The Great War: 1914-1918

1. The Great War: 1914-1918

2. 4 factors that lead to war!!

3. Nationalism • A deep devotion to one’s nation • Caused rivalry among nations • Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, and France • Competition for materials and markets • Territorial disputes (Alsace Lorraine) • Balkans – Serbs, Bulgarians, Romanians, and other ethnic groups

4. Imperialism • European countries were pushed to the brink of war over Africa and Asian areas • In 1905 and 1911, Germany and France ALMOST fought over Morocco

5. Militarism • European arms race • By 1914, all great powers except GB had a standing army • Militarism – policy of glorifying military power and keeping an army prepared for war • Click for a video!

6. Tangled Alliances • Germany’s enemy was France ALLIANCES • Russia and Serbia • Germany and Austria-Hungary • France and Russia • Britain and France and Belgium • Japan and Britain • 1907 – Great Britain, France, Russia – Triple Entente (Germany started building up their navy)

8. Click for video!

9. Balkan Peninsula Powder Keg of Europe” • “Ottoman Empire” was disintegrating • (Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia) • Serbia wanted Slavic nationalism and to unite all Slavs • Russia (with a large Slavic population) supported Serbia and Slavic Nationalism • Austria Hungary did not

10. In 1908 Austria Hungary annexed Bosnia Herzegovina • These two areas had large Slavic populations • Russia offered support to Serbia • Serbia had to back down because Austria Hungary and Germany were too strong

11. SPARK of WAR June 28, 1914 • Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Hungary (heir to the throne) and his wife Sofie touring Sarajevo, Bosnia (looking at the army) ASSASSINATED - by Princip a member of the “Black Hand” Serbian nationalist group

12. Serbia was given an ultimatum by AH • End all anti-Austrian activity • AH into Serbia to conduct an investigation • Agreed to some of it, but not all • Click here for Horrible History!

13. IMPORTANT PEOPLE Kaiser Wilhelm –monarch of Germany Woodrow Wilson – President of US

14. July 28, 1914 – AH rejected Serbia’s offer and declared war • Russia began mobilizing troops on Austria and Germany’s border

15. On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia • August 3, 1914 – Germany declared war on France

16. Schlieffen Plan • In the event of a two front war • Attack France, then Russia • Speed was vital! • Germany decided to go through Belgium to get to France • Belgium was neutral • August 4, 1914 – Great Britain declared war on Germany

17. Click for Hitler’s Reaction!

18. After the war began… Central Powers – Germany, Austria Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria Allied Powers – Great Britain, France, Russia joined by Japan and Italy (9 months later) World War I as a bar fight reading World War I as a bar fight acted out

19. Western Front • Deadlocked region along northern France • Stretched 500 miles from North Sea to Switzerland

21. 1st Battle of the Marne • September, 1914 – pushed Germans back • Proved that the Schlieffen Plan failed • By then, Russia had invaded on the East • TWO FRONT WAR

22. Trench Warfare • By early 1915 – parallel trenches • Small land gains • Stalemate • No Man’s Land – area between trenches • War Horse

24. Trench Warfare Advantages Disadvantages • It was very effective in protection • For days, months or even years • Effectively stopped enemy advances • Good communication lines, and ability to move from A to B • Too effective at protection • Any advancement leads to massive amount of death • Were the trenches too effective? Or was it human error? • Disease • Pest’s • Filthy living conditions • Shell shock

25. Huge numbers of troops would die as they tried to rush enemy trenches • Constant barrage of bullets • Bodies were left in trenches • With the dead bodies left to rot, pests began to move into the trenches • Rats • Often they were hunted down as a source of food • Used bodies as personal shields

26. Trench Foot • Condition in which someone’s foot is wet for too long. • The skin begins to blister, rot and eventually falls off • Swelling also occurs • If left untreated for too long, have to amputate

27. How did trench warfare change the war? • 1) Caused the war to last much longer than anticipated • 2) Made the war more violent • 3) Changed the landscape of Europe forever

28. New technology caused the stalemate • Machine guns • Poison Gas • Armored Tanks • Larger Artillery • February 1916 – Battle of Verdun – each side lost 300,000 men (Germans gained 4 miles) • July 1916 – Battle of Somme – each side suffered over half million casualties (British gained 5 miles)

29. World War I New Technologies • Read the primary source & discuss with your partner what you think the excerpt describes • Examine the diagram of that technology, discuss, & answer in left side of chart: • What adjectives would you use to describe this technology? • What must it have been like for combatants to experience this tech. in battle? • Do you think this technology affected the # of casualties? • Sketch the technology in the box • Read the caption in which you predicted how this technology might have changed the war. Revise your caption, add one or more facts about the technology to support your caption.

