germany & france fighting over alsacelorraine coal & iron

1
World War I

• 1914-1919

2
A) Causes of the War

• Europe was a Powder Keg waiting to explode.
• Germany France fighting over Alsace-Lorraine
  (coal iron rich region between the two
  countries)
• Austria-Hungary fighting to keep its empire
  together
• Russia looking for a warm water port cause of
  clashes
• Britain France clash over territory in Europe
  as well as colonies.

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Europe in 1914
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Causes Cont

• A complicated system of secret treaties had come
  about to strengthen each nations security.
• What it really did was bind great nations to come
  to the aid of other nations if ever attacked,
  causing a delicate balance of power that held
  together until 1914! Then there was trouble!

5
What Happened To Start War?

• The fuse was lit when the heir of the
  Austrian-Hungarian throne Archduke Francis
  Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated
  June 28th 1914, visiting Bosnia a province of
  A-H.

6
Who to Blame

• Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the
  assassination demanded that Serbia apologize
  and meet a number of demands that took away from
  their Sovereignty. (basically they wanted Serbia
  to become a part of their empire)
• When Serbia did apologize (because it did end up
  being a militant group called the Black Hand) but
  didnt meet all of the demands Aust.-Hun.
  declares war setting in motion the tangled web of
  treaties

7
The U.S. was connected whether they wanted to be
or not. (How?)
United States
Serbia
Russia
France
G. Britain
Belgium
To get to France the quickest route was through
Belgium.
Germany
Astrio-Hung
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The Schlieffen Plan
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B) The Early War

• Each side thought it would be a quick war and
  over in no more than 6 weeks.
• They were way off, it lasted a long 5 years
  1914-1919.
• A new type of warfare was developed called Trench
  Warfare Both sides dig out large rat and lice
  infested trenches. They face each other with a
  vast open space in between called the no mans
  land.

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The Trenches
British Trench
No Mans Land
Periscope Rifle
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More on the Trenches
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Early War Cont

• Military leaders were unprepared for the new
  tactics and the new weapons created due to
  Industrialization.
• Examples
• Machine Gun (used on troops charging into No
  Mans Land)
• Hand Grenades, Long distance Artillery shells,
  Poison gas (Mustard or Chlorine)
• In the Oceans U-boats (German Subs) terrorized
  any ships in the Atlantic believed to be helping
  the Allies.

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Modern Warfare WWI