgaria joined the Central Powers and helped defeat Serbia.
Romania joined Allies but was crushed by the Central Powers.
In 1915, Italy switched sides. Italians fought against Austrians along the Isonzo River. Italy needed help from other Allies to keep the Austrians out of Italy.
The Southern Front
Japan joined the Allies and used the war as an excuse to seize German outposts in China and islands in the Pacific, issued the Twenty-One Demands to China.
The Ottoman Turks joined the Central Powers and helped cut off Allied supply lines to Russia through the Dardanelles.
Battle of Gallipoli: the Allies tried unsuccessfully to open the Dardanelles, 10 months
War Around the World
Turks also fought Russia. Christian Armenians were killed or deported from Turkey because they helped the Russians
The Arabs revolted against Turkish rule. British Colonel T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) helped lead the Arabs.
War Around the World
British and French colonies were asked to fight.
German colonies in Africa and Asia were overran.
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand sent troops to fight for Britain.
War Around the World
U.S. Enters the War
We sold supplies to Britain, then gave loans
1915---sinking of Lusitania by German submarines, 128 Americans killed
1917---Zimmerman Note deciphered Change in public opinion from anti-
war to pro-war U.S. involvement turned the tide of
war towards Allied victory
PropagandaWWI was the first wide ranging use of propaganda. Usually depicted the enemy as inhuman and savages
An End to the War to End All Wars
A conservative estimate: 15 million dead and 20 million wounded
Armistice Day: November 11, 1918 (Veteran’s Day)
Peace treaties would follow
The Paris Peace Conference
1919, the Victorious powers met in Paris to arrange the postwar settlement George Clemenceau (France), Woodrow
Wilson (US), and Lloyd George(Britain) led deliberations
Wilson proposed his 14 points that included removal of economic barriers, formation of the League of Nations, freedom of navigation
Treaty of Versailles---but other treaties too
Germany Gets the Blame
Germany received the blame for WWI Required to accept sole responsibility and
guilt for causing the war Settlement limited the size of the German
army to 100,000 Required to pay reparations