World War I

1
World War I

• By David Brienza

2
Orientation

• This lesson is designed to teach you about World
  War I at your own pace. It is broken up into
  four different sections
  
• Causes of the War
• Major Battles and Turning Points
• An End to War
• Quiz.
• You can access any section you want though the
  main menu and go back and forth between slides or
  go back to the main menu to go to a different
  section. Go at your own pace and pay attention
  so you get a 100 on the Quiz!

Continue
3
Objectives

• By the end of this lesson students will be able
  to state the causes of World War I, identify the
  countries involved and will be able to identify
  key battles and turning points that led to the
  end of the War with 100 accuracy.

4
Target Audience

• This lesson is intended for high school students
  grades 9-12. High School students with basic
  computer skills can go through this lesson and
  learn at their own pace

5
Learning Environment

• Students can use this lesson anywhere as long as
  they have a computer.

6
Introduction

• World War I was a war that changed the landscape
  of the world and the art of war forever. Modern
  weapons brought about death tolls that were
  unthinkable and the use of outdated tactics
  against these new modern weapons led to the
  deaths of millions. In this lesson you will
  learn the causes of the war, the key countries
  involved and why they were involved, the key
  battles and turning points of the war and how the
  war came to an end and the effects it had on the
  world.

7
Main Menu

• Causes and the Outbreak of War
• Major Battles and Turning Points
• Peace
• Quiz

8
Causes

• Leading up to World War I the major powers of
  Europe had become entangled in a dangerous set of
  alliances that would be one of the major reasons
  for war. These alliances were dangerous because
  it a war could very quickly turn into a
  multinational conflict.
• The two key existing alliances were the Triple
  Alliance and the Triple Entente

If one nation went to war it expected the other
signatories of its alliance to lend support
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9
The Triple Alliance

• Signed in 1882 by Austria-Hungary, Germany and
  Italy
  
• Had originally been a Dual Alliance signed by
  Austria Hungary and Germany in 1879
  
• Was a defensive treaty and renewed at five year
  intervals
  
• The three nations agreed to support each other if
  any nation was attacked by France or Russia - or
  if one of the signatories was attacked by more
  than one nation
• The signatories werent required to lend support
  if one of the nations started an offensive war
  

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10
The Triple Alliance

• Italy declined to support Austria-Hungary and
  Germany stating that the Triple Alliance didnt
  require them to give support if one of the
  signatories was the aggressor. Italy would enter
  the war on the side of the Allies declaring war
  on Austria-Hungary on May 23,1915
• Turkey would enter the war on the side of
  Austria-Hungary and Germany on October 29,1914
  and these allies would then be referred to as the
  Central Powers

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11
The Triple Entente

• Signed by Great Britain, France and Russia in
  1907 the triple entente was a less formal treaty
  than the Triple Alliance. At the time of the
  treaty France was worried by the signing of the
  Triple Alliance, Great Britain was concerned
  about Germanys growing Navy, and Russia feared
  the growth of the German Army and the threat of
  Austria-Hungary expanding its empire
• Russia which had strong ties to the Slavic people
  living in the Balkans had pledged their support
  to Serbia if Serbia was attacked
  

12
Problems in the Balkans

• Austria-Hungary had annexed the provinces of
  Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908- Serbia had hoped
  to control Bosnia and Herzegovina
  
• Austria-Hungary was an empire with many different
  nationalities which made ruling difficult
  
• The rulers of Bosnia had been traditionally
  Muslim
  
• Bosnia also had a large population of
  ethnic-Serbs that wished to see Bosnia become
  part of a larger Serbia

13
Serbia A nation on the rise

• In the Balkan War of 1912-1913 Serbia doubled
  both its population to 4.4 million people and its
  territory to 34,000 square miles
  
• Serbia wanted to create a unified Greater Serbia
• There were 7.3 million South Slavic peoples of
  varying religions living within the
  Austria-Hungary Empire
  
