World War I

The War

to end

all War

Europe at the Start of War Germany is #9

Great Britain #1

Austria-Hungary #12

Russia #13

France #8

Belgium #5

Serbia #16

Romania #17

Ottoman Empire #26

The System of Alliances

Intense nationalism, the political and economic rivalry

among the nations, and the establishment and maintenance

of large armaments and of two hostile military alliances led

to the war.

The nations were arming themselves for the purpose of

self-defense and forming alliances with neighboring

countries so as not to “stand alone” in a time of crisis.

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed the Triple

Alliance (or Central Powers)

Britain, France and Russia formed the Triple Entente (or

Allies)

Austrian Archduke Ferdinand

Austrian Archduke Francis

Ferdinand was heir

apparent and nephew of

Austrian Emperor

Francis Joseph.While he

and his wife rode in an

open car in Sarajevo,

Bosnia, they were

assassinated by Serbian

nationalist Gavrilo

Princip.

The War Begins - 1914

June 28: Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-

Hungary is assassinated

July 28: Austria declares war on Serbia;

Russia mobilizes against Austria

August 1: Germany declares war on Russia

August 3: Germany declares war on France

August 4: Germany invades Belgium;

Britain declares war on Germany

U.S. Reaction

President Woodrow Wilson urged peace

and insisted that the U.S. remain neutral.

American people split:

New immigrants, who were generally from

Southern & Eastern Europe, favored the Central

Powers

Old-line immigrants from Northern & Western

Europe favored the Allies

America continued to trade with both sides but a

British blockade on German ports meant that

Germany could not usually reach the U.S.

Nearly all trade was with the Allies (from 1914-1916):

Allied trade went from $800 million to $3 billion

Central powers from $170 million to $1 million

Loans to the two sides were also affected by the

blockade:

$2.3 billion was loaned to the Allied nations

$27 million loaned to the Central Powers

Both sides began to attack shipping - Germany

sinking ships and Britain seizing cargoes.

Germany’s strategy for the western front focused on

sweeping through Belgium and then quickly

destroying the French forces. After faltering at first,

the French were able to hold back the German forces

and fighting soon deteriorated into trench warfare.

Between 1915 and 1918, French and German forces

built a massive network of trenches along the front

which extended 500 miles from Switzerland to the

North Sea. Battle lines remained almost stationary for

the three years.

Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare

Trenches were cut through battlefield fronts in Europe to protect troops from deadly

artillery and machine-gun fire. Firing trenches were backed by cover trenches, which

provided a second line of defense in case enemies overran the firing trench. Each was

about 1.8 to 2.5 m (6 to 8 ft) deep. Off-duty troops lived in dugouts in the support

trenches. Supplies, food, and fresh troops moved to the front through a network of

reserve and communications trenches. Between the trenches of opposing forces lay

no-man’s-land.

A New Kind of War

Early in WWI, troops

march and the cavalry

charges (like the wars

of old); then the

brutal efficiency of a

new kind of warfare

emerges – the

machine gun, gas and

trench warfare.

The Submarine

The “Unterseeboote” (or U-boat)

Although Britain, Germany, Russia and the U.S. all had

submarine technology, it was the German concept of

unrestricted submarine warfare (targeting both war ships

and merchant ships) that gave them the advantage in WWI.

The Airplane Airplanes were still in their

infancy but would be used for both reconnaissance and fighting (mostly air to air but some air to ground as well).

They would prove their worth so much that air forces were incorporated into the militaries of all major powers after the war.

The US developed the Army Air Force (a division of the US Army) and also had naval air forces

Tanks

Unterschutzengrabenvernichtigungskraftwagen

Under shooting ditch destruction strong wagon

Trench Destruction Truck

The Lusitania On May 7, 1915, the Cunard

liner Lusitania was

torpedoed off the Irish

coast by a German

submarine. It sank in just

20 minutes. 1,198 people

died (128 Americans) as a

result. The Germans

claimed it as a fair target

as they believed she was

carrying arms which the

British and the US denied

(recent explorations of the

wreck suggest this may

have been true).

The Lusitania Popular feeling in the US

was strong against

Germany and most

demanded the US go to

war. The US did not but

Germany promised not to

target passenger liners.

Germany even went so far

as to place advertisements

in American newspapers

warning people of the

dangers of traveling on

ships of belligerent nations

The Arabic and the Sussex

On Aug 15, 1915 a

German U-boat

torpedoed the British

liner the Arabic killing

2 more Americans.

On Sept 1, Germany

promised not to sink

unarmed passenger

liners.

