The Powderkeg explodes
Sarejevo, June 28, 1914Assassination of Archduke
Francis Ferdinand (Heir to
Austrian Throne)
•Killed by Gavrilo Princip
•Member of Serbian
Nationalist group “The
Black Hand”
Opposed Austrian rule
Background Causes
•Militarism
•Alliances
• Imperialism
•Nationalism
 Keeping armed forces prepared for
war.
 Belligerent (War-like attitude)
 Arms race among European powers
Ex. Fiercest rivalry between
Germany & Britain
Military or economic friendship
between countries (Ex.Treaties)
Pre-War
–Triple Alliance
–Triple Entente
During War
–Central Powers
–Allied Powers
Triple Alliance
Triple Entente
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Britain
France
Italy
Russia
 competition
among
Europeans for
colonies in
Africa & Asia
 Pride in one’s country or desire for
independence
Balkans
– Ethnic Strife
– Powder Keg
Germany
– Proud of growing military & industrial
strength
The ethnic distribution of
Austria-Hungary
German
24%
Hungarian
20%
Czech
13%
Polish
10%
Ruthenian
8%
Romanian
6%
Croat
5%
Slovak
4%
Serb
4%
Slovene
3%
Italian
3%
France
•Wanted Revenge for
losing Alsace & Lorraine
Russia
•Pan-Slavism- wanted to unite all
Slavic Peoples (Ex. Balkans)
Austria –
•Against all Slavic nationalism
Alliance System Kicks in
Germany offers Aust. Carte Blanche
Austrians issue Serbia ultimatum
Austria - Hungary Declares War on
Serbia
Russia Mobilizes its forces
Germany declares war on Russia
Germany declares War on France
Germany invades
Neutral Belgium to
gain access to France
In response Britain
declares war on
Germany
“The Lamps are going out all over
Europe. We Shall not see them lit again
in our lifetime” Sir Edward Grey
Central Powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
China
Allied Powers
Britain
France
U.S.
(1917)
Italy ***
Japan
German military plan @ outset
of war
•Rapidly defeat France
& than attack Russia
•German army stalls
outside Paris (Marne)
Plan failed
Forced to fight a
two front war
•Marne River- Germans
stopped @ outskirts
of Paris ending
Schlieffen Plan
•Verdun – German
offensive failed
•Somme RiverAllied Offensive
failed
Millions of soldiers
killed for no gain
 Located on the French
and German border
• French and British Vs.
German and
Italian forces
• Schleifan Plan Fails
• Trench Warfare
• Stalemate- Battle lines
remained unchanged
 opposing armies
fight each other
from dug in
trenches
• No Mans Land in
middle
• Horrible conditions
Trench foot
Shellshock
Advances in weaponry
=More death &
destruction than ever
before (8.5 mill. Killed)
Submarine Warfare
War in the Air
French tank
Tanks
Original British tank
U.
S.
German tank
Heavy Artillery
Poison Gas
Machine Guns
Flamethrowers
Grenade launcher
Fought on 3
continents
Over 30
countries involved
Two oceans
 Located along the
German and Russian
border
• Russian and Serbians
Vs. Germans,
Austrians, and Turks
• More mobile than
western Front
•British help Arab
nationalists rise up
against Turks
•Lawrence of Arabia
leads guerilla raids
•Allies gain control of
Baghdad,Jerusalem,
Damascus
•Allied plan to
attack Ottoman
Empire
•Hoped to take
control of
Dardanelles
•Wanted to
establish supply
lines to Russia
Plan failed
•Balfour
Declaration
•British support a
Jewish national
homeland in
Palestine
Troubles still
exist today
•Japanese gain control
of German possessions
in China & the Pacific
•England & France
seize German
possessions in Africa
•British & French
colonies support allied
war efforts
•Britain imposes
Naval Blockade of
Germany
•German U- Boats
attacked Allied
ships
Both nations
experienced severe
food shortages
Countries devoted all resources to the
war effort
•Command Economy
Govt. decides what to produce &
how much
Govt. converted facilities into
factories
Unemployment non-existent
•Taxes were raised &
monies borrowed to
finance the war
•War Bonds
•Government drafted men
to fight
•Woman more involved
in the workforce
•Contributions helped
them in gaining right to
vote after the war
•Rationing
•Limited the amount of
goods people could buy
•Ex. Butter, leather, etc.
