Title: World Peace Before World War
1World Peace Before World War
- By the late 1800s, many people and countries
were tired of wars and were moving towards
peaceful relations. - The odd thing was that as people tried harder for
peace, they were actually inching their way
closer to war.
2Germany Isolates France
- The growing rivalries between nations caused them
to make alliances with one another. - Germany feared that France would want revenge
because of their loss to them during the
Franco-Prussian War. - Kaiser Otto von Bismarck came up with a plan to
isolate France from the rest of Europe. - In 1879, he formed the Triple Alliance with
Austria-Hungary, and Italy. - He also formed a treaty with Russia so that they
would not become involved if there was a war.
3Wilhelm leads Germany
- Wilhelm II took over and Bismarck was pushed out
of office because he did not want to share power
with anyone. - Wilhelm decided he did not need to follow any of
the policies set by Bismarck and he let the
agreement with Russia expire. - Because of this decision, it could force Germany
to fight a war on two fronts. - Enemies would now be on the Eastern and Western
borders of Germany if a war were to break out.
4Bad Decisions
- Wilhelm II decided to make the German navy
larger. England responded by building more ships
to keep their country safe. They later formed an
alliance with France and Russia. Russia had been
allied with Germany. - A huge system of alliances was in place. It was
the Triple Entente, made up of England, France,
and Russia against the Triple Alliance made up of
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
5The 4 MainCauses of World War I
6Militarism
- It was an arms race. England had a great navy and
Germany wanted a great navy too. Germany and
France competed for larger armies. - The more one nation built up its army and/or
navy, the more other nations felt they had to do
the same.
7Imperialism
- European nations conquered and ruled smaller
countries called colonies, and competed with each
other to amass even more colonies. The gathering
of colonies is called imperialism. - Both France and Britain had many colonies in
Africa and Asia. - Germany and Italy decided they wanted a colonial
empire too.
8Nationalism
- In addition to political conflicts, the causes of
the war included such forces as nationalism
(fierce patriotism). - Nationalism led European nations to compete for
the largest army or the greatest industrial
development. - It gave groups of subject peoples the idea of
forming independent nations of their own.
9The Alliance System
- For 20 years, the nations of Europe had been
making alliances. It was thought that alliances
would promote peace. - Each country would be protected by others in case
of war, making it foolish for one country to wage
war on another. - The danger of these alliances was that an
argument between two countries could draw all the
other nations into a fight. - This led directly do World War I.
10A Critical Moment in Europe
- This major war would reshape all of European
society and it had been coming for a long time.
The 19th century had been an era of great
progress, turmoil and conflict. New nations had
been created during this era. - The balance of power that existed in 1815 was no
more. There was also a false sense of security
among many nations because of their alliances. - Local wars had flared up in the 19th century, but
a major war was regarded as unlikely.
11Sparks of Trouble
- Trouble was brewing in the Balkans in the
southeastern part of Europe. The Ottoman Empire
controlled that area, but their power was
declining - Austria-Hungary and Russia wanted to have the
land for themselves. Serbia, which was located in
this area, wanted to bring all Slavic people
under its control. - Austria-Hungary seized control of Bosnia and
Herzegovina before anyone realized what was
happening. These lands had Slavic peoples living
there and this made Serbia angry. - Serbias problem was that Russia, their ally, did
not support their threat of war towards
Austria-Hungary. Serbia had to back down and let
Austria-Hungary keep the land.
12The Assassination
- By 1914, the situation had changed. Serbia had
gained other lands and was beginning to appear
like a strong nation. Austria was worried that
Serbia might interfere with its control of Bosnia
and Herzegovina. - On June 28, 1914, while in Sarajevo on an
inspection tour, Franz Ferdinand and his wife
were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian
nationalist. His death served as the excuse for
the Austrian ultimatum that led directly to World
War I.
13Final Blunders Lead to War
- Austria-Hungary held Serbia responsible for the
assassination. On July 5th, Austria asked for and
received from Germany a blank check of support
for any action Austria-Hungary might take against
Serbia. - On July 23rd, Austria sent a series of demands to
the Serbians. The demands were designed to
humiliate and virtually destroy the Serbian
nation. But, Serbia agreed to most but not all of
the demands. - Austria reacted on July 28th by declaring war on
Serbia using the excuse that not all of their
demands were met. The Russians prepared to defend
Serbia. On July 31st the Germans sent a warning
to Russia to stop mobilizing its army for war. - The Russians ignored the warning, and Germany
declared war on Russia on August 1st. France came
to the aid of its Russian ally by declaring war
on Germany.
