The Great War

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The Great War
Unit 2 HUSH
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The War to End All Wars????
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Europe Before the War

• Europe had seen almost 100 years of peace (1871
  minor war)
  
• Nobody could afford a war
• There would be no winner
• The growth of pacifism -war was a thing of the
  past we were civilized
  
• Business prevented any island from being
  isolated
  
• Foreign investment was so large
• Better communication, cheap newspapers
• Better educated people

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Modern Europe

• A modern Europe required a German state, but
  which lands would that involve?
  
• The Germans hoped the French would accept the
  loss of Alsace-Lorraine
  
• They were wrong!
• Alsace had been part of the HRE but had been
  French for over 200 years
  
• Lorraine was wholly French in population

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All Roads Lead to War

• Alliance System
• Arms Build Up
• Nationalism

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Alliances
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• The problem was that there was no means for
• negotiating peace

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Pre-WWI European Alliances

• 1879 Germany and Austria signed the Dual
  Alliance
  
• 1879 The Three Emperors League created by
  Bismarck to keep Austria and Russia at peace
  
• Germany - Kaiser William
• Austria - Emperor Francis Joseph
• Russia - Tsar Alexander
• 1882 Triple Alliance - Germany, Austria, Italy

1887 Russia signs new treaty with Germany
Both stay neutral unless Germany attacks France
or Russia attacks Austria 1887 France signs a mi
litary alliance with Russia aimed at Britain in
the Mediterranean 1902 Britain signs the Anglo-Ja
panese Alliance 1904 Anglo-French Entente Britai
n recognizes French claims to Morocco
France recognizes British claims to Egypt
The Entente Cordiale 1904 France and England
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Pre-WWI European Military Conflicts and
Diplomatic Issues

• 1905 - Russia defeated by Japan and loses
  credibility
  
• 1905 Failed revolution in Russia causes
  countrywide instability
  
• In 1908 Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina -
  Serbia could do nothing without Russian help
  
• Russia and Austria made a deal for mutual
  prestige
  
• Austria took control of Bosnia
• Austria agreed with Russian control of the
  Dardanelles
  
• But Russian control of the Dardanelles was
  rejected
  
• Serbia threatened to invade Bosnia to liberate
  the Serbs
  
• Russia supported Serbia
• Austria-Hungary threatened to destroy Serbia
• Germany supported Austrian claims to Bosnia

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• Pre-WWI Alliances
• to Know for Test
• Triple Alliance
• Germany
• Austria-Hungary
• Italy
• Triple Entente
• Russia
• France
• Great Britain

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Family FeudCzar Nicholas IIs first cousin was
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Kaiser Wilhelm II!
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The Arms Race
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• By 1914
• Germany had the second largest navy - behind
  Britain
  
• Had pushed Britain closer to France and Russia
• Had wasted considerable money because the fleet
  was bottled up for most of the war
  
• If those resources had gone to the army Germany
  would have won the war
  
• 1890 German army was 20,000
• 1913 German army was 800,000

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Weapons of the Great War

• Gun chiefly used as a psychological weapon
• Usually not thought of as a weapon used to
  separate the trenches and no-mans land
  
• Scary combination of fuel and fire creating
  'sheets of flame terrorized the British in
  1915
  
• Ancient weapon adopted in the trenches used to
  lob shells into the enemies trench

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Weapons of the Great War

• 5. Quick-loading, and if water-cooled could
  continually fire on the enemy
  
• 6. First used by the French and popularized by
  the Germans used to kill or incapacitate large
  numbers of enemy troops
  
• 7. Invented by British to break through the
  trenches while being protected by enemy fire
  
• 8. Mammoth airships used by Germans to spy on and
  bomb the enemy
  
• 9.Originally used for observation later in war
  dogfights occurred

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1. Bayonet
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2. Barbed Wire
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3. Flamethrowers
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4. Mortars
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5. Machine Gun
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6. Poison and Mustard Gas
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7. Tanks
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8. Zeppelins
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9. Airplanes
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Weapons of the Great War

• 1. Gun chiefly used as a psychological weapon
• Bayonet
• 2. Usually not thought of as a weapon used to
  separate the trenches and no-mans land
  