were needed for the war
effort
•Victory Gardens
•Censorship
•Govt. controlled info
about the war
•Propaganda
•The spreading of
ideas to promote
a cause or to
damage an
opposing cause
I. 1917 U.S. Enters
War
II.1918 Russia
withdraws from
War
Proclaimed neutrality @
outset of hostilities
•Public opinion divided over
loyalties (Central vs. allies?)
•U.S. traded & lent money to
both sides
•Wilson reelected under
slogan”He Kept us out of the
war”
•German policy of
unrestricted
Submarine Warfare
•Ex. LusitaniaAmerican lives lost
•Zimmerman telegram
•U.S. public outraged
•Wilson declares war
•Not industrialized (lack of supplies)
•Only strength is #’s
•Lack of leadership/morale
•Civil unrest @ home
Shortages, death toll, riots
Russian Revolution of 1917
•Lenin promises “Peace,
Bread, & Land”
•Signs Treaty of BrestLitovsk (1918)
Separate peace with
Central Powers
Russia leaves war
Harsh(Russia loses
enormous amounts of
land)
•U.S. Troops help allies defeat
exhauster German army @ the
nd
2 Battle of the Marne
•Allies push towards Germany
•Kaiser Wilhelm forced to
abdicate
•New German government
(Weimer Republic) signs
armistice
•Nov. 11,1918
@ 11 am the
armistice is
signed
Veterans day is Nov. 11
8.5 million killed/17 million wounded
Mass destruction/famine
Huge War debts/reparations
New technology introduced
U.S. becomes creditor nation
End of major empires-A/Hungary,
Germany, Russia, OttomanTurks
Treaty of Versailles
WWII
•Held @ The Palace of
Versailles, France
•Decisions made by
major Allied powers
•Germany & its allies not
represented but had to abide by
decisions
•Russia not represented
In the midst of Civil War
•Representatives
of the 4 major
allied powers
U.S.- Woodrow Wilson
Great Britain- David Lloyd George
France- Georges Clemenceau
Italy- Vittorio Orlando
** Each came w/ their own agenda
British & French
Representatives wanted
to punish Germany
•Strip Germany of War
making powers
•Pay for suffering
caused by war
Wilson wanted “Peace
without Victory” based on
his 14 points
Plan for achieving a just
& lasting peace
•End to secret treaties
•Freedom of Seas
•Free trade
•Reduced militaries
•Self determination for
new nations
A League of
th
Nations (14
Point)
•Organization
of Nations that
would solve
world conflicts
through
diplomacy
•Similar to the
United Nations
today
League of Nations formed
Germany & Russia
originally excluded
Territorial losses for Germany
•Alsace Lorraine
•French border extended to
Rhine
•All overseas colonies
Military Restrictions
Limited size of
German Army
Prohibited
manufacturing or
purchase of War Materials
Forbid submarines & air
Force
Rhineland becomes demilitarized zone
War Guilt Clause
Harshest provision
Sole responsibility for war
placed on Germany
Germany forced to pay allies
$33 billion in reparations
Germans were horrified
by treaty
•Austro Hungarian Empire carved
into
•Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia,
& Yugoslavia
•Ottoman lands became Mandates
•Territories administered by a
Western Power
•Palestine, Iraq, Transjordan,etc.
U.S. rejected Treaty & League of
Nations
Mandates in Africa & Asia upset
about not gaining independence
Italy & Japan hoped to gain
more territory
Treaty left bitterness & hatred in
hearts of Germans
Would set the stage for WWII
8.5 million killed/17 million wounded
Mass destruction/famine
Huge War debts/reparations
New technology introduced
U.S. becomes creditor nation
End of major empires-A/Hungary,
Germany, Russia, OttomanTurks
Treaty of Versailles
WWII