14World War I Begins
- The British hesitated to declare war, until the
Germans marched through Belgium. England had
promised to defend Belgium and finally declared
war on Germany on Aug 4th. - Italy, the 3rd member of the Triple Alliance,
refused to back Germany and Austria-Hungary
because they claimed the Triple Alliance was for
defensive purposes only. Austria's declaration of
war against Serbia was not defensive it was an
attack. - In August 1914, war officially began. The system
of alliances for keeping peace had collapsed like
a house of cards and brought the great nations of
Europe into war with one another.
15Order of Events for WWI
- England, France, and Russia form the Triple
Entente. Germany, Italy and Austria form the
Triple Alliance. - A Serbian named Gavrilo Princip assassinates the
Austrian Archduke. - Austria declares war on Serbia.
- Russia comes to the aid of Serbia and declares
war on Austria. - Russia declares war on Germany.
- Germany declares war on Russia.
- Germany declares war on France.
- England declares war on Germany, because Germany
went through the neutral country of Belgium to
invade France. - Italy switches sides and joins in with England,
France, and Russia to form the Allies. - Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire join Austria and
Germany to form the Central Powers.
16The Allied Powers
- Great Britain Great Britain had traditionally
followed a policy of neutrality. Britons began
to call for new alliances to counteract the
rising power of the German Empire. Britain
depended on industrial strength for survival.
Germany was threatening that as well as their
naval power in the Atlantic Ocean. - Russia Russia had been defeated by the Japanese
in 1905 and was becoming politically unstable.
They felt a need to prove their strength to the
other nations of Europe. Russia also wanted to
extend its influence and protection over Slavs
in Balkan countries. - France France had not forgotten its humiliating
defeat at the hands of Germany in 1871 and was
waiting for the chance to reestablish its power
on the continent. France was willing to ally
itself with longtime enemy England in order to
strengthen its hand against Germany.
17The Central Powers
- Germany The German Empire was created in 1871.
The territory included the provinces of Alsace
and Lorraine, which were taken from France at the
end of the Franco-Prussian War. Germany was the
leading power on the continent, but their
position was shaky. France was waiting for the
chance to reclaim Alsace and Lorraine. Russia
was allied with France and England. The German
navy was competing for dominance with the British
navy in the Atlantic. - Austro-Hungarian Empire The Austro-Hungarian
Empire was a nation of many nationalities. The
majority of people in the empire were Austrian,
Hungarian and Slavs, but it was the Austrians
and Hungarians held positions of power. Many of
the Slavs that lived in the provinces of Bosnia
and Herzegovina wanted to be part of the new
nation of Serbia. - Ottoman Empire Turkey was known as the sick man
of Europe. The new nations in the Balkans
(Serbia, Bulgaria, Rumania, and Greece) had
broken off from the empire. Many in Europe
feared the Ottoman Empire would collapse and
there would be a fight for its territory. Russia,
in particular, wanted the Dardanelle's Strait, a
strategic part of the empire.
18Germanys Plan to Win
- Schlieffen Plan
- Germany had a plan for winning the war on two
fronts. It called for a quick push through
France, which will lead to a fast victory on that
front. Germany then turns and attacks Russia in
the east at full strength.
19The Western Front
20Trench Warfare
- The trenches along the western front began as
shallow ditches. No one realized the trenches
would be home to many soldiers over the next four
years. - After the German army moved to the borders of
Paris, French defenses strengthened and stopped
them in September of 1914. Both sides became
bogged down in a bloody conflict. Soldiers dug
deep trenches into the ground, protecting
themselves with barbed wire and machine guns.
Inside the trenches, they lived in mud, suffered
from lack of food and medicine, and were wounded
or killed by exploding bombs. - Attacks over-the-wire were even worse. Generals
still thought they could win a ground war with
massed attacks of huge armies. - The problem was that when the troops came out of
the trenches to charge the enemy, they ran into
new, powerful weapons. - Machine guns, tanks, poison gas, and large
artillery rounds devastated them. Killing
hundreds in mere minutes. This was war on the
Western Front. This particular hell was called
Trench Warfare.
