The First World War
Part 2: The War Begins
Balkan Peninsula
• Unstable, weak
• Convenient
corridor to
Mediterranean for
Russia, AustriaHungary, or
Ottoman Empire
• Greece, Serbia,
Montenegro,
Romania, Bulgaria
all interested, too.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Next in line for
Austrian crown
• Married to
Sophia, a
countess and
duchess
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Diplomatic trip
to visit Sarajevo
• June 28, 1914
• Ceremonial
“inspection of
the troops”
Archduke Franz
Ferdinand
• Fourteenth
wedding
anniversary
• Rode together in
royal splendor
• Treated like
royalty
• http://www.firstworldw
ar.com/video/ferdinand.
htm
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• Group of seven
• Ages 19 to 27
• Members of secret
Serbian nationalist
movement
• Mlada Bosna
• “Young Bosnia”
Archduke Franz
Ferdinand
• Despite heavy
security
measures
• Archduke and
his wife shot
• Both die
After the Archduke’s death
• Archduke assassinated June 28, 1914
• Serbia is blamed.
• July 5, 1914: Germany supports
Austria-Hungary against Serbia
• July 23rd – Austria-Hungary threatens
Serbia
And then??
• July 25th – Serbia
attempts peaceful
resolution
• July 28th – AustriaHungary declares
war on Serbia
• July 30th – Russia
rushes to support
Serbia
The War Grows…
• July 30th – Russia
mobilizes to help its ally
Serbia
• July 31st – Germany
demands “Stop helping
Serbia!”
• August 1st – Germany
declares war on Russia
On the same day…
• August 1st
• France moves to
support its ally
Russia
• Germany signs
treaty of alliance
with Turkey
• Italy declares itself
“neutral.”
The next day…August 2nd
• Germany invades
Luxembourg
• Demands to enter
Belgium, which is
neutral
• Belgium says, “NO.”
It keeps on growing and growing!
• August 3 – Germany
declares war on
France
• August 4 – Germany
invades Belgium on
the way to France
• Britain enters to
safeguard Belgian
neutrality
It’s a World War
• August 6th – AustriaHungary declares
war on Russia
• August 12th –
France and Britain
declare war on
Austria-Hungary
By Mid-August of 1914
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•
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Central Powers are at war with the Allies
Thought it would be a “quick war”
Central Powers – land war advantage
RR’s – move troops and supplies
Allies – divided by English Channel
Russia – poor roads and RRs
Italy – neutral until joining Allies in 1915
The Plan
• Germany plans quick defeat of France
• Then would attack Russia
• Would avoid heavily fortified French
border
• Would attack Belgium
• August 14th, 1914
Belgian Strength
• Not strong, but held Germans back
• Until British and French troops could
move in and assist
• Stopped Germans at Marne River – first
battle
• Turning point
• Germans could have won a “quick war”
there, but failed
War becomes a STALEMATE
• Along Marne River –
Western Front
• Neither side could
move
• 600 miles along
Belgian and French
countryside
• How did they fight
there?
In the Trenches
• Both sides built
trenches all along
Western Front
• Separated by coils
of barbed wire
• “No Man’s Land”
• Fought in trenches
THREE YEARS
straight
What was it like in the trenches?
• Cold and wet
• Constant wet
boots – mud
• Trench foot
• Rats
• VERY
uncomfortable
• Also scary and
dangerous
Battle of Verdun
• Started Feb 1916
• Lasted the rest of
1916
• Fought in trenches
• French lost 540,000
• Germans lost
430,000
• Unbelievable losses
• Little progress
toward peace