30. Machine Guns • Machine Gun • Guns that could fire anywhere from 600 to 1,200 shells in a minute • 20 shells a second! • Known to cut tree’s down

31. Tanks • The First Tanks were introduced during WW1 • Primitive, bulky, and mostly ineffective • Usually broke down before it had a chance to go anywhere

32. Planes • Wooden Cloth vehicles • Mainly used to scout • Dogfights: Pilots sat in an open cockpit and fired at each other with pistols • Adapted machine guns • TRIED to drop bombs late in the war

33. Eastern Front • Battlefield between Germany and Russia • By 1916 – Russia’s war effort was near collapse • Russia wasn’t industrialized

34. America Enters the War

35. United States • Germany attempted to inflict a naval blockade around Great Britain • The British had already put a blockade in place around Germany • Germans controlled the Atlantic and any trade with Great Britain • Unrestricted submarine warfare – January 1917 – Germany announced that any ship around Britain would be sunk without warning

36. The Lusitania • The Germans had attempted this before • May 1915 – Lusitania (British passenger liner) sunk • 1,198 people died (128 AMERICANS) • Claimed the ship was carrying munitions • Woodrow Wilson protested and Germany relented • 1917 – three American ships were sunk

38. Zimmerman Telegram • February 1917 – telegram from German foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman to the German ambassador in Mexico (intercepted by the British) • Asking Mexico to side with the Central Powers in exchange for helping Mexico get back lands it lost

39. April 2, 1917 • Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war • By 1917 – Europe had lost more men than all the wars in the previous three centuries • Total war – all resources • Factories were told what to produce • Rationing – small amounts of certain goods could be purchased • Censored news • Propaganda – one sided info to keep morale up

40. Getting America Ready for War • Not all Americans were sold on the war • Committee on Public Information (CPI) • Their goal was to sell the war to the American Public • Actors, Song writers, Authors and others with a voice were recruited to paint a positive image of war • Are the same practices used today?

41. US Propaganda

43. Espionage (Spying) was a major fear the USA • Espionage Act (1917) forbid interference with military operations and recruitment and aiding the enemy • Sedition Act (1918) made it illegal to speak out against the war or the government • 1,000 convictions

44. Anti-Immigrant Hysteria • Immigrants from Germany or Austria-Hungary targeted out of fear they would remain loyal • 2 million Americans born in Germany • Tried to rid America of any influence of German culture-music, language, literature, food • Hamburgers became “Salisbury steak” or “liberty sandwich” • Many beaten because of their German blood, one was lynched for “seeming” disloyal

45. Women • Women replaced men in factories, offices, and shops • Were offered higher wages, but the price of food and living conditions also increased

46. Russia • March 1917 – • Civil unrest in Russia due to war shortages of food and fuel • Czar Nicholas II abdicated on March 15 • Provisional Government established – pledged to keep fighting • By 1917 – 5.5 million soldiers wounded, killed, or prisoned

47. November 1917 – Vladimir Lenin – Bolshevik Revolution • Russia drops out as American troops deploying • March 1918 – Treaty of Brest Litovsk – ended the war with Germany gave Germany large portions of land

48. Second Battle of the Marne • July 1918 • Allied forces began advancing steadily toward Germany • November 9 – Kaiser William II – forced to step down (Germany declared a republic) • November 11 – the war ended • Armistice – agreement to stop fighting

49. January 18, 1919 • Paris Peace Conference – at the palace of Versailles • Big Four – England, France, US, Italy • England – David Lloyd George • France – Georges Clemenceau • US – Woodrow Wilson • Italy – Vittorio Orlando

50. Germany and Russia were not represented!! • Wilson’s plan for peace - FOURTEEN POINTS • Outlined a plan for achieving and keeping peace • 1. end to secret treaties • 2. freedom of the seas • 3. free trade • 4. reduced armies and navies • 5. self determination • 6. League of Nations