• Barbed Wire
• 3. Scary combination of fuel and fire creating
  'sheets of flame terrorized the British in
  1915 Flamethrower
  
• 4. Ancient weapon adopted in the trenches used
  to lob shells into the enemies trench
  
• Mortars

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Weapons of the Great War

• 5. Quick-loading, and if water-cooled could
  continually fire on the enemy
  
• Machine Gun
• 6. First used by the French and popularized by
  the Germans used to kill or incapacitate large
  numbers of enemy troops
  
• Mustard/Poison Gas
• 7. Invented by British to break through the
  trenches while being protected by enemy fire
  
• Tanks
• 8. Mammoth airships used by Germans to spy on and
  bomb the enemy
  
• Zeppelins
• 9.Originally used for observation later in war
  dogfights occurred Airplanes (Bi-Planes)

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Nationalism
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European Nationalism

• 1900 there were 25 sovereign states in Europe
• Each nation believed it should have its own state
  
  
• None would admit to a higher authority
• Patriotic literature motivated people my
  country, right or wrong
  
• Alliances created states less willing to
  compromise
  
• There was a huge build up in armament after the
  Franco-Prussian War
  
• France wanted Alsace-Lorraine returned
• Italy wanted Austrian land

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European Nationalism

• There were also 4 independent in Eastern Europe
  countries
  
• Serbia, Montenegro, Rumania, Greece
• They all shared 2 traits
• hatred of the Turks
• the ability to be friends with Great Powers
• However, the conflicts in the Balkans led to
  three regional wars
  
• the Third Balkan War became World War I

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European countries controlled the world

• Germany - won the Franco-Prussian war, gained
  Alsace and Lorraine, wanted to isolate France,
  economic stability, led by the Iron Chancellor
  Bismarck, little interest in colonialism,
  unified.
• France - lost Alsace and Lorraine, weak military,
  imperialistic in Asia and Africa.
  
• Great Britain - splendid isolation, colonial
  conflicts with France and Russia

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• Austria - wanted to limit Slavic nationalism on
  southern border and hostile nationalism within
  the borders
  
• Russia - very imperialistic throughout the
  century but overland in the Balkans disputes
  with Austria over Slavs Ottomans Japanese
  
• Italy - interest in North Africa led to disputes
  with France.
  
• The Balkans - a politically unstable region
  comprised of many ethnic groups. Mostly
  Christian.
  
• United States - not involved in global affairs
  YET!

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The lights go out. . .
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• The Date.June 28, 1914
• Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne
  visit Sarajevo, Bosnia on Serbian Independence
  Day
  
• He and his wife are assassinated in Bosnia by
  Gavrilo Princip
  
• Princip was a member of The Union or Death (Black
  Hand)

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The Spark of War is Lit

• This was the spark that ignited the Balkan
  powder keg
  
• The deaths were the excuse for Austria to move
  against Serbia
  
• Austria demanded Serbia meet their demands
• July 6 1914 Germany promised to help Austria in
  the event of war - the blank check
  

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The War Begins
Austria declared war on Serbia
Russia mobilized troops against Austria
Was determined to support Serbia
Russia declares war against the Austria-Hungary
Austria mobilized against Russia
Germany declares war on Russia, France, invades
neutral Belgium Most Europeans believed it would
be a short and decisive war
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British Foreign Secretary Grey said
The lamps are going out all over Europe, we
shall never see them lit again in our lifetime
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The German Plan

• On August 14, 1914, the German army invaded
  Belgium on their way to France with the
  Schlieffen Plan.
  
• France must be taken before the Russians could
  fully mobilize and invade Germany.
  
• Germany felt they could defeat France in two
  months or less, then turn their full attention to
  Russia.
  

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Gallant Little Belgium
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The British Join the War

• The invasion of neutral Belgium triggered the
  British to enter the war
  
• They declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914
• All the Great Powers had now entered the war
• The results would be devastating

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WWI ALLIANCES

• Central Powers
• Germany
• Austria-Hungary
• Ottoman Empire
• Bulgaria
• Romania

• Allied Powers
• Russia
• France
• Great Britain
• Italy
• Greece
• United States

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The Western Front

• The Western Front was the name the Germans gave
  to a series of trenches that ran 700 kilometers
  from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border.
  
