World War I
1914-1918
The Unnecessary War
The fight and its Aftermath
Europe circa 1900
The Gangs of 1907-1914
The Lineup
• I. Central Powers
vs. Allied Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Turkey
Bulgaria
France
Russia
Great Britain
Italy (1915)
USA (1917)
Germany’s Dilemma – surrounded
II.
Germany’s Dilemma = surrounded by foes
Germany’s solution = Schlieffen Plan
- One front at a time
- Knock out France (west) and focus on
Russia (east)
- Fails
Two Front War
III.
Results of Failure of Schlieffen Plan
- 2 Front War
- Trench Warfare w/ mass casualties in west
IV. German Success in East
- Horrible conditions in R. lead to
overthrow of Romanovs – 1917
- G sends R. communist V. Lenin to R
- Nov. 1917 Lenin takes control
- 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
takes R out of war
- Germany can now focus on west
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
V.
Triumph of the Allies
- US enters the war
- Introduction of the tank
- Improved Allied tactics vs. trenches
- German attrition – can last no longer
Das Schutzengrabenvernichtungsautomobil
• (Aka Das Tank)
Ideas of Marx = Communism
1917 October (Communist) Rev. in
Russia = Lenin
Stalin (1920s)
Communist movements across Europe
and America post WWI
Anti-Communist and Fascist mvmts.
Italy Germany Spain
Mussolini Hitler Franco
Austria
Dollfuss
German Expansion Pre- WW II