Total War: World War I

Mrs. QuimbyQuincy High School Sophomores Total War: World War I 1914-1918

Run up to War There were internal issues in all of these European countries. • Fear of foreign invasion • Problems with social classes • Women wanting the vote • Control of colonies • By 1907, most countries had their alliances set. -> These were secret alliances – Not everyone knew who was on each side. -> There were two major “sides”. -> The Triple Entente / Allies • Britain, France, Russia (and their allies) • The “haves” -> The Central Powers • Germany, Austria, Italy (and their allies) • The “have nots” • The “haves” had a chance to expand, had a chance to spread their empires throughout Europe, and share their influence. • The “have nots” are more recently unified, and have not yet had a chance to share their power, or to expand. One spark would set it all off.

The Have Nots: Run up to War • Germany (have not) believed that Russia had taken land that rightfully belonged to Germany. • Germany allied with Italy (also recently unified, and with similar goals), and with Austria (similar cultural background). ->Germany is waiting for a reason to attack Russia, and to get that land. • HOWEVER • - If Germany invades Russia, Britain will move in to stop Germany. • - Britain doesn’t like any European powers getting too big. • - This leads to an arms race. No one wants to attack anyone just yet, but they all want the biggest and best technology.

The Spark • Throughout the 1900s, the Ottoman Empire had been collapsing. • It was retreating out of Europe and back towards the Middle East. • The collapse of theOttoman Empiremeans a power vacuum in the Balkans. • Austria sees its opportunity. The newly formed countries in the Balkans are not strong yet. • 1908: Austria annexes Bosnia.

The Spark • Serbia saw Austria take over Bosnia. • Serbia becomes worried that Austria is going to sweep through the Balkans and take over everything. -> The Black Hand (Serbian terrorist group) emerges. Their goal: to maintain Serbian independence at all costs. • Austria realizes that not everyone is happy about their control of land in the Balkans. • June 28, 1914: Austria sends the heir to the Austrian throne on a goodwill mission to Bosnia.

The Spark -> The Black Hand recruits 6 assassins. • None of these assassins know about any of the others. The Black Hand doesn’t want a risk of one of them being captured and turning in the others. -> All assassins were given the job: Kill Archduke Franz Ferdinand • Franz Ferdinand is the heir to the Austrian throne – on a goodwill mission to Bosnia. • The hope is that, by killing Franz Ferdinand, Austria will realize that they should not be in the Balkans, and should leave Bosnia and Serbia alone. • All six assassins planned to kill Franz Ferdinand while he was on a motorcade – driving a set route through Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. • 6 Assassins • #1-4 lost their nerve, and did not try to kill Franz Ferdinand. • #5 threw a small bomb. It missed Franz Ferdinand, but injured one of his bodyguards. • #6 decided to get a sandwich.

The Spark -> The 6th Assassin was a young college student: Gavrilo Princip. He got nervous, and decided to get a sandwich. • Meanwhile, Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, stopped and had lunch at town hall. • After lunch, they were supposed to continue on their route, but Franz Ferdinand wanted to go to the hospital first. • He wanted to stop and visit the bodyguard that had been injured by the bomb.

The Spark • No one informed the driver, so when they continued on the route, Franz asked him to turn around. -> They ended up stopping in traffic, reversing, going down an alternate route and stopping in front of a cafe… -> …where Princip was eating his sandwich. -> Princip stood up, grabbed his gun, and shot Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. They both died. • This was the spark that started WWI.

The Spark • Gavrilo Princip had assassinated Franz Ferdinand. He was immediately arrested. • But the damage hadbeen done. • Austria quickly foundthat the assassinationwas the work of the Black Hand. • They looked to Serbia. • However, they knewnot all Serbians wereterrorists. -> Serbia apologized, andsaid that they would try to compensate Austria for their loss. Serbia asked Austria what they could do to make it up to them.