• Both sides dug in.trenches were constructed and
  were used during the entire war
  

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The Western Front
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No Mans Land
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The Eastern Front

• In the east, the Russians were soundly defeated
  on August 30,1914, at the Battle of Tannenberg.
  
• This battle was a German victory early in World
  War I over Russia.
  
• Russians lost over 1 million people many of whom
  were civilians.
  
• After the Germans took about 90,000 prisoners,
  the Russian General killed himself, and his
  remaining men were forced to retreat.
  
• The Germans outran their supplies and although
  battered, Russia stayed in the war causing
  Germany to fight on two fronts.

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Russian prisoners after defeat in East Prussia,
1915
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• Germany begins Zeppelin air raids of Britain
• Germany declares submarine blockade of Great
  Britain
  
• Germans use first chemical weapons in the Second
  Battle of Ypres.
  
• HMS Lusitania sunk124 Americans killed
• Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary

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• Battle of Verdun
• Draw
• 1 million casualties
• Battle of Jutland,
• Only major naval engagement of the war
• No clear winner
• Battle of the Somme
• Allied breakthrough
• 1 million casualties
• In U.S., Woodrow Wilson re-elected

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• Germany declares unrestricted (U-Boat) submarine
  warfare
  
• British release Zimmerman Note
• A newspaper report on an intercepted telegram
  from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to
  the government of Mexico, proposing a
  German-Mexican alliance
• Was proved to be a fake

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• Czar Nicholas abdicates and government falls in
  Russia
  
• In December, new Russian government signs
  armistice with Germany
  

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The Legacy of War In Russia

• July 16, 1918 the Czar and his family are
  massacred by Bolsheviks

The room where the Romanov dynasty came to its
bloody end
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Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

• Ended war for Russia
• Forced by the liberals in Russia
• Bolsheviks gain power
• Russia loses
• Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Baltic Provinces
• 34 of Russias population
• 89 coal mines
• 32 farmland
• 54 industry

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The United States

• America was sympathetic to the Allies
• Close ties to Britain
• Trading partner
• Common language and culture
• Anti-German feelings grew
• President Wilson was a isolationist AND a
  pacifist but this soon changed
  
• The Lusitania
• Germanys resumption of unrestricted
  submarinewarfare

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Berlin, January 19, 1917 The Zimmerman NoteTo
the German Minister to Mexico

• We Germany intend to begin on the 1st of
  February unrestricted submarine warfare.  We
  shall endeavor in spite of this to keep the
  United States of America neutral.  In the event
  of this not succeeding, we make Mexico a proposal
  of alliance on the following basis make war
  together, make peace together, generous financial
  support and an understanding on our part that
  Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in
  Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.... Inform the
  President of Mexico of the above most
  secretly.... Please call the Mexican
  Presidentís attention to the fact that the
  ruthless employment of our submarines now offers
  the prospect of compelling England in a few
  months to make peace.

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Bring on the Yanks!!!

• American doughboys

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The United States Enters the War

• The year 1917, didn't look good for the allies
  much of the French army had mutinied, and British
  forces were suffering severe casualties.
  
• But German lack of diplomacy and common sense,
  turned the tides and brought the United States
  into the war on April 6, 1917.
  
• Fresh, well supplied and equipped American
  troops made the difference and uplifted Allied
  morale.
  

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US War Posters
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• U.S. troops began to arrive in June, 1917
• British and U.S. navies combined forces, and
  formed convoys to counter U-boats
  
• The combined forces stop German advances, heavy
  casualties to the 270,000 U.S. troops
  
• By end of summer, over 1 million Americans are in
  Europe

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The American Expeditionary Force

• When the USA declared war in April 1917, Wilson
  sent the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) under
  the command of General John Pershing to the
  Western Front.
• The Selective Service Act was quickly passed by
  Congress.
  
• The law authorized President Wilson to raise a
  volunteer infantry force of not more than four
  divisions.
  
• All males between the ages of 21 and 30 were
  required to register for military service.
  
• By 12th September 1918, 23,908,566 men had
  registered.
  
