World War I A.K.A. “The Great War”

1. World War IA.K.A.“The Great War”

2. World War I---statistics • 65,038,810 Military personnel involved • 8,020,780 Military deaths • 6,642,633 Civilian deaths • 21,228,813 Military Wounded • $281,887,000,000 in early 20th century dollars.

3. General Causes of the War • Industrial Revolution • Development of Arms Industries • Social Reforms • Voting Reforms and Rights • Compulsory Military Service • Creation of a German nation • Franco-Prussian War • Imperialism • Africa

4. Imperialism: 1900

5. Imperialism: 1945

6. Franco-Prussian War • Prussia provoked a war with France in order to unite Germany.

8. World War I---Motives (Germany) • Wanted to become more influential among European neighbors • Wanted to amass a colonial empire

9. World War I---Motives (Austria-Hungary) • Simply wanted to survive as an empire. • Was a collection of people who had little in common. • It’s Balkan provinces wanted to break away.

10. World War I---Motives (France) • Wanted to recover Alsace-Lorraine • Wanted to get revenge on Germany for it’s loss in the Franco-Prussian War.

11. World War I---Motives (Russia) • Was under the threat of revolution • Czar Nicholas II was trying to keep the Romanov dynasty alive. • Wanted to restore prestige that Russia lost in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. • Wanted to present itself to the world and own citizens as the spiritual, cultural, and military champion of all Slavic peoples.

12. World War I---Motives (Britain) • Britain was more concerned with its colonial possessions in Africa, India, and Asia. • The continuation of the British Empire depended on a stable Europe. • Germany threatened the status quo. • Naval arms race began between Britain and Germany.

13. World War I---Alliances • 1879-The Dual Alliance (Germany and Austria Hungary against Russia) • 1881-Austro-Serbian Alliance (Austria-Hungary made an alliance with Serbia to stop Russia gaining control of Serbia) • 1882-The Triple Alliance ( Germany and Austria- Hungary made an alliance with Italy to stop Italy from taking sides with Russia)

14. World War I---Alliances • 1894 Franco-Russian Alliance (Russia formed an alliance with France to protect herself against Germany and Austria-Hungary) • 1904 Entente Cordiale (This was an agreement, but not a formal alliance, between France and Britain) • 1907 Anglo-Russian Entente (This was an agreement between Britain and Russia)

15. World War I---Alliances • 1907 Triple Entente (This was made between Russia, France and Britain to counter the increasing threat from Germany) • 1914 Triple Entente-No separate peace (Britain, Russia and France agreed not to sign for peace separately)

16. World War I---Central powers • Germany • Austria-Hungary • Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

17. World War I---Triple Entente • Great Britain • France • Russia

18. Gavrilo Princip • Born on his father’s farm in West Bosnia June 13, 1894. • Had a good education, but was quick with his fists and was sensitive to any kind of insult. • Boarded in the house of Danilo Ilic, a revolutionary. Princip emerged after three years dedicated to cause of overthrowing Austria-Hungary.

19. Gavrilo Princip (2) • 1912—Tried to enlist in the Serbian army but was rejected for being too small and weak. Became homeless • Made friends with 19 year old Nedeljko Cabrinovic with whom he fantasized about killing the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

20. Count Leopold Graf Berchtold The man who miscalculated and started World War One.

21. The Kaiser’s Pledge Germany would back Austria-Hungary even if it meant war with Russia. Serbia would surely accede to Austrian demand?

22. Ultimatum • 10 demands were made of Serbia. • Serbia accepted all of the demands but one. • To accept the collaboration in Serbia of representatives of the Austro-Hungarian Government for the suppression of the subversive movement directed against the territorial integrity of the Monarchy; • Austria severed diplomatic relations with Serbia and Berchtold got his war and much, much more.

23. Mobilizations • Russia conducted a partial mobilization on the Austrian border. • Germany mobilized its navy in the North Sea. • Britain mobilized its Grand Fleet. • On July 31, 1914 Austrian river boats began shelling Belgrade.

24. France vs. Germany • 1914 French Army-- 4.5 million men • 1914 German Army—5.7 million men • France—14 modern dreadnoughts and 15 earlier pre-dreadnoughts. 76 submarines plus 81 destroyers. • Germany—13 dreadnoughts and 30 older battleships. 30 submarines plus 152 destroyers.

25. Britain • 160,000 man army (all volunteer) • 24 modern dreadnoughts and 38 pre-dreadnoughts. • 76 submarines • 47 cruisers (contains some of the firepower of a battleship) • 225 destroyers

26. Russia • 1914 5.3 million men • Population of Russia was 77 million vs. 41 million for Germany. • 4 dreadnoughts, a single battle cruiser, 7 pre-dreadnoughts, 8 heavy cruisers, 5 light cruisers, 36 submarines, 106 destroyers.

27. Austria-Hungary • 1914—2.3 million men • 3 dreadnoughts, 12 pre-dreadnoughts, 3 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 14 destroyers, and 14 submarines.

28. World War I---The Schlieffen Plan • Plan to prepare for war on two fronts • Invade France with overwhelming force and lightning speed while holding off Russia. • This plan required invading neutral Belgium. • Weakness—German high-command believed it was perfect (like a machine) They failed to tweak the plan in the chaos of war.

30. World War I---French Plan 17 • War plan aimed at recovering Alsace-Lorraine. • Totally offensive plan with no defensive strategy. • Lacked a sound strategy—planned to mobilize their first line of forces assuming the Germans would do the same thing.

32. British Naval Strategy • Protect key trade routes • Hold offensive operations in check until naval superiority is achieved

33. German Naval Strategy • Avoid confrontations between capital ships • Lay mines in enemy harbors • Use submarines to attack merchant shipping and chip away at Britain’s naval superiority

34. Battle at helgoland Bight • August 28, 1914—Admiral Beatty • Britain ventured into German waters to pick a fight; the Germans took the bait. • Britain sunk four light cruisers and a thousand German sailors were lost • Britain lost 35 sailors with one ship damaged.

35. U-Boat War Begins • September 22, 1914 U-9 sank three British cruisers off the Dutch coast in one hour • Other British ships were damaged or sunk by U-boat attack during October. • Unrestricted submarine warfare would help bring the U.S. into the war.

36. U-Boat War Begins

37. U-Boat War Begins

38. U-Boat War Begins

39. U-Boat War Begins The “U” stands for: Unterseeboot (Under Sea Boat).

40. U-Boat War Begins

41. Razzle “Dazzle”

42. Razzle “Dazzle”

43. Razzle “Dazzle”

44. East Asiatic Squadron • German Pacific fleet defeated and older British fleet off the coast of Chile, killing all hands on two heavy cruisers. • The same German fleet was defeated at the Falklands by newer British vessels. • The German surface fleet was taken out of the picture after this battle.

45. Lusitania • Traditionally, merchant ships were warned before being torpedo. • The Tokomaru and the Ikaria (Japanese liners) were sunk without warning. • Feb 4, 1915—Germany declared a war zone around the British Isles in which all no ships would be immune to attack.

47. Lusitania (2) • May 7, 1915 the British liner Lusitania is sunk killing 1,198 out of 2,000 civilians including 128 Americans. • August 17 The Arabic was sunk. • September 18 The Hesperia was sunk. • Germany then suspended U-boat activity in the English channel.

49. Submarine Countermeasures • Antisubmarine nets • Merchant ships outfitted with depth charges • Hydrophones developed to locate a U-boat by its engine noise or the churning “screw” or propeller.

50. U.S. & World War One • Reasons for entry into the war: • Unrestricted Submarine warfare • Lusitania incident • Zimmerman Telegram (the last straw)