On Mar 24, 1916 a

German U-boat sank

the French steamer the

Sussex injuring several

Americans.

On May 31, Germany

agreed to abide by the

rules of visit and

search.

Early Battles - The Western Front

Sept 6-9, 1914 - First Battle of the Marne - the

French were able to halt the German advance

Late 1914 (1st Battle of Ypres, Battle of Flanders,

etc.) - these marked the end of the war of

movement and the beginning of trench warfare on

the western front.

April 22-May 25, 1915 - 2nd Battle of Ypres -

Germany conducted an experiment of a new

military weapon - chlorine gas.

In Flanders Fields

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.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

Early Battles - The Eastern Front

In 1914, Austria invaded Serbia

Aug 26-30, 1914 - Battle of Tannenberg - the

Russian army is defeated by the Germans after

some initial successes

The Russians were also defeated at the two battles

at the Masurian Lakes in 1914 and 1915.

When Bulgaria declared war on Serbia (Oct 14,

1915), Allied troops advanced to Serbia.

By the end of 1915, the Central powers had

conquered and taken over Serbia.

More on the Eastern Front The Ottoman Empire entered on Oct 29, 1914

when it helped the Germans attack Russian port

cities on the Black Sea.

Russia declared war on the Ottomans on Nov 2;

Britain and France did too (on Nov 5) and a

campaign was begun that included British forces

from India

Italy declared war on Austria on May 23, 1915

and made four attempts to break through Austrian

lines (all unsuccessful).

Battle of Verdun Feb 21 - Dec 16, 1916

Between French and German Forces

Took place at the Fortress at Verdun on the

heights above the Meuse River in Northeastern

France - the eastern extremity of the trench line in

France - strategic point but the 10 month long

battle proved totally indecisive

Losses totaled 680,000 casualties - 350,000 for the

French, 330,000 German

French were weakened economically as well

Preparing for War

Although the U.S. was

still officially neutral,

military recruiting

continued from 1914

through 1918.

Eventually, 4 million

would serve in the

armed forces with 2

million going to

Europe.

American Contributions As the war progressed, Americans began to

help the war effort by reducing the use of

supplies that could benefit the Army.

“Meatless” and “heatless” or “gasless” days

were common.

Many states restricted the manufacture of

alcohol so that the grain could be shipped to the

Allies

Anything to help the boys in uniform!

(Gen. John Pershing speaking to the American people)

America Declares War

On April 2, 1917, after Germany announced the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman note fiasco, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war – and got it.

American Home Front - Mobilizing...

Manpower: Selective Service Act (May 1917)

required all men to register for the draft - 2.2

million eventually drafted

Industry: Council of National Defense (June 1917)

mobilized factories for wartime production -

created the War Industries Board

standardized production to cut costs

defined what could be manufactured (or not)

fixed prices

Ultimately increased United States production by 20%

before the end of the war

American Home Front - Mobilizing...

Transportation:

International: War Shipping Board built or bought merchant

vessels to increase capacity to 10 million tons (from 1 million) -

built 2 ships for every 1 sunk by German submarines

Domestic: Railroads taken over by the government in Dec 1917

and operated as one system - efficient!

Farming: Food Administration (Aug 1917) run by Herbert

Hoover

stimulate production by promising to buy all grain for $2 a bushel

other food products encouraged in the same manner

urged people to “hooverize” or find substitutes for meat and

cereals

Food exports in 1918 were twice those of any prewar year

American Home Front - Mobilizing...

Natural Resources: Fuel Administration stimulated

production & cut down on consumption of coal & oil

spurred miners to work harder and produce more

led to “fuelless Mondays” and “gasless Sundays”

created daylight savings time to conserve fuel too

Finance:Paid own expenses of $22billion plus loaned

$9billion to Allies to purchase American goods.

Raised money by

taxes - increased in volume and variety

“Liberty bonds” sold to Americans

Mobilizing… Public Opinion

Domestic: Committee on Public Information (Apr 1917)

under George Creel to make sure Americans were aware of

America’s war aims

Foreign: Wilson emphasized the war was with the

governments of the Central Powers - not the people. Proposed

the Fourteen Points on Jan 22, 1918

Treatment of Disloyalty: Espionage Act (June 1917) - couldn’t obstruct recruiting or spread

treason among the people

Sedition Act (May 1918) - couldn’t obstruct the sale of war bonds,

discourage recruiting, or verbally abuse the government Oct 1918 - aliens who advocated overthrow of the government could

be deported without a jury trial - 190 tried, 1/2 convicted

Sending the Troops

Naval Operations

The US Navy had two tasks - Sink submarines

and convoy troop ships to Europe

Mines were used to keep U-boats in port and

the US also figured out how to detect enemy

subs underwater

About half of the German sub fleet was

destroyed in the last year of the war while only

six US transports were torpedoed (2 survived)

Sending the Troops - the Army

The Army rushed troops through 6 months

of training and to Europe as fast as they

could.