The Balkans Blank Check • Germany saw all of this happening, and when Austria wasn’t sure what to ask for from Serbia, Germany had a suggestion: demand Serbia itself. • Germany said that Austria should tell Serbia that, unless they gave all of their land to Austria, and unless they gave up their independence, Austria would declare war. • Austria thought this was crazy. They did not want to declare war. They wanted peaceful relations. -> However, Germany said that, it came down to war, Germany would ally with Austria, and back it up to defeat Serbia. -> This is called the Balkans Blank Check. • Serbia was small, with a small army, not really a threat.

Germany’s Plan • Germany was banking on a few things: • Austria will demand Serbia’s land and independence. • Serbia will say no way. • Austria will declare war, knowing that Germany will back it up. • Serbia will ask Russia for help. • Russia and Serbia have similar ethnic groups, and Russia is likely to defend someone in its area asking for help. Russia is also still embarrassed from its loss to Japan, and wanted to prove that it could protect its European allies. • Russia will declare war on Austria. • Germany (Austria’s ally) will declare war on Russia. -> This is all an elaborate plan to get Russian land. • Germany wants an excuse to declare war on Russia so that it can invade, and take over Russian territory. • Everything went according to Germany’s plan.

Germany’s Plan -> Germany was ruled by Kaiser Wilhelm II. -> Wilhelm II fired Otto von Bismarck – leading to significant instability in Germany. • Bismarck had finally gained a fragile balance between Germany (unified) and the other European powers. -> Wilhelm II was not ready to stop expanding. He fired Bismarck and decided that Germany deserved Russian land, and deserved to expand larger and larger. • By working with Austria, Wilhelm had his chance to declare war on Russia.

Start of War • Everything happened according to Germany’s plan at first. • Serbia did not give up its independence. • Austria declared war on Serbia. • Serbia asked Russia for help. • Russia saw a chance to redeem itself for its loss to Japan (Russo-Japanese War). • Austria declares war on Russia. • Germany (Austria’s ally) declares war on Russia. The Balkans Blank Check meant that Germany would back Austria up no matter what.

Start of War

Start of War -> August 2, 1914: Germany decides to expand westward as well. -> Germany declares war on neutral Belgium. • Belgium had not been interested in war, and had been neutral (not choosing a side) for a very long time. -> Belgium neutrality had beenguaranteed by Britain and France, during a secret alliance. • When Germany declares war on Belgium, France and Britain have to intervene. • August 4, 1914: Britain and France declare war on Germany. World War 1 has officially begun.

Why War? -> Most people in Europe, and in European colonies, wereexcited about the war. • There had been so many internal issues, that the pressure was unbearable. • War gave people something to do, gave them a team to cheer for. -> However, no one realized: -> How long the war was going to be. It lasted 5 years. -> How many countries would get involved. -> How many people would die. -> People thought the war would be over by Christmas – that it would be an easy victory for their side.

Why War? • However – the sides were very evenly matched when it came to technology, and the war lasted much longer than anyone thought. • Still, people were excited about the war – they wanted to support their country. • This is Nationalism on the rise. Everyone believed that their country was right, and that they had a good reason to be fighting. ->Parents would bring their teenaged sons down to the recruiting offices. They would lie about their kids’ ages, and send 15 and 16 year olds to the front. -> These kids were excited – everyone who was anyone was joining in to defend their country and protect what they believed was right. • Again, everyone thought it would be a quick war – over in months, with few casualties. No one knew it would last for years.

Germany’s Plan -> Von Schlieffen Plan: Germany’s plan to win. -> Germany realized that, because it had declared war on Russia, it was going to have to fight a war on two fronts. -> Front 1: Eastern Front • Germany vs. Russia • Germany wants a chance for Russian land, and has used the Balkans Blank Check as a chance to declare war. -> Front 2: Western Front • Because of all of the secret alliances, Germany realized that declaring war on Russia would mean declaring war on its allies – France and Britain. • Germany wanted to attack France before it had a chance to attack Germany. • So Germany invaded Belgium (neutral) on the way to France. • The goal was to invade France, take it over, and make sure that Britain had no safe place to land in Europe. • After taking care of the Western front, Germany planned to finish taking land from Russia.

