World War I

1
World War I

• The War, the Realities, and the Results

2
Causes of World War I

• Europe at its peak
• Industrial Revolution at its peak
• Europe had 25 of worlds population
• Modernization led to sense that Europe was at
  the peak of world civilization
  
• Imperial Tensions European nations competed for
  colonies

3
Causes of World War I

• Militarism glorification of war led to increase
  in military spending
  
• Germany competed with Britain for naval
  superiority
  
• War portrayed as romantic

4
Causes of the War

• 2. Nationalism
• Great pride in country or aspiring to become
  own country
  
• Germany Italy recently unified, independent
• Countries torn by tensions of different
  nationalist groups
  
• Militarism and imperial competition increased
  European tensions

5
Causes of World War I

• 3. System of Alliances
• Web of treaties to protect themselves
• Triple Alliance Germany, Austria-Hungary, and
  Italy
  
• Triple Entente France, Russia, and Great
  Britain - when war broke out became known as the
  Allies

6
War Breaks Out

• 4. Nationalism in the Balkans
• People of diverse religions, ethnicities, and
  languages
  
• As Ottoman Empire declined, new nations were
  born
  
• Russia and Austria competed for control of new
  nations
  
• Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia 1908 and Serbia
  resents this

7
War Breaks Out

• The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
• Archduke visits Sarajevo, Bosnia June, 1914
• 7 assassins Black Hand, Serbian nationalists
  plot assassination
  
• Archduke and wife, Sophia, are shot

8
War Breaks Out

• Austria-Hungary Ultimatum
• Germany gave blank check of military support
  to A-H
  
• A-H delivers severe ultimatum to Serbia
• Serbia refuses to allow A-H to run investigation
  of assassination
  
• A-H declares war on Serbia, July 28, 1914

9
War Breaks Out

• Alliance system leads to war
• Russia supports Serbia and Germany supports A-H
• Within one week, almost all of Europe plunged
  into war
  
• Germany declares war on Russia and France
• Britain declares war on Germany

10
The Alliances

• Triple Entente/Triple Alliance Britain, France,
  Russia, eventually the U.S. and 32 other nations
  
• Central Powers Germany, Austria-Hungary,
  Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, Italy for a time

11
The Fronts

• Western Front Germany tried to take France
  quickly on western front then turned to Russia on
  eastern front
  
• Battle lines formed in northeast France and
  stalemate
  
• Long, bloody battles Verdun 680,000
  casualties Somme over 1 mln casualties

12
The Fronts

• Eastern front Russia lacked modern
  technology
  
• Signed peace treaty Brest-Litovsk Treaty- with
  Germany because of overthrow of tsartist regime
  
• Balkan Front allies abandon attempts to land in
  Balkans after losing at Galipoli
  
• Italian Front joined Triple Entente in 1915 to
  fight A-H

13
The War Ends

• Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire first Central Powers
  to be defeated
  
• Revolts inside A-H and Germany help to end war
  quickly

14
New Weapons of War

• Machine guns, 75 types of poison gas, tanks,
  planes, flame throwers
  
• Casualties of modern war total losses over 10
  million men
  
• Casualties of modern weaponry tactics of
  sending masses of men toward enemy ineffective
  against weapons, British lost 57,470 on day 1 of
  Battle of Somme

15
Realities of War

• Patriotic fervor many looked forward to war in
  beginning
  
• Attitude change soldiers changed optimism as
  they sent letters home about horrors of war
  
• At the return home there were no parades or
  crowds to welcome the heroes home

16
Trench Warfare

• The Race to the Sea
• 475 miles of trenches dug across northern
• France
• British troops used over 10 million shovels
• during the war

17
Trench Warfare

• Life in the Trenches
• Charging over the top, crossing no mans land
• to reach enemy trenches
• Boring, terrifying and caused shell shock
• Horrible living conditions

18
Trench Warfare
19
Social Changes Caused by War

• Mobilizing for total war civilian sacrifices,
  rationing, govt controlled industries
  
• New jobs for women worked in traditional male
  jobs, worked to support soldiers
  
• Womens wages still paid less than men,
  discovered benefits of financial independence,
  won right to vote throughout Europe

20
Paris Peace Conference

• Peace of Justice Allied and Central powers meet
  at Versailles
  
• Wilson presents 14 Points self-determination
  for all nations and a just peace
  
• Peace of Vengence Italy and Britain want
  territory, France punish Germany, U.S. Italy
  leave peace settlement to France and Britain

21
Treaty of Versailles

• Big Four Italy, U.S., Britain, France Orland,
  Wilson, George, Clemenceau
  
• France Britain want severe treaty
• Germany had to return Alsace/Lorraine region to
  France, demilitarized Rhineland near France, pay
  32 billion in reparations, agree to guilt clause
  

22
Creating a New Europe

• Similar treaties signed by Central Power nations
• Change in borders throughout Europe
• Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, Russia all lost
  territory
  
• Many new countries created

23
Conditions of the Treaty of Versailles

• Created League of Nations
• Germany limited army, no military supplies to
  be created, no warships or subs
  
• Allies lacked ability to enforce conditions of
  treaty

24
Fates of Former Territories

• A-H becomes 2 countries Austria Hungary
• New nations Czechoslovakia Yugoslavia,
  Poland, Romania
  

25
Ethnic Populations

• Treaty solved some problems created new ones
• - self-determination of nations new boundaries
  did not match ethnic boundaries
  
• - oppressed peoples Armenians of Turkey
  victims of genocide 1.5 of 2 mln were killed

26
Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire, Russia

• Bulgaria lost outlet to Aegean Sea
• Ottoman Empire territory became protectorate of
  Britain France, Dardanelles Bosporus under
  internatl control
  
• Russia isolated from rest of Allies, Baltic
  states claim independence, lost land in Poland

27
League of Nations

• Created to fix injustices of Treaty of
  Versailles
  
• 2 aims promote international cooperation keep
  peace among nations
  

28
Organization of L. of N.

• 3 agencies assembly, council, secretariat
• World Court determined cases involving
  international law The Hague, Netherlands
  
• Assembly all member nations
• Council main peacekeeper body 9 members 5
  permanent

29
League of Nations

• Members agreed to bring disputes to World court
• If members broke agreement economic sanctions
• Dealt w/ colonies of defeated nations as
  protectorates mandates to prepare colonies for
  independence
  

30
League of Nations

• U.S. never becomes a member
• feared involvement in another war
• 42 members joined, later Germany Russia, 59
  nations at one point