World War I

1
World War I

• In this lesson, students will be able to define
  the following terms
• Central Powers
• Allies
• Trench Warfare
• The Treaty of Versailles
• Reparations

2
In 1914, the Archduke of Austria
was assassinated. Austrians believed that Serb
officials had helped the assassins. Austrians
decided to invade Serbia.
3
Austrias decision to invade Serbia set off a
chain reaction that soon involved all of Europes
major powers.
4
During the war, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and
Turkey became known as the Central powers.
Britain, France, and Russia were known as the
Allies.
5
During the first World War, soldiers dug
themselves into trenches, protected by barbed
wire and machine guns.
6
Trenches extended hundreds of miles. Many
soldiers died due to the harsh conditions in the
trenches.
7
New weapons were used during World War I.
These weapons included the machine gun,
poison gas, submarines, and airplanes.
8
Initially, the United States was
neutral. However, Americans were sympathetic
to the British and French. When American
ships were attacked by Germany in 1917,
the United States entered the war while
Russia dropped out of the war.
9
The Russians had experienced a revolution and
were promised Peace, Land, and Bread. When the
Russians dropped out, the arrival of new
American troops still favored the Allies.
10
President Wilson announced Fourteen Points that
he felt should be the basis of the coming peace.
He planned to give each nationality its own
government and end secret diplomacy.
11
The Germans agreed to end the war and overthrew
the Kaiser in 1918. However, the final peace
terms turned out to be quite different from the
Fourteen Points.
12
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) concluded the
peace with Germany. Germany lost territory to
France and Poland, as well as all of its overseas
colonies. The Austria-Hungary empire was
divided into several smaller states.
13
Germany lost its navy while its army was reduced
to a small police force. Germany was forced to
accept blame for starting the war and was forced
to pay huge reparations (payment for damages) to
the Allies.
14
The League of Nations or an organization of
nations was created to prevent future national
aggression. However, the United States and
Russia failed to join it thus weakening its
power. The road to the Second World War was
being paved.
15
Questions for Reflection

• What event triggered the First World War?
• List the nations of the Central Powers and the
  Allies.
• What was trench warfare and why do you think it
  was particularly devastating?
• What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
• Why did the Treaty of Versailles pave the way to
  future conflict in Europe?