• Around 4,000,000 men were ultimately drafted into
  the armed services.
  
• Of these, 50 per cent served overseas during the
  war.

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General John Blackjack Pershing

• In 1917 Pershing was appointed Commander-in-Chief
  of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe.
  
• His belief that his fit, fresh troops could break
  the deadlock on the Western Front had to be
  revised in the first-half of 1918.
  
• However, he won praise for his excellent victory
  at St Mihiel in September, 1918.

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Americans in Paris (and the rest of France)

• By July 1918 there were over a million US
  soldiers in France.
  
• Pershing deployed US troops to help the French
  defend the Western Front during the 3rd Battle of
  the Aisne in May and at the Marne in June.
  
• US troops also took part in the Allied attacks at
  Le Hamel and Canal du Nord before Pershing
  launched his own offensive at St Mihiel and
  Meuse-Argonne.

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Eddie Rickenbacker

• Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was an American
  fighting ace
  
• He won the French Croix de Guerre, in May by
  shooting down five German airplanes and was named
  commander of the 94th, the "Hat-in-the-Ring"
  Squadron, on September 24.
• The following day, Eddie shot down two more
  German airplanes, victories for which the U.S.
  government awarded him a belated Congressional
  Medal of Honor in 1930.
• His twenty-sixth confirmed victory occurred on
  October 30, and the last victory (the 69th) for
  the 94th occurred on November 10, 1918.
  
• World War I ended the next day.

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Alvin York

• Alvin York was a religious young man who filed as
  a conscientious objector of war with his local
  Tennessee draft board
  
• He was turned down by and was sent to the Western
  Front
  
• York impressed the regular army officers with his
  ability to use a gun.
  
• Shot accurately at ranges of 200, 300 and 500
  yards. Struggled with the moral issue of killing
  human beings, and refused to shoot at human
  silhouettes (targets).

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Alvin York

• At the battle of the Argonne Forest in the fall
  of 1918, as a member of the 82nd division, he
  killed 25 Germans, knocked out 35 machine guns,
  and captured 132 prisoners almost single-handed.
  
• Received the French Medaille Militaire and Croix
  de Guerre, the Italian Groce de Guerra and the
  American Medal of Honor.

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Sir, I am doing wrong. Practicing to kill people
is against my religion." -York, s
peaking of target practice at human
silhouettes. "What you did was the greatest thin
g accomplished by any private soldier of all the
armies of Europe." -Marshall
Ferdinand Foch, on York's feat in the Argonne.
"This uniform ain't for sale."
-York, on demands for his
endorsement. "It's over let's just forget about
it." -York's modesty about the event
that brought him the Medal of Honor.
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• Germany completely fails to stop US soldiers
  being moved across the Atlantic.
  
• Second Battle of the Marne, a desperate final
  push by Germany limited success.
  
• Massive Allied attack breaks through the
  Hindenburg line.
  
• .

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Germany Surrenders

• During 1918, things also were bad at home for the
  German people.
  
• Germany had succumbed to overstretch they could
  afford a three year war but not a four year war.
  
  
• Germany had used up its moral capital, it was out
  of food, and industry could no longer keep up
  with war demands.
  
• The shock of defeat and hunger sparked a
  revolution that forced the Kaiser to abdicate.
  

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Armistice Day

• Americans help France lead last offensive
• Cut off German communication and supply lines
• By early November, Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, and
  the Ottoman Empire sign armistice
  
• Germany signs at 1100, on November 11 at
  1100am
  
• 11/11/1918 _at_ 11am
• 5 million allied troops, 3 million Germans,
  116,000 Americans killed, with over 200,000
  wounded or missing

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Causes of WWI

• Indirect
• Alliances
• Nationalism
• Arms Build-up
• Imperialism

• Direct Causes
• The assassination of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand
• Unrestricted submarine/U-boat warfare

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The Big Four In 1919, the Big 4 met in Paris to n
egotiate the Treaty David Lloyd George of Britain
, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, Georges Cl
emenceau of France Woodrow Wilson of the U.S
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The Big Four
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The Versailles Treaty

• Germany and the Big Four met in Paris at the
  Palace of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors
  