Von Schlieffen Plan -> The Von Schlieffen Plan: Germany would march through Belgium, and take France. This would remove France from the war, and would leave Britain with nowhere to land their troops. • The Kaiser thought it would take about 6 weeks for Russia to mobilize its troops. If Germany could take Paris before those 6 weeks were up, Germany could avoid fighting on two fronts, and just focus on Russia. ->They were close – it did take Russia 6 weeks to get its army organized, however, Germany was not able to conquer Paris. • This left a war on two fronts – exactly what Germany wanted to avoid.

Von Schlieffen Plan -> Germany attacked France on two fronts – North and South. -> The Northern Army would come around Paris and surround it, attacking from the West (where they would not be expecting to be attacked). -> The Southern Army would take the rest of France. • The Northern Army got within 12 miles of Paris, but could move no further. -> The German army was out of supplies - they couldn’t afford to push forward. -> Instead, they dug in: digging trenches to protect themselves from the other army. -> The French army did the same, about 30 yards away. -> This became the Western Front.

Battle of the Marne • When Germany moved through France, at first it looked like they were going to win, and take Paris. • However, they suffered one major defeat, which stopped the advance. -> This is the Battle of the Marne. (Also known as the Miracle of the Marne). -> Date: September 5-12 1914 • Germany advanced on France, and went to take Paris, planning to attack from the opposite side. • French troops advanced, but the German armies enveloped the troops and continued towards Paris. -> However, there was one minor flaw. One German regiment (the First Army) turned quickly to move on Paris. This left a significant gap (30 miles wide) between the armies. -> Allied scouts, in fighter planes, noticed the gap. -> French and British troops were able to rush in and break the Germany army apart.

Battle of the Marne -> The Allies saw their chance to break up the German armies. French troops mobilized instantly. -> The French army mobilized so quickly that there were not enough trucks to transport them all to the front. Instead, 6,000 troops hopped into 600 taxis and the taxis drove them to the Marne. • These taxis, and theirdrivers became a symbol for Frenchnationalism and Frenchpatriotism. -> By September 9, it looked like Germany was going to lose. French troops had surrounded the German army, and they could not go any further.

Battle of the Marne -> This retreat was the end of the Von Schlieffen plan – it had failed. The German armies had not taken Paris. • They ended up retreating almost 40 miles. The German army outpaced the Allies, and dug in: forming trenches that they would hold for the next four years. -> One of the German Generals wrote a letter to Kaiser Wilhelm II, saying: “Your Majesty, we have lost the war.” • The Allied troops (French and British) dug in about 30 yardsaway. -> These trenches moved no more than 30 yards over the course of the next four years. -> This led to a stalemate – there was fighting, but virtually no more major battles for years.

Trench Warfare -> The Western Front ended up being two long trenches – one filled with Germans and their allies (Central Powers) one filled with French and their allies (Allies). • Trench Warfare was slightly different down the line. Some trenches were very narrow, some wider, and “nicer”. • Daily life was dirty and boring. Most soldiers didn’t dare attack the enemy until nightfall. • Rise in technology madethe trenches deadly. • Snipers picked off peoplewho looked over the edgeof the trench. • Explosive shells could collapse whole trenches –leaving the enemy exposed or buried alive.

Trench Warfare • Other daily problems included rats – which could grow to the size of a cat – flooding, lice, disease, and poor hygiene. -> While in the trenches, you did not spend the whole time on the ‘front line’. People were rotated to different parts of the trenches. • This rotation helped with some of the boredom, and also meant that those on the front line got some rest. • An example: You might spend 70 days in the front line, 30 days in nearby support trenches, 120 in reserve (further away, but still entrenched). • If you got any leave at all, it was maximum, 2 weeks. ->Most got no leave. Many stayed on the front for 4 years.