• Serbia was viewed as an aggressor by Austria
  Hungary
  

14
The Shot Heard Round the World

On June 28,1914 the heir to the Austria-Hungarian
throne Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife
Sophie visited Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovenia on
an official state visit Two attempts were made
on the archdukes life There were seven conspirat
ors involved in the assassination attempt
Weapons for the assassination attempt had been
supplied by a radical Serbian nationalist group
called the Black Hand While driving through the c
ity their car was separated from the Archdukes
motorcade and Gavrilo Princip a 19 year old
Bosnian Serb got alongside their car and shot the
archduke and his wife killing both of them
Austria-Hungary believed Serbia was behind the
assassination
15
Gavrilo Princip- A willing Assassin

• Gavrilo Princip was a 19 year old Bosnian Serb
  who was religiously Christian.
  
• Princip came from a poor family with a farming
  background but had moved to Sarajevo to live with
  his older brother where he joined Young Bosnia an
  organization for young men that wanted to see
  Bosnia absorbed into a larger Serbia.

16
The Ultimatum

• On July 23, 1914 Austria-Hungary issued an
  ultimatum to Serbia and demanded a response
  within two days
  
• The ultimatum called for Serbia to comply with
  all of Austria-Hungarys demands
  
• Austria-Hungary, which prior to the assasination
  of the archduke had viewed Serbia as a problem,
  had been itching to go to war with Serbia
  
• The ultimatum that Austria-Hungary presented to
  Serbia was very strict and when Serbia refused to
  agree to every clause Austria-Hungary declared
  war on Serbia

17
Austria-Hungarys Demands to Serbia

• (1) To suppress any publication which incites to
  hatred and contempt of the Austro-Hungarian
  Monarchy and the general tendency of which is
  directed against its territorial integrity
• (2) To dissolve immediately the society styled
  "Narodna Odbrana," to confiscate all its means of
  propaganda, and to proceed in the same manner
  against other societies and their branches in
  Serbia which engage in propaganda against the
  Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.  The Royal Government
  shall take the necessary measures to prevent the
  societies dissolved from continuing their
  activity under another name and form
• (3) To eliminate without delay from public
  instruction in Serbia, both as regards the
  teaching body and also as regards the methods of
  instruction, everything that serves, or might
  serve, to foment the propaganda against
  Austria-Hungary
• (4) To remove from the military service, and from
  the administration in general, all officers and
  functionaries guilty of propaganda against the
  Austro-Hungarian Monarchy whose names and deeds
  the Austro-Hungarian Government reserve to
  themselves the right of communicating to the
  Royal Government
• (5) 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

18
Austria-Hungarys Demands to Serbia (continued)

• (6) To take judicial proceedings against
  accessories to the plot of the 28th of June who
  are on Serbian territory delegates of the
  Austro-Hungarian Government will take part in the
  investigation relating thereto
• (7) To proceed without delay to the arrest of
  Major Voija Tankositch and of the individual
  named Milan Ciganovitch, a Serbian State
  employee, who have been compromised by the
  results of the magisterial inquiry at Sarajevo
• (8) To prevent by effective measures the
  cooperation of the Serbian authorities in the
  illicit traffic in arms and explosives across the
  frontier, to dismiss and punish severely the
  officials of the frontier service at Shabatz
  Loznica guilty of having assisted the
  perpetrators of the Sarajevo crime by
  facilitating their passage across the frontier
• (9) To furnish the Imperial and Royal Government
  with explanations regarding the unjustifiable
  utterances of high Serbian officials, both in
  Serbia and abroad, who, notwithstanding their
  official position, have not hesitated since the
  crime of the 28th of June to express themselves
  in interviews in terms of hostility to the
  Austro-Hungarian Government and, finally,
• (10) To notify the Imperial and Royal Government
  without delay of the execution of the measures
  comprised under the preceding heads. The
  Austro-Hungarian Government expect the reply of
  the Royal Government at the latest by 5 o'clock
  on Saturday evening the 25th of July.  (See Note
  1)

