ch 29 the great war 1914-1918. marching toward war sec 1
TRANSCRIPT
Ch 29 The Great War
1914-1918
Marching Toward War
Sec 1
Rising Tensions in Europe
• In 1914, Europe had largely been at peace for 40 years
• While everything looked peaceful on the surface several gradual developments would ultimately lead to war
Rise of Nationalism
• Nationalism- deep devotion to one’s nation
• Nationalism can be a unifying force within a nation but it can also cause intense competition between nations
• Fierce rivalry was building between Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungry, and Italy
What were the European nations competing over?
Source of Rivalry
• Rivalry developed among European nations for a variety of reason
• Competition for markets and materials
• Territorial disputes
Imperialism
• Imperialism- policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate a weaker one economically, politically, or socially
• Competition between European nations for colonies in Africa and Asia frequently came to the brink of war
Militarism
• Militarism- glorifying military power and keeping a standing army prepared for war
• Militarism led to an arms race between the European nations before World War I
Alliances
• Growing rivalries and mistrust led to the creation of several military alliances
• The alliance system was designed to keep a balance of power and promote peace
Triple Alliance
• After Otto von Bismarck unified Germany he set his goals on maintaining peace in Europe
• To keep France from having allies Bismarck made an alliance with Austri-Hungary, Italy, and Russia (for a while)
• Triple Alliance- military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente
• After Kaiser Wilhelm II came to power in Germany he began to build up the navy to try to equal France
• Triple Entente- military alliance between France, Britain, and Russia
Powder Keg of Europe
• Powder Keg of Europe- Balkan Peninsula
• Home to an assortment of ethnic groups
• Nationalism was strong in the new countries on the peninsula
• In 1908 Austria-Hungry annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Serbia vowed to take them back
Assassination
• Assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand- direct cause of World War I
• June 18, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne and his wife Sophie visited Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia
• As they rode through the streets they were shot by Gavrilo Princip, a 19 year old Serbian
War
• Because the assassin was Serbian, Austria-Hungary decided to punish Serbia
• July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
Why is a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia problematic?
• June 28, 1914 Franz Ferdinand killed• July 28-Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia• July 30-Russia prepares to defend its ally Serbia• Aug 1-Germany declares war on Russia• Aug 3- Germany declare war on France• Aug 4-Germany invades Belgium• Aug 4-Britain declares war on Germany• Aug 6- Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia• Aug 12 France and Britain declare war on Austria-
Hungary
If historical events had facebook statuses
Demonstrate your knowledge of the causes of WWI by creating
facebook statuses
Europe Plunges into War
Sec 2
Central Powers
• Central Powers- Germany, Austria-Hungry, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire
Allied Powers
• Allies- Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan, and Italy
Western Front
• By fall of 1914 the war had turned into a bloody stalemate, or deadlock
• Western Front- deadlocked battlefields of northern France
Schlieffen Plan
• Schlieffen Plan- German battle plan to attack and defeat the French then rush east to fight the Russians
• Nearly worked, Germans reached the outskirts of Paris but were pushed back
Trench Warfare
• Trench Warfare- type of warfare where soldiers battle each other from trenches
• Trench Warfare
New Technology Changes Warfare
What kind of new technology was used in World War I?
Artillery
• Larger Shells• Greater Distance
Poison Gas
• Tear Gas• Mustard Gas• Chlorine
– Chlorine forms hydrochloric acid when it dissolves in the water in the lungs
Armored Tanks
• First used in WWI
Submarines
• Used effectively by the Germans to prevent supplies from reaching Britain
Airplanes
• Most dramatic new weapon
• Used for watching troop movements, bombing, dogfights
• Dogfight
FAIL
Machine Guns
Eastern Front
• Eastern Front- battlefield along the German and Russian border
• More mobile war than the west
Russia Struggles
• Unlike other nations Russia had yet to industrialize
• As a result the army was short on food, supplies, ammunition, clothes, blankets
• Russia had only one asset, numbers
A Global Conflict
Sec 3
World War
• Allies attacked the Ottoman Empire hoping to open trade routes with Russia
• Also attacked German colonies in Africa taking 3 of 4
• Japan attacked and took German possessions in China and the Pacific
• Australia, India, South Africa, Egypt and even Brazil send troops to help
America Joins the War
• Isolationism- policy of avoiding treaties and entanglements with other countries
• The US choose to take an isolationist stance for the first 3 years of the war
Reasons for US Entry
• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare- German practice of sinking any ship without warning in the waters around Britain
• Sinking of the Lusitania- British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1198 passengers including 128 Americans
Zimmerman Note
• Zimmerman Note- telegram stating that Germany would help Mexico reconquer lost land if Mexico would ally itself with Germany
Propaganda
• Propaganda- information or material spread to advance a cause or damage an opponent’s cause
Losses
• In the 3 years before the US joined the war more men were killed in battle that in all the wars of the previous three centuries
Total War
• Total War- war in which countries devote all their resources to the war effort
• The entire force of the government is dedicated to winning the war
• In each country the government took control of the economy
• They told factories what to produce and how much• Rationing- system in which people can only buy
small amounts of items needed for war
How did women help in the war effort?
Women
• Thousands of women replaced men in factories, offices, and shops
• They also worked as nurses and helped keep troops supplied with food, clothing, and weapons
Russia Leaves the War
• War-related food shortages of food and fuel caused civil unrest and forced Czar Nicholas to step down
• By 1917, 5.5 million Russian soldiers had been killed and the army refused to fight any longer
Lenin
• In November 1917, Communist leader Vladimir Lenin took over the government and made a truce with the Germans to end Russian involvement in the war
Central Powers Collapse
• In March 1918, the Germans concentrated all their forces on the western front for one last push to Paris
• The Germans came within 40 miles of Paris until the Allied forces reinforced by 140,000 fresh American troops pushed them back
End of the War• With the arrival of 2 million US troops the
Allies began a slow march toward Germany• First the Bulgarians surrendered then the
Ottomans• A revolution swept through Austria-
Hungary • November 9, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II
stepped down and Germany declared itself a republic
Armistice
• Armistice- agreement to stop fighting
• November 11, 1918
Legacy of the War
• Brought new technology to warfare• First war on a global scale• Europe was destroyed
– homes, farms, cities
• The Lost Generation– 8.5 million soldiers dead– 21 million soldiers wounded– Countless civilians dead
A Flawed Peace
Sec 4
Allies Meet and Debate
• The Paris Peace Conference began in January 1919 with 32 countries present
• Major decisions were made by the Big Four, United States, Britain, France, and Italy
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
• Fourteen Points- series of peace proposals outlined by US President Woodrow Wilson
• End secret treaties• Freedom of the seas• Free trade• Reduced armies and navies• Self-determination- allowing people to decide for
themselves under what government they wanted to live
Treaty of Versailles
• Treaty of Versailles- peace treaty signed by Germany and the Allies at the end of World War I
• Placed sole responsibility for the war on Germany
• Germany lost significant territory and had restriction placed on the military
• Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies for destruction caused in World War I– $33 billion over 30 years
League of Nations
• League of Nations- international organization created by the Treaty of Versailles whose goal was to keep peace among nations
Creation of New Nations
• Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia were all created out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
• The Ottoman Turks were forced to give up all territory outside of Turkey
• Romania and Poland both gained land from Russia
• Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania all became independent nations
“A Peace Created on Quicksand”
• Treaty of Versailles was never approved by the United States
• Most Americans wanted to go back to isolationist policies and stay out of Europe’s affairs
• The Treaty created a bitterness and hatred in the German people