The Christmas Peace -> At the beginning of the war, everyone had said “it will be over by Christmas”. • However, on December 25th, 1914, people were still in the trenches. • They were depressed, and homesick. • On the German side, someonestarted singing. • On the other side, the Allies joinedin. The sides took turns sharing carols with each other. • Both sides were lacking in supplies, and so both helped each other. • The British gave sandbags to the Germans, so that they couldreinforce their trenches. TheGermans shared barbed wire with the British/French.

The Christmas Peace • “[The Germans] finished their carol and we thought that we ought to retaliate in some way, so we sang ‘The first Noël’, and when we finished that they all began clapping; and then they struck up another favourite of theirs, ‘O Tannenbaum’. And so it went on. First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours, until when we started up ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words ‘Adeste Fidéles’. And I thought, well, this was really a most extraordinary thing – two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war” A British Soldier’s account of the Christmas Peace, from: The Great War: And the Shaping of the 20th Century (New York: Penguin Books, 1996)

The Christmas Peace • Both sides had also been given “bonuses” by their respective government. The British had been given “Princess Mary Boxes”, which includedcookies and other sweets. The Germans received tobacco and cigars from the Kaiser. • Both sides shared the wealth, bringing gifts one another to show that, just for the holiday season, they were not going to be aggressive. • At one place in the front, a British soldier had a soccer ball. He broke it out, and the two sides formed twosoccer teams.

The Christmas Peace • During the Christmas Peace (aka Christmas Truce), both sides agreed on rules to follow for the rest of the war. 1. No shooting anyone using the latrines. 2. Cease fires after skirmishes, so that the dead can be buried. 3. Aiming high. • The third point isespecially import-ant. It was hardto aim to kill someone that youknew. • Both sides still hadto fire on the other, but they agreed to aim high, to avoidfatalities.

The Christmas Peace

The Christmas Peace • In some areas, the Christmas Peace only lasted until the day after Christmas (Boxing Day). In other areas (reserve trenches), the peace lasted through March. • The Generals didn’t like this – there needed to be some sort of progress, even if it was gaining 30 yards. • Some threatened to shoot their own troops if they didn’t go up and over the trench wall and try to take the enemy trench. • However, what was ultimately done was to rotate the troops. • Now, with the troops rotated, both sides now see the other side as “the enemy”, instead of “that guy I played soccer with”. • In all areas, the war started to resume – artillery barges were fired, shells were dropped, people were sniped. • However, almost everywhere along the Front, people followed the Christmas Peace rules.

Technology • Technology was advancing as the war progressed. Each side though that their new weapons would make a difference and win the war. • Germans began using zeppelins to bomb major allied cities. • This represents the first time that civilian cities had been attacked during war. -> Both sides began using airplanes for warfare as well. • This was new technology, and very dangerous. • At first, pilots would fire pistols at one another, or try to throw grenades. • However, soon, pilots mounted machine guns on their planes. • The first machine guns on airplanes didn’t quite work, and the British pilot crashed behind enemy lines. • When German and Austrian engineers found the plane, they perfected the technology – timing the machine gun to fire through the moving propeller.

Technology • Also invented by theGermans was theflamethrower. • British invented thearmored tank. -> It was Germans, however, who firststarted using poisongas. • Prior to WWI, there had been a meeting called the Hague Convention – which stated what types of warfare were considered inhumane. • Poison gas was in direct violation of the Hague Convention, but the Germans were desperate.

Second Battle of Ypres -> The German army first used chlorine gas during the Second battle of Ypres. • The First Battle of Ypres was when Germany took over Belgium. Ypres is a major town in Belgium, and having control of it was a huge advantage. • In Spring of 1915, the Second Battle of Ypres began. • Central Powers: • Germany • Allies/Triple Entente: • Britain • Canada • British India • France/French Africa

Second Battle of Ypres • In September 1914, Canada had joined the war – joining the Allied powers, and providing needed reinforcements. • The Second Battle of Ypres (April, 1915) was the first time Canadian troops had fought in Europe. • The battlefield was quiet whenthe Canadians arrived. They were immediately moved tothe very front lines. • To the left of the Canadianswere Moroccan and Algerian troops, from French colonies in Africa. • To the right of the Canadianswere British troops.

Second Battle of Ypres • One morning, the Germans set canisters of chlorine gas in front of their own trenches, allowing the wind to blow the gas toward the enemy troops. “…From the German trenches in front of the French line rose that strange green cloud of death. The light north-easterly breeze wafted it toward them, and in a moment death had them by the throat. One cannot blame them that they broke and fled. In the gathering dark of that awful night they fought with the terror, running blindly in the gas-cloud, and dropping … and the slow poison of suffocation mantling their dark faces. Hundreds of them fell and died; others lay helpless, froth upon their agonized lips and their racked bodies powerfully sick, with tearing nausea at short intervals. They too would die later – a slow and lingering death of agony unspeakable. The whole air was tainted with the acrid smell of chlorine that caught at the back of men's throats and filled their mouths with its metallic taste…”

Second Battle of Ypres • The gas rolled right toward the Moroccan and Algerian troops. They fell back, receiving the full brunt of the gas attack. -> Chlorine gas was extremely effective when it came to these kind of attacks. -> It is heavier than air, but will be pushed by wind, so it tends to sink, especially into trenches, and into other divots where the enemy troops might be taking cover. • The Moroccan and Algerian troops were forced to abandon their trench, and retreat, or else be poisoned by the gas. Poison GasDuring WWI Chlorine Gas - Greenish yellow gas, that has a chemical reaction with water. Causes vomiting, burning in eyes, nose, mouth, lungs, watering of the eyes. In severe cases, causes loss of consciousness, suffocation, and death. Phosgene - Colorless, odorless, gas. Highly poisonous. Replaces oxygen in the cells, which causes unconsciousness and death. Mustard Gas – A yellow gas with a mustard smell. Causes blistering and sores on any exposed tissue. The most used gas during the war.

Second Battle of Ypres • With the French African (Moroccan, Algerian) troops incapacitated, the Canadians had to fill in the gap. • The Canadian soldiers manages to move in, and prevent the Germans from advancing. • Canadians also were ordered to take Kitchener’s Wood (a tactical vantage point that had been taken over by the Germans). • By April 23rd, the Canadians had taken the Wood, held the line, and prevented the Germans from advancing. • This was hugely successful for the Allies. • Though they gained very little ground, it was a moral victory. • This was also the first time that a “colonial” power (the Canadians) proved that they could hold their own in a European battle.

Second Battle of Ypres • With the French African (Moroccan, Algerian) troops incapacitated, the Canadians had to fill in the gap. • The Canadian soldiers manages to move in, and prevent the Germans from advancing. • Canadians also were ordered to take Kitchener’s Wood (a tactical vantage point that had been taken over by the Germans). • By April 23rd, the Canadians had taken the Wood, held the line, and prevented the Germans from advancing. • This was hugely successful for the Allies. • Though they gained very little ground, it was a moral victory. • This was also the first time that a “colonial” power (the Canadians) proved that they could hold their own in a European battle. • From this point on, the other Allied troops were thrilled when they heard they were getting Canadian support.

Battle of the Somme -> The Battle of the Somme was the bloodiest battle in WWI… • It is also one of the bloodiest battles in history. -> It began on July 1, 1916, and lasted for five months. -> It was an Allied offensive – the goal was to really push forward, and force German troops out of France, once and for all. • By the end of the five month battle, the British and their allies gained six miles of land. They took no strategic positions. They won no towns. They failed in every objective. -> They also lost half a million people.

Battle of the Somme • For a week before the battle began, the Allied forces bombed the German trench, hoping to cause enough damage that they could move across the no mans land. • British soldiers also tunneled under the German trench, and planted bombs. • When they set off the bombs, however, the Germans were not hurt, and just occupied the new crater. • The sides: • Central Powers • Germany • Allies • Britain • France • Australia • New Zealand • Canada • South Africa • By this point in the war, it is really becoming a global conflict. • This is caused by alliances, andwanting to supportformer colonizers.

Battle of the Somme -> The Allied troops advanced across No Man’s Land, and were decimated. -> Their initial artillery barge had done nothing. The German troops were fully functional, and used machine guns and shells to mow down any person in No Man’s Land. • This made it impossible to gain any ground, to send reinforcements into the field, or to send reconnaissance – everyone who set foot in the field was attacked. -> In the first day alone, the Allies lost 60,000 men.

Battle of the Somme -> There was virtually no gain during the 5 month battle. • The British/French and Allied troops continued to advance, and were shot down again and again. -> The British side also had a strange mix of technology. The Battle of the Somme was the debut of the tank, but the British also had cavalry ready to go. • At the end of the battle,the British gained virtually nothing. -> It turned out that theCentral Powers sidehad an advantage allalong – they could seethe whole battlefield, the whole no mansland.

Battle of the Somme • Gains: The Allies gained 6 miles of land. • Losses: • British: 420,000 dead (60,000 on the first day) • French: 200,000 dead • German: 500,000 dead [On the barbed wire], hundreds of dead were strung out like wreckage washed up to a high water-mark. Quite as many died on the enemy wire as on the ground, like fish caught in the net. They hung there in grotesque postures. Some looked as if they were praying; they had died on their knees and the wire had prevented their fall. Machine gun fire had done its terrible work.

The Eastern Front • While the Western Front was in stalemate – with hundreds of thousands of troops entrenched along the line, the war raged on the Eastern Front. -> The Eastern Front was where Germany was attempting to push into Russia. -> Unlike the Western Front, at first there seemed to be progress on the Eastern Front. • In 1914, Germany planned to push into Russian territory andto claim land. • This was Germany’s original goal - the Eastern Front was the one that they actually wanted to fight.

The Eastern Front • While Germany was occupied at the Battle of the Marne (in France), Russian troops were mobilizing. -> The Russian army began an offensive – pushing into Austria and German territory, to keep them from attacking. -> This (in tandem with the French/British troops’ success at the Marne) forced Germany to fight a war on two fronts. • Russian forces invaded German controlled Poland. -> However, at the Battle of Tannenberg (August 1914), the Russian troops were stopped short. -> Over the next few years, Russia tried to push into German territory, and to mount an offensive. • However, Russia was unable to move the German line. -> By mid 1915, Russian troops had been pushed back into their own territory, and Germany was starting to take Russian land.

Problems in Russia • Russia was under a huge amount of internal stress. • Russia was divided into a very large lower class, and a small elite upper class. • It was the upper class (Tzar Nicholas II and the Commander-in-Chief of the army – the Tzar’s cousin, Grand Duke Nicholas) who controlled the country’s government. • Though people like Tzar Nicholas and Grand Duke Nicholas ran the army, it was the large lower class that made up the bulk of the troops. • These peasants were poor and ill-equipped. There was a huge gap in the population – economically and socially. Do these conditions remind you of anything we have learned about already? What events had similar triggers? What do you think will happen in Russia?

The Russian Revolution

February Revolution • Russia underwent two revolutions – one in February and one in October. • February, 1917: Tzar Nicholas II leaves Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) to visit troops on the front line. • People in Russia were unhappy. • They were poor, and hungry • Russia seemed to be losing the war against Germany – Russia was losing land. • People begin protesting and going on strike, trying to start social change, and get the Tzar to realize that something was wrong with the country. • February 26: Palace guards fire on unarmed people protesting around the palace. • February 27: 80,000 troops mutiny and go on strike. They feel that they are fighting a pointless war.

February Revolution • Tzar Nicholas II returns to find the country in rebellion. • Workers, peasants, even soldiers are rebelling against what they believe is an unfair government and a pointless war. • A temporary government is set up. Tzar Nicholas II Most people did not hate the Tzar. They thought that he was receiving bad information from his advisers. Their protest at the palace was to try to tell the Tzar that they supported him, but not his government.

Total War: World War I