19
Serbias Reply to Austria-Hungary

• (Preamble) ...Serbia cannot be held responsible
  for manifestations of a private character, such
  as articles in the press and the peaceable work
  of societies ... The Serbian government have
  been pained and surprised at the statements,
  according to which members of the Kingdom of
  Serbia are supposed to have participated in the
  preparations of the crime...
• However, Serbia is prepared to hand over for
  trial any Serbian subject . .of whose complicity
  in the crime of Sarajevo proofs are forthcoming
  as well as officially condemn all propaganda
  against A-H.
• Serbia will introduce ... a provision into the
  press law providing for the most severe
  punishment of incitement to hatred and contempt
  of the A-H Monarchy... 
• The Serbian govt. possesses no proof ... that
  the Narodna Odbrana and other similar societies
  have committed up to the present any criminal act
  of this nature ... Nevertheless, Serbia will
  ... dissolve the Narodna Obrana and every other
  society which... 
• Serbia will eliminate without delay from public
  instruction ... everything that serves or might
  serve to foment the propaganda against A-H,
  whenever Austria furnish them with facts and
  proofs... 
• Serbia also agree to remove from the military
  service all such persons as the judicial inquiry
  may have proved to be guilty of acts directed
  against the integrity of the territory of A-H,
  and they expect Austria to communicate ... the
  names and acts of these officers for the purpose
  of the proceedings which are to be taken against
  them. 

20
Serbias Reply to Austria-Hungary

• The Serbian govt. does not clearly grasp the
  meaning or the scope of the demand ... that
  Serbia shall undertake to accept the
  collaboration of the representatives of A-H,
  but they declare that they will admit such
  collaboration as agrees with the principle of
  international law, with criminal procedure, and
  with good neighborly relations. 
• ...As regards the participation in this inquiry
  which Serbia intends to hold of
  Austro-Hungarian agents... Serbia cannot accept
  such an arrangement, as it would be a violation
  of the Constitution... 
• States it has not yet been possible to arrest
  one of the persons named request proofs of guilt
  from Austria 
  

21
Serbias Reply to Austria-Hungary

• agrees to reinforce measures against illegal
  trafficking of arms and explosives across the
  frontier with Bosnia-Herzegovina 
  
• offers explanations of anti-Austrian comments by
  Serb officials if Austria sends examples of their
  actually having been made 
  
• Serbia will duly notify the measures taken, but
  if Austria is not satisfied with the reply the
  Serbian government . . are ready . . to accept a
  pacific understanding, either by referring this
  question to the decision of the International
  Tribunal of the Hague i.e., the World Court, or
  to the Great Powers...

22
War is Declared

• Before sending the ultimatum to Serbia,
  Austria-Hungary wanted to make sure they had
  military backing from Germany
  
• Austria-Hungary was worried Russia would join the
  fight on Serbias side so before sending the
  ultimatum the Austria-Hungarian government wanted
  to be assured of Germanys backing
• Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany had promised
  Austria-Hungary unconditional support from
  Germany on July 6,1914
  
• On July 28,1914 Austria-Hungary with the
  assurance of German backing declared war on
  Serbia
  
• August 1,1914 Germany declares war on Russia
• August 3,1914 Germany declares war on France
• August 4, 1914 Germany invades Belgium
• August 4, 1914 Great Britain declares war on
  Germany

23
Germany Breaches Belgian Neutrality

• Germanys plan for fighting a two front war was
  called the Schlieffen Plan
  
• The Schlieffen Plan was created by General Alfred
  von Schlieffen in 1906
  
• The plan called for an invasion of France through
  Belgium
  
• Belgium had good terrain for an invasion
• The problem Belgium was a nation that had gained
  its independence in 1839 and been guaranteed
  neutrality
  
• Great Britain in the 1839 Treaty of London
  pledged to defend Belgian neutrality
  
• Great Britain didnt declare war on Germany until
  they actually invaded Belgium and violated
  Belgian neutrality
  
• The Schlieffen Plan called for a quick victory in
  the west against France and then Germany could
  turn all of its resources against Russia
  
