Pages 671-681
Primary Sources: Popular Art and
Memoirs of an Incomplete Soldier, pgs.
372-381
Europe in 1911
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1914-1918
First known as “The Great War” or “The War to End All
Wars”
Fought on two fronts: Western Front and Eastern Front
Sides:
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Triple Entente (Allies): Britain, France, Russia
Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
Fighting around the world: Europe, Middle East, Africa,
Asia
New modern weaponry and technology is used.
Causes of World War I
Militarism
Alliances
Nationalism
I mperialism
Assassination
Causes
of
World
War
I
Imperialism
Despite the Berlin Conference (1884-85) at which European
leaders set rules for the colonization of Africa, imperialism still
caused friction among the European states.
Great Britain had territories on five continents—Canada,
Australia, large parts of Africa, India, spheres of influence in
China; France had large colonial holdings in Africa as well as
controlling French Indochina
Germany, who had entered into the land rush later due to
internal issues (Germany was not a united nation-state until
1871), was left with smaller claims in Africa
Causes of World War I
Militarism
When Otto von Bismarck was named Prime Minister of
Prussia in 1862, he set out to create a “German” empire
Much of this involved military expansion; Bismarck created a
modern military machine that easily defeated Austria and
France in the 1860s-1870s.
But then Germany started building a navy to rival that of
Great Britain, the undisputed ruler of the seas at the time.
This led to an arms race between the two countries (Germany
and Great Britain) and to strained relations.
#5
Causes of World War I
Nationalism
In particular, this means Slavic nationalism.
Since the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent,
the Ottoman Empire had controlled much of
the Balkan peninsula, but their hold had
slowly been eroding.
1908 – Austria-Hungary annexes former
Ottoman-held Bosnia; this upsets Serbia (and
many in Bosnia) who feel that a Slavic state
(like Serbia) should control Bosnia instead of
the German-speaking Austria
1912-13 – The Balkan Wars; once again, the
people of the Balkans reclaim territory from
the Ottoman Empire and once again, AustriaHungary steps in to assert control
Causes
of
World
War
I
Alliances
After completing the creation of the German Empire, Bismarck
started making alliances with other countries to ensure the
stability of the new Germany.
This led to a wave of alliances signed by different states
between the years 1873 and 1914; the importance of these
alliances were that some states had no option but to declare
war if one of their allies entered into war first.
#7
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Militarism
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Alliances
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Worried European nations form Alliances as nations grow in power
Imperialism
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Naval rivalry increases, Germany builds navy to rival Great Britain
Military cooperation between Britain, France, Russia
Biggest arm race at this point in history
Armies grow in size and firepower
Competition for colonies
By 1900, most areas are colonized by one of the major powers. This
increases competition for the few that remain
Military success could distract from problems (strikes, labor unrest)
at home
Nationalism
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Rivalries to colonize heighten nationalist sentiments (warlike) in
each country
Assassination in Sarajevo
Europe had reached its breaking point when on June 28,
1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the AustriaHungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia,
by a Serbian nationalist (Gavrilo Princip) belonging to
an organization known as The Black Hand.
Immediately following the assassination Germany
pledged its full support (blank check) to AustriaHungary, pressuring them to declare war on Serbia,
while France strengthened its backing of Russia.
Convinced that the Serbian government had conspired
against them, Austria-Hungary issued Serbia an
unacceptable ultimatum, to which Serbia consented
almost entirely.
#12
Gavrilo Princip
#13
Falling Dominoes
Unsatisfied, Austria-Hungary
declared war on Serbia on July 28,
1914. On July 29, Russia ordered a
partial mobilization only against
Austria-Hungary in support of
Serbia, which escalated into a
general mobilization.
The Germans threatened war on
July 31 if the Russians did not
demobilize. Upon being asked by
Germany what it would do in the
event of a Russo-German War,
France responded that it would act
in its own interests and mobilized.
On August 1, Germany declared
war on Russia, and two days later,
on France. The German invasion
of Belgium to attack France, which
violated Belgium's official
neutrality, prompted Britain to
declare war on Germany. World
#15
War I had begun.
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Germany’s plan for a quick victory over France fails
German leaders confident that railways and size of army
would allow them to overwhelm the Belgians and defeat the
French before they could mobilize
 French launch offensives at Alsace-Lorraine but fail
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Obstacles
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Belgium resisted and slowed the Germans
British get involved
Germans tired, running low on supplies by the time they
reach Northern France
French retreat, reorganize in Paris
Battle of Marne: 5 day battle, stop Germans and push them
back
The official annunciation of the war in Berlin (August 2, 1914)
#18
#19
Cheerful German soldiers on the train to the front
#20
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Troops along the Western Front begin to dig into the ground
Miles and miles of trenches along the Western front
“No Man’s Land”- area between the trenches, high casualties,
assaults almost suicidal
Leads to stalemate in war on Western Front, difficult to gain
ground
Terrible Conditions: rats, disease, lice
Exposed to weather: cold, rain (Trench foot)
TECHNOLOGY
IN THE GREAT
WAR 1914-1918
#37
#45
#50
In the trenches: Infantry with gas
masks, Ypres, 1917
#54
#56
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New weapons contribute to mass casualties:
artillery, machine guns, poison gas (Mustard Gas)
Casualties on Western Front in 1916:
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Germans: 850,000
French: 700,000
British: 400,000
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Germans alarmed at Russia’s quick mobilization
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Germany reorganizes with new emphasis on Russia, defeat several
Russian armies, put them in retreat
Russian problems lead to high casualties
 Illiterate and poorly trained peasants used
 Commands sent in un-coded format
 Artillery operated by upper class provides little support for peasant
forces
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Germans begin moving into provinces of Russian empire
Poor showing by commanders, Tsar Nicholas II takes command
sparking mutinies and peasant revolts
 Tsarist regime destroyed by revolution in 1917
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Russia has some better success against inept generals of
Austria-Hungary and mixed ethnic armies with little support
for the Austrian emperor
Austrians crush Serbia, with the help of Germans keep Russia
in check
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Italy breaks alliance, saying Austria-Hungary broke
defensive alliance by attacking first
Launch offensive campaigns against AustriaHungary with the promise of land gains from
Britain.
Near collapse of Italian lines:
Incompetent and corrupt generals
 Disgust over costly campaigns that go nowhere
 Double dealing of politicians
 Soldiers desert and war plunges Italy into social and
political turmoil
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Soldiers resent politicians and civilians who don’t understand
the realities of war, even though civilians are suffering
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Food shortages lead to rationing
Industrial sectors taken over by state
Politicians seize power from parliaments
Dissent suppressed by force, newspapers and media censored
Governments use propaganda
Organization in Industry is sped up, socialists and union
chiefs given recognition and allowed to serve on governing
boards (negotiate improved working conditions)
Labor protests in opposition of leadership and war
(Bolsheviks rise to power in Russia: 1917)
Women’s participation increases, brings about a “liberation”
of women
Forced to give up jobs to returning men soldiers after the war,
but still make gains (voting) in Britain, Germany, U.S.
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Colonies drawn into the war
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1917: US enters the war
Britain makes it truly global
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Cut off Germany from colonies in Africa, China, Pacific
Powerful navy = effective blockade
Control trans-Atlantic cable
Japan attacks German colonies in China and Pacific
Canada, Australia, New Zealand (British Dominion): supply food and raw
materials
Help from foreign troops:
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Fighting in Middle East, W & E Africa, China, islands of Pacific by 1915
Soldiers recruited from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Africa (Triple Entente)
Dominion troops help fight in Europe, Middle East (defend Suez Canal)
Non Settler colonies in Africa, India, SE Asia fight in sub-Saharan Africa, Middle
East
French rely on laborers from colonies in Africa to Vietnam
German trained African soldiers hold off British led Indian and S.
African troops
Main outside source of help for Germans came from Ottoman Empire
and Young Turk leaders
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Turks blame Christian Armenian minorities for failures against Russia (Genocide
used)
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Americans disagree over which side is right or wrong,
debate involvement at all
American businesses profit from selling food, raw
materials, eventually weapons to Triple Entente
Allows US to take new markets in Latin America and
Asia, turns US from debtor to creditor nation and worlds
strongest economy
Join war in 1917, declaring war on Germany
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Pro-British (use of propaganda), Zimmerman Note, U-boats
(Lusitania)
American President: Woodrow Wilson
Convoy system used to combat U-Boats
Early numbers of troops small, but symbolic
By 1918, millions recruited and trained, thousands start arriving
in Europe
Germany realizes it must launch massive strike before full
manpower and resources of US reach Europe
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March-April 1918: massive offensives launched by
Germans on Western front
Appears Central Powers might win
 An entire British army defeated another in retreat
 Demoralized French falling back toward Paris
 Russia leaves war, 1 million German soldiers transfer from
Eastern Front
 New fighting tactics and storm trooper bring them close to
Paris
 Then the advance slows (mass casualties, fatigue, tanks,
fresh soldiers from US), then stalls, Germans pushed back
 Austrian front breaks down
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Why was propaganda art such an important
part of WWI?
Who is being targeted by this popular art?
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http://youtu.be/oV5Wq0vMZnw
How does Clapham’s memoirs compare to the
young soldier’s recollections in the video clip?