The American Expeditionary Force only got

about 200,000 men to Europe in 1917 but

about 2,000,000 were sent in 1918.

The Military Situation in Europe

By October 1917, Italy had been defeated at

Caporetto

In March 1918, the Russians (now under a

Communist government after the overthrow

of Czar Nicholas II) withdrew from the war

with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

By June 15, 1918, German troops were

threatening Paris

The US Arrives Between March and October 1918, 1,750,000

American troops reached France

The US saw their first serious fighting after

July 15, 1918 in the Second Battle of the

Marne.

With the French, the US stemmed the German

advance on Chateau-Thierry.

In September, the US won back the San-Mihiel

salient, a triangle jutting into Allied territory

The San Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne

Video sequences taken

from the San Mihiel

offensive and the

Meuse-Argonne

offensive.

The US is involved in

these battles.

More US Fighting

Beginning in September, the US began a

47-day battle to capture the Meuse-Argonne

area and cut a railroad line that supplied

most of the German front. More than 1.2

million American participated

Germany suffered similar defeats all along

the western front and informed Wilson that

they would consider peace

The Armistice - Peace at last!

Kaiser Wilhelm II fled Germany and a

parliamentary government was established

on October 3, 1918

After a month of negotiations, Germany and

the Allies signed an Armistice on

November 11, 1918 (to become effective at

11 AM)

All was quiet on the western front

Peace Negotiations

Obstacles to Peace

Republicans won control of both houses of

Congress in the 1918 elections

France and Britain wanted to punish Germany

for causing the war

In the chaos and poverty following the war,

Communism threatened to expand out of Russia

and take over the rest of Europe

Peace Negotiations

President Wilson himself led the American

delegation - he only took one Republican and

no members of Congress

The Peace conference opened at Versailles on

January 18, 1919 with the Big Four making all

of the decisions (Wilson for the US, Georges

Clemenceau for France, David Lloyd George

for England, and Vittorio Orlando for Italy

The Treaty of Versailles

June 28, 1919

Germany was forced to admit guilt

Germany was stripped of her colonies

Germany lost the territories of Alsace-Lorraine,

Posen, the Saar Basin, parts of Schleswig & others

Germany had to pay reparations of

$56,500,000,000 for the cost of the war

Germany lost her entire military and naval

establishment

The Treaty of Versailles

A League of Nations would be created

purpose was to ensure peace

Included an International Court of Justice

it would mediate disputes between nations

members could not declare war unless attacked

members would come to the aid of other

members if they were attacked

Europeans generally accepted the League

The “Big Four” make the Treaty

The Big Four dominated the treaty making –

Woodrow Wilson (the US)

David Lloyd George (England)

Vittorio Orlando (Italy)

Georges Clemenceau (France)

Wilson’s fight for the League

Since Wilson didn’t take any Republicans

to the negotiations, they were unwilling to

support the treaty

The treaty (and League) would also

potentially take away Congress’ war

declaring powers so many were unwilling to

support it

Three groups began to form

Wilsonians - those who supported the treaty

as it was

Irreconcilables - those who opposed any

participation in the League

Reservationists - those who would support

League participation if certain amendments

(reservations) were included

Wilson fights for the League

To convince Americans that the League of

Nations (and therefore the Treaty of

Versailles) was necessary to ensure peace,

he went on a 22-day speaking tour of the

Midwest, giving 40 speeches to gathered

crowds.

On October 2, 1919, Wilson suffered a

stroke while in Colorado that permanently

incapacitated him

The Senate and the Treaty

Wilson refused to compromise on the

Treaty and encouraged Democrats to only

accept the treaty as it was written

The Senate voted on November 19, 1919

Without reservations, only the Wilsonians

supported the treaty

With reservations, only the reservationists

supported the treaty

The Treaty is defeated The Treaty is brought to a vote again in March

1920, and is again defeated

After the presidential election in 1920 where

Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge defeated

James Cox and Franklin Roosevelt, the treaty had

no hope of passing

The election results were taken as a mandate to

NOT participate in the League of Nations

therefore the League was doomed to failure

On August 25, 1921 Congress adopted a joint

resolution declaring the war was over