• Germany thought that if they could end the war on
  the Western Front in six weeks they would have
  time to turn on Russia which was a bit of a
  backwards nation
• Helmuth von Moltke the head of the German Army
  felt that it would take Russia about a month to
  fully mobilize, thus giving Germany a sort amount
  of time to annihalte the French Army

24
The Schlieffen Plan

• The Schlieffen Plan called for Germany to invade
  France through Belgium with four major armies-
  the 1st Army commanded by Gen. von Kluck the 2nd
  Army commanded by Gen. von Bulow and the 3rd Army
  commanded by Gen. con Hausen.

25
The French Plan

• At the beginning of the war until 1916 the French
  were commanded by Joseph Joffre
  
• The French Plan for World War I was Plan 17 which
  first called for French forces to drive into and
  recapture the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine
  and another army would drive into France through
  the Ardennes Forests
• Joffre was obsessed with being on the offensive
  and decided that France would attack Germany
  through Alsace and Lorraine
  

26
Major Battles and Turning Points

• Western Front
• Battle of Liege
• First Battle of the Marne
• First Battle of Ypres
• Gallipoli
• Verdun
• The Somme
• U.S enters the War
• Amiens Offensive

• Eastern Front
• Battle of Tannenberg
• The Brusilov Offensive
• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

27
Battle of Liege August 5-16, 1914

• Liege was a fortified city in Belgium that sat on
  the Meuse River
  
• Was initially a failure for Germany
• Germany then called in 2 huge artillery guns, Big
  Bertha which was 420mm and an Austrian 305mm
  Howitzer
  
• Big Bertha could fire shells about 9 miles
• The guns arrived on August 12th
• By August 14th all forts to the north and to the
  east of Liege were destroyed
  
• By August 16th all the forts at Liege were
  destroyed and Germany rolled through Belgium into
  France

28
Big Bertha
Was a 420mm artillery gun that had to be brought
in by train and took a 200 man crew to operate
29
First Battle of the Marne Sept 6-12

• Ever since the Germans rolled through Belgium
  into France the French had been on the retreat.
  The French had been expecting the Germans to use
  40-42 divisions the Germans overwhelmed the
  French and brought 68 divisions. The French
  offensive into Alsace and Lorraine was
  ineffective and the Germans pushed the French
  Army back to within 30 miles of Paris where the
  French Army made a stand at the Marne River.

Map of the First Battle of The Marne
30
First Battle of the Marne

• The French Government had abandoned Paris and the
  city of Paris was preparing for a siege. The
  French were able to stop the Germans at the Marne
  and push them back. The French army may have
  been saved by reservists brought up to the front
  by taxicab drivers from Paris. From September
  9-13 the Germans pulled back to the Aisne River.
  The Schlieffen Plan was dead and the Germans
  didnt have any alternative plans. They had
  failed to annihilate the French Army and now
  faced a two front war

31
First Battle of Ypres October 14-November 22

• Ypres was a town strategically located on the
  roads leading to English channel ports in Belgian
  Flanders
  
• Both sides were in a race to the sea to obtain
  ports that would be key to have in a prolonged
  war
  
• At Ypres Germany suffered 135,000 casualties
• The British Expeditionary Force suffered 75,000
  casualties and was destroyed as a professional
  army- for the rest of the war Great Britain would
  rely on a volunteer army, followed by a conscript
  army
• Following the Battle at Ypres the lines on the
  Western Front stabilized and both sides dug in
  
• The front lines would not change much on the
  Western Front after Ypres until 1918 when the
  Allies made a push
  
• Following Ypres, the Western Front turned into a
  stalemate and trench warfare followed

32
Gallipoli April 1915

• The Allies not being able to achieve a
  breakthrough on the Western Front attempted a
  campaign in the Dardenelles
  
• Tsar Nicholas of Russia had been pleading with
  the Allies to open up another front to relieve
  some of the pressure on his forces
  
• On April 25, 1915 the British and ANZAC
  (Australian and New Zealand) forces established 2
  beachheads at Helles and Gaba Tepe
  
• The Gallipoli Campaign was a failure for the
  Allies
  
• The Allies were able to establish beachheads but
  couldnt gain any ground- Gallipoli turned into
  another Western Front, a stalemate with trench
  warfare
• The British and ANZAC forces 489,000 troops to
  Gallipoli and suffered 250,000 casualties
  

33
Verdun February 21,1915- December 18 1915

• Was a German offensive that German commander
  Erich von Falkenhayn hoped would bleed the
  French Army.
  