• The process was controlled by Britain, France,
  Italy, US
  
• Russia was not invited

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Germany takes the Blame

• Allies wanted to punish Germany
• Treaty included
• Allies would occupy Germany for 15 years
• Germany had to renounce the Treaty of
  Brest-Litovsk
  
• Germany lost her colonies and France regained
  Alsace-Lorraine
  
• Germany had to pay for the damage done
• President Wilson wanted prevent future wars
• Came up with diplomatic way to end future
  disagreements

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President Wilson

• Wilson outlined his 14 Points as a plan for world
  peace
  
• Hoped to resolve international conflicts
• Instrumental part of the Treaty of Versailles
• Part of the treaty that formed the League of
  Nations
  

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The Fourteen Points

• Open Covenants
• Freedom of Navigation
• Trade Equalityremoval of economic barriers
• Lower armaments
• Reduce colonial claims
• Russian autonomy
• Restoration of Belgium
• France gets back Alsace-Lorraine

• Readjust Italys borders
• Austro-Hungarian autonomy
• Independence for the Balkan states
• Free Turkey, open Dardanelles for passage
• Independent Poland
• A general association of nations

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Woodrow Wilson

• Wilson had a difficult time convincing the other
  three leaders to accept his idea of peace without
  victory.
  
• He was forced to agree that Germany had caused
  the war.

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The Treaty is Signed

• Germany and the Allies signed the Treaty of
  Versailles on June 18,1919.
  
• Germany was expecting less blame
• Clause 231 (War guilt clause)
• The dictated peace only served to anger Germans
  and encourage German hostility
  
• They felt betrayed and denounced the treaty
• They believed the war ended in a stalemate not a
  defeat
  
• U.S. refused to sign - Senate believed they would
  lose the power to declare war

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Woodrow WilsonWinner or Loser?

• Winner
• Wilson was incredibly popular in Europe during
  the peace talks
  
• His visions for a new world order widely accepted
  by the general public
  
• He thought the punishments on Germany were too
  harsh, but went along to save the treaty
  
• Loser
• Fails to convince U.S. Senate to ratify the
  treaty
  
• United States fails to join the League of
  Nations
  
• Once again the US isolates itself from much of
  the world
  

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The Death of Wilson

• While fighting for the treaty back home, he
  collapses from exhaustion
  
• Days later, he has a stroke, and is left half
  paralyzed--must communicate through his wife
  
• Dies in 1924, bitter about his failure to get
  U.S. to join the League of Nations

I am proud to remember that I had the honor of
being the commander in chief of the most ideal
army that was ever thrown together
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Legacies of WWI

• The principle that nations have a right to
  political self-determination was established.
  
• The republic replaced the (constitutional)
  monarchy as the standard type of government.
  
• The social fabric changed as women were granted
  the right to vote in the countries of northern
  and central Europe, and the Social Democratic
  parties were able to form or join the government
  in some countries.
• The harsh peace conditions enforced at Versailles
  caused rejection in the defeated countries and
  enforced the hatred between nations, such as
  between the Germans and the French.
• The European nations were heavily indebted to
  American banks. This debt would involve Europe in
  the Great Depression in 1929.

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Legacies of WWI

• In the world economy, Europe lost the leading
  position to the United States.
  
• Russia - the USSR - isolated itself from the rest
  of the world.
  
• Warfare had changed tanks and airplanes would
  play a more important role in future wars.
  
• Science had changed, especially the chemical
  industry had been given a big boost and the
  research for synthetic replacements of natural
  products
• The world's dependency on critical natural
  resources, such as oil became apparent, and would
  only increase in the future
  
• In many states of Europe, the rule of law and
  order was threatened by politically motivated
  violence, state authorities could not or did not
  want to stop.

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Another Legacy of WWI

• The Spanish Flu of 1918-19
• Killed more people than the Great War
• The conditions in 1918 were not so far removed
  from the Black Death in the era of the bubonic
  plague of the Middle Ages.
  
• Between 20 and 40 million people died.
• An estimated 43,000 US servicemen mobilized for
  WWI died of influenza
  
• Of the U.S. soldiers who died in Europe, half of
  them fell to the influenza virus and not to the
  enemy
  

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The War to End All Wars????