21Home Sweet Home
22German Lines
English Lines
23Trench construction diagram from a 1914 British
infantry manual.
24French soldiers of the 87th Regiment, 6th
Division, at Côte 304, (Hill 304), northwest of
Verdun, 1916
25British Vickers machine gun crew, Western Front,
World War I.
26British crew loading a 15-in howitzer, Western
Front, World War I.
27A French soldier is killed during an attack in
Verdun.(Picture made by a German
war-photographer)
28Battle of Verdun
- Feb. 21July, 1916), one of the most devastating
engagements of World War I, in which the French
repulsed a major German offensive - By July the Germans realized that their plan to
seize Verdun and undermine France's will to
resist had failed with a terrible loss of
menabout 400,000 French casualties and nearly as
many Germanand material for both sides. From
October until the end of the year, the French
took the offensive and regained the forts and
territory they had lost earlier.
29British troops get into position for a charge
over the top in 1917.
30Mass Devastation
31Freezing Winters
32The body of a French soldier blown up into a tree
after an artillery attack.
33The city of Vaux, destroyed by the increasingly
destructive weapons of war.
34Life in the Trenches
- As the neither side advanced, the trenches were
dug deeper. Deep enough that a man could walk
through them without showing his head above
ground. Tunnels and dugout rooms were hollowed
out and reinforced to make sleeping and eating
quarters. An entire war could be spent
underground (almost). - The trenches were connected to the supply lines
by a system of tunnels. Defenses for the trenches
became stronger and more fortified as the war
drug on. No-Mans-Land, the area between the two
opposing sides was protected with barbed wire
mines. - The trenches were extremely uncomfortable to live
in. When it rained, men walked in mud up to their
knees. The dampness and bad weather brought on
pneumonia, influenza, and fungus skin diseases.
The men were constantly bothered by rats and body
lice. - Days and nights were filled with firing of
artillery guns. Artillery attacks went on for
days without stopping. Many men became
shell-shocked from the continual fear and
noise.
35Trench Foot
36(No Transcript)
37Trench Foot
- Immersion foot, archaically trench foot, is a
medical condition caused by prolonged exposure of
the feet to damp and cold - Unlike frostbite, immersion foot does not require
freezing temperatures and can occur in
temperatures up to 60 Fahrenheit (about 16
Celsius). Immersion foot can occur with only
twelve hours of exposure
38(No Transcript)
39Trench Mouth
40- Trench mouth earned its name because of its
prevalence among soldiers who were stuck in the
trenches during World War I without the means to
take care of their teeth properly. As a result,
they often developed trench mouth, a severe form
of gingivitis that causes painful, infected,
bleeding gums and ulcerations.
41New Technology
- Machine Gun
- Poison Gas
- Hand Grenades
- Tanks
42Total War
- The Great War was a total war. It demanded ALL
the resources of the countries that fought it.
Governments began rationing and took control of
all factories ordering them what to produce and
how much to make. - Everything was rationed. By doing this, the
government was sure to provide the needed
supplies to the armies in the field. - Governments used propaganda to generate support
for the war and took steps to put down any
opposition against the war.
43German Propaganda
44British Propaganda
45Irish Propaganda
46American Propaganda
47The Eastern Front
- The war on the Eastern Front showed more movement
at first, and proved to be just as destructive.
Russian armies attacked both Germany and Austria. - After some early success, the Russians were
driven back in both places. One reason was that
Russias industries could not keep troops
supplied properly. - Russia had a huge population and had the ability
to send millions of soldiers to war. This
potentially huge Russian army provided a constant
threat to Germany and prevented Germany from
putting its full resources against the allies in
the West. This single factor would keep Germany
from having any chance winning the war. - The war moved into Southwest Asia, where the
Allies hoped to capture part of the Ottoman
Empire called the Dardanelles. This would allow
them to capture Constantinople, the Ottoman
capital, and send supplies to Russia through the
Black Sea. The attack failed and cost many men
their lives.
48War in the Far East
- Japan took control of the German colonies in
China and in the Pacific Ocean, because Germany
was already stretched thin with their war on two
fronts. - They could not send troops to defend their
territories. The Allies also captured three of
the four German colonies in Africa, leaving them
with only South Africa. - People in the Allies colonies joined in the war
effort and fought for both sides. It just
depended upon their preferences.
49The US WWI
- The English imposed a blockade on Germany and
kept all supplies from reaching Germany. In
response, the Germans increased their submarine
attacks on all ships that brought food and
supplies to the Allies. - US President Woodrow Wilson protested this
policy. When American ships were sunk and
American lives were lost, the American people
grew angry and began to cry out for war.
50The Sinking of the Lusitania
- The Lusitania, a British passenger ship was sunk
by German u-boats, killing 1,198 people (139 were
Americans). US citizens were furious and wanted
war. - The government failed to mention that the
Lusitania was secretly smuggling weapons to
England in order to help fight the war, nor were
the passengers of the ship ever warned.
51(No Transcript)
52The Zimmerman Note
- English intelligence agents intercepted a secret
message from Germany to Mexico. - Germany offered help to Mexico to regain land
lost to the US during the 1840s if Mexico would
ally itself with Germany.
53Russia Leaves America Enters
- In 1917, the US entered the war and Russia left
it. - Russia was out of food, clothing and weapons. The
huge losses and poor leadership during the war
had eroded the Russian people's support for the
Czar. In March, he stepped down. - The new government pledged to continue fighting
the war, but the Russian armies refused. The
Russian people had grown weary from the battles
and had lost a great deal. - Russia had not received as much support from the
other Allies as they would have liked. - A few months later, a new revolution struck in
Russia. Communists seized control of the
government. - They quickly made a treaty with Germany, giving
up huge amounts of land for peace. - In March 1918, Germany tried one final attack
after bringing all their troops together. Once
again, the German army nearly reached Paris. - The Allies, now with fresh American troops, drove
the Germans back.
54The End of the War
- Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire surrendered.
- In October of 1918, a revolution toppled the
Emperor of Austria-Hungary. - In November, Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to step
down in Germany. - The new government in Germany agreed to stop
fighting and on November 11, 1918, Europe was
finally at peace. - The armistice had been reached. But other
problems would remain.
55A Different World
- By that 1918, the war had reeked a terrible toll
on millions people. It had killed thousands and
forever changed the lives of millions more. - People at home and particularly the soldiers
would never be the same. - With so many men in the field, women had played a
growing role in the economies of the countries at
war. They worked in factories, offices, and
shops. They built planes and tanks, grew food and
made clothing. - These changes had an impact on peoples attitudes
toward what kind of work women could do. In the
end, not many major changes would take place
worldwide.
56The Peace Process
- Many nations sent delegates to peace talks in
Paris. The main leaders were Woodrow Wilson of
the USA, George Clemenceau of France and David
Lloyd George of England. - Germany and its allies and Russia were not
allowed to be at the peace talks. - Wilson pushed for his peace plan called 14
Points. It would end secret treaties and
alliances and give people the right to form their
own nation. - He also hoped to set up a world organization that
could police the actions of nations and prevent
future wars. - Britain and France had very different views. They
had both suffered a great deal because of the war
and wanted to punish Germany. - After long debates, the leaders voted down the
14 Points and agreed on a peace settlement
called the Treaty of Versailles. The new treaty
did take some parts from Wilsons plan though.
57Treaty of Versailles(or Blueprint for WWII)
- The treaty called for a League of Nations, a
world organization that Wilson had wanted. It
would include 32 nations, with the US, Britain,
France, Japan, and Italy making up the
leadership. Germany and Russia were banned from
the League. - The treaty stripped land away from Germany in
Europe and took away its colonies. Limits were
placed on the size of Germany's armed forces. - Finally, in a move that would lead directly to
World War II, Germany was given complete blame
for the war. - This meant that Germany would have to make
payments to the Allies for ALL of the damage
caused during the war. - Germany's former colonies were given to the
Allies to govern until they decided the colonies
were ready for independence. - Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia were
declared independent. - Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, once
part of Russia, were made independent nations as
well. - This move angered the Russians, but since they
were not at the peace talks, Russia was forced to
accept the Treaty.
58(No Transcript)