• von Falkenhayn was interested in killing as many
  Frenchmen as possible- he picked Verdun as the
  site of the offensive because it was a city very
  close to the hearts of the French people and they
  would sacrifice every last man to defend it
• Verdun was a fortified city like Liege
• The French Army stays alive and holds Verdun by
  running a supply line into Verdun 24 hours a day
  

34
Verdun

• Petain the French commander states they shall
  not pass
  
• 70 of all soldiers in the French Army served at
  Verdun

The French had 542,000 casualties at Verdun
The Germans had 424,000 casualties at Verdun
von Falkenhayn didnt achieve the victory he
wanted at Verdun- he almost destroyed the French
Army but nearly destroyed his own Army in the
process
35
The Battle of the Somme July 1916

• Was a British Offensive to take some pressure off
  of the French at Verdun
  
• The British artillery hammered the German
  positions for an entire week, 24 hours a day
  
• British Commanders told their soldiers that when
  they arrived at the enemy trenches they wouldnt
  need their rifles- all the Germans would be dead
  
• The Germans had strong fortified trenches and
  simply waited out the artillery bombardment in
  their dugouts that were 40-50 feet below the
  surface
• At 730a.m. on July 1, 1916 the British soldiers
  went over the top and advanced on the German
  trenches- What ensued was the worst slaughter in
  British military history
• The British suffered 30,000 casualties in the
  first hour 21,000 KIA
  
• The British used 120,000 troops at the Battle of
  the Somme and suffered 60,000 casualties

36
Battle of the Somme

• Why was the Battle of the Somme such a
  slaughter?
  
• The British werent aware how well dug-in the
  Germans were
  
• The Germans held the high ground
• Germany only suffered 6,000 casualties
• The British defeat at the Battle of the Somme
  strengthened
  
• British resolve to win the war

37
The United States Enters The War

• The United States remained neutral in World War I
  until
  
• April 6,1917 when they declared war on
  Germany
  
• President Woodrow Wilson had tried to keep the
  United States out of the war but Germanys use of
  un-restricted submarine warfare and the Zimmerman
  Telegram drove the U.S. to war
• The Zimmerman Telegram was a telegram sent by
  Germanys Foreign Minister to Mexico offering
  them a chance to enter the war on Germanys side
  against the U.S.
• Germany hoped that Mexico would keep the United
  States too busy to send an Army to Europe or
  worry about Germanys un-restricted submarine
  warfare
• In return for their support Germany promised
  Mexico lost territory in Texas, New Mexico and
  Arizona
  
• With the United States entering the war France
  and Great Britain now had at its hands the full
  resources of the United States

38
Amiens Offensive August 8, 1918

• This offensive was an Allied success that after
  years of stalemate the Allies were able to push
  the Germans back 12 kilometers
  
• One of the keys to this battle was the British
  use of tanks followed by infantry

39
Battle of Tannenberg

• On August 17, 1914 the Russians invaded Eastern
  Prussia and met the Germans in several places
  
• The Battle of Tannenberg which occurred from
  August 28-31, 1914 was a failure for the Russian
  Army
  
• The Russians were commanded by General Alexander
  Samsonov became surrounded and attempted to
  retreat however they were encircled by the
  Germans and of 150,000 Russian soldiers at
  Tannenberg only 10,000 escaped
• General Samsonov committed suicide due to the
  shock of the complete destruction of his Army
  
