wwi begins 1914-1918 1914-1918. 100 years of peace (napoleonic wars) were ending secret alliances...
TRANSCRIPT
WWI Begins
1914-19181914-1918
100 years of peace (Napoleonic Wars) were ending
• Secret alliances bound countries together• June 28, 1914, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-
Hungary was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist
• Austria-Hungary made demands on Serbia• Germany backs Austria-Hungary• Russia backs Serbia• France supports Russia• Germany declares war on Russia and France
and marches through neutral Belgium on way to France
• Great Britain has Belgium’s back and declares war on Germany
• So…
• Allies: Russia, France, Britain
• Central Powers/Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey
M.A.I.N. causes of WWI
• Militarism
• Alliances
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
What Happened
• France and Britain stop Germany’s advance
• Trench warfare is result
• Western Front (in France): four years of fighting, 500 miles long, no more than 5 miles ever gained
Why it was horrible
• Trenches awful: (mud, rats, disease, no food)• New weapons made killing faster and easier
than ever before– Airplanes: bombs– Gas: weren’t prepared for, awful way to die– Machine guns: 450 rounds per minute – froze the
front– Tanks and submarines (after Britain blockade of
Germany)
Trench Warfare – type of fighting during World War I in which both sides dug trenches protected by mines and barbed wire
Trench Warfare
Cross-section of a front-line trench
British trench, France, July 1916 (during the Battle of the Somme)
French soldiers firing over their own dead
All Quiet on the Western Front – trench warfare (9:27)
Soldiers digging trenches while protected against gas attacks
A photograph of a man suffering from trench foot.
• 1915: The Germans' use of thousands of cylinders of chlorine during battle in World War I was the first large-scale use of chemical agents.
• Both sides in the war carried out numerous attacks using chlorine.
• Both also developed more poisonous respiratory agents, such as phosgene, and chemicals, such as mustard gas.
• More than1 million casualties were attributed to chemical weapons during the war.
• Battle of Somme in 1916: 60,000 British died in ONE day
• 13 million soldiers, 6.5 million civilians
U.S. initial views
• Stay out• Families (many immigrants) from all countries
involved• Most favored Britain because Kaiser Wilhelm of
Germany was an autocrat (unlimited power) and Germany invaded Belgium
• We declare ourselves neutral• Our trade suffers, but weapons manufacturers
making lots of money selling to Allies
• Preparedness movement organized National Security League
• Build up of army 1916 – 90,000 to 175,000
• 1915 – American Union Against Militarism fought against the war
• Wilson wins reelection with slogan “He Kept Us Out of War”
Why we entered
• Germany sinks British ship Lusitania in 1915 with 123 Americans on board
• Wilson protests unrestricted submarine warfare, Germany promises to stop
• Zimmerman telegram, 1917
- Germany wants U.S. out of Europe
- Encourages Mexico to attack U.S. and get back Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
- Not very credible, but builds up war fervor
• Feb. 1 - Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare - sinks 4 U.S. merchant ships
• March 1917 – Revolution in Russia, we are more needed and Russia’s not as involved
• We declare war in April 1917
• Reinforce Allied troops
Initial Feelings
• Many for it (Roosevelt) others against• One women’s group supported it and in turn
Wilson helped support women’s suffrage• Why for?1) Violated our neutrality – even though we
supported England with money and munitions2) Commercial interests wanted war to make
more money3) British propaganda4) Wilson said it would protect democracy from
communism
• May 1917: Selective Service Act (Draft) – men 18-45 had to register
• 24 million registered and 2.8 million drafted