• Germany captured 92,000 Russian prisoners

40
The Brusilov Offensive June 4, 1916

• Was one of the few bright spots for the Russians
  during
  
• World War I
• Named after General Alexei Brusilov

41
The Brusilov Offensive

• Brusilov employed new tactics in the South part
  of the Eastern Front
  
• Brusilov de-emphasized artillery bombardments and
  stressed attacking over a larger space
  
• Brusilov quickly achieved success and almost
  knocked Austria-Hungary out of the war
  
• Germany however realized saw the success Brusilov
  was having and sent German commanders to take
  over command
  
• The Russians were able to capture 350,000
  Austrian prisoners
  
• Brusilov Offensive ground to a halt in October,
  1916
  

42
An end to War

• On October 4, 1918 the German government asked
  for a cease-fire
  
• On November 11, 1918 an armistice was struck
  between the Allied and Central Powers and signed
  in Compiegne, France
  
• All territory gained by the Central Powers had to
  be relinquished so, Russia got back all the land
  it gave up in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
  
• Following the armistice a peace treaty was signed
  at the Paris Peace Conference from January 12-20,
  1919
  
• The treaty of Versailles forced the breakup of
  Austria-Hungary, and imposed harsh reparations on
  Germany and forced Germany to give up Alsace and
  Lorraine to France, land to Belgium, part of East
  Prussia and the Sudetenland

43
Russia Is Knocked Out of The War

• The Russian people were unhappy with Tsar
  Nicholas, and the war
  
• In 1917 Russia was thrown into a state of
  Revolution led by a group who called themselves
  the Bolsheviks
  
• The Tsar, his wife and their children were all
  executed
  
• Treaty talks began with the Germans in December
  1917 but the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which
  officially knocked Russia out of the war was
  signed on March 3, 1918
• The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk resulted in Russia
  giving up the Ukraine, Finland, the Baltic
  provinces the Caucasus and Poland
  
• With the Russians out of the war Germany could
  throw all its might against the Allies on the
  Western Front and the Bolsheviks in Russia could
  start to build Russia in their own vision

44
An end to War-The Treaty of Versailles

• The Treaty of Versailles also restricted the
  German military to 100,000 men and Germany was
  also banned from the use of heavy artillery, gas,
  tanks, and aircraft
• Germany was also banned from having submarines
  and its Navy was restricted to shipping under
  10,000 tons

45
1. The Triple Alliance was signed by
A. Germany, Italy, Japan
B. New Zealand, Germany, Turkey
C. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
RIGHT!
46
2. The Triple Entente was signed by
A. United States, Iran, Iraq
B. Great Britain, France, and Russia
C. United States, USSR, Great Britain
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
RIGHT!
47
3. This person assassinated Archduke Francis
Ferdinand
A. John Wilkes-Booth
B. Lee Harvey Oswald
C. Gavrilo Princip
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
RIGHT!
48
4. Germany breached this countries neutrality
A. Switzerland
B. Belgium
C. Russia
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
RIGHT!
49
5. Frances Commander-in-Chief from 1914-1916,
Joffre was obsessed with being on.
A. TV
B. The offensive
C. Neither
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
RIGHT!
50
6. The Gallipoli Campaign was a success for the
allies
True
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
False
RIGHT!
51
7. The British broke through the German Lines in
the Battle of the Somme in July, 1916
True
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
False
RIGHT!
52
8. Why did Italy not fight with Austria-Hungary
and Germany even though it had signed the Triple
Alliance
A. They didnt like either country
B. Italy was in the midst of a revolution
C. Italy said that because Austria-Hungary was
the aggressor, they didnt have to honor the
Triple Alliance
RIGHT!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
53
9. The United States declared war on Germany on
A. September 1, 1914
B. December 8, 1914
C. April 6, 1917
RIGHT!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
54
10. Russia knocked Germany out of the war
True
SORRY,TRY AGAIN!
False
RIGHT!
55
References

• 1. http//www.firstworldwar.com/
• 2.http//www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm