The Spark - Beginning of World War One
Assassination ! “Death to the Tyrant!”
* Archduke Francis Ferdinand and wife Sophie
(heir to the Austrian/Hungarian throne)
* June 1914 - Sarajevo (Bosnia)
* Gavrilo Princip
(Black Hand - Serbian Nationalist )
Declaration of War - Beginning of World War One
Austrian Ultimatum –Check
w/Germany first to see if they have
back up.
* Serbian appeal for Russian
help.
Slavic support
* Russian Mobilization
Germany demand to cease. Reason?
* Declaration of War - August 1914
Germany - Wilhelm II
Serbia - King Peter
(Slavic)
Russia - Nicholas II
(Slavic)
Austria - Franz Joseph
Background - Beginning of World War One
* Inquiry - Review the
locations of nations
belonging to the Triple
Alliance and Triple
Entente. What problem did
Germany face if war broke
out in 1914?
* Define:
Mobilization/Standing
Army
The Schlieflen Plan - Beginning of World War One
* War Strategy of General
Alfred Von Schllieffen:
- Invade France through
neutral Belgium (This brings
in Britain, Belgium is an ally)
- Defeat France within 6
weeks – before the time
needed for Russia to
mobilization.
- Transport Western Front
forces to east and defeat
Russia.
Sides/Fronts - Beginning of World War One
Allied Powers (Entente)
* France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy
Central Powers (Triple All.)
* Germany, Austria/Hungary, Bulgaria,
Ottoman Empire
Fronts - Western/Eastern
* First Battle of the Marne (Western)
Stalemate
* Difference between fronts
Trench Warfare
Trench Warfare
• Machine gun and artillery
made remaining on
surface impossible
• Each side created huge
networks of trenches, easy
to defend, very difficult to
take.
• Life in the trenches:
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–
–
–
Poor food and medical care
Little sleep
Trenchfoot
Cold
Russian Soldier
War in the Industrial Age
• Industrialization allowed
better farming techniques–
population boom
• Industrialization allowed
nations to organize, train,
and equip millions of men
• Industrialization allowed
nations to kill millions and
lose millions, yet still keep
fighting
• New means of slaughter
– Machine Gun
– Artillery
– Poison Gas
British Munitions Factory
Russia Withdrawals from War
• Food and fuel shortages in Russia due to the war caused
civil unrest forced Nicholas II to step down. March 1917
• New government promised to continue the fight, but 8
months later the soldiers refused to fight anymore.
• Nov. 1917, Communist leader, Vladimir Lenin, seized
power and wanted a truce with Germany.
• March 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed,
Russia officially drops out of the war.
• Germany could now focus on the Western Front.
U.S. Enters the War
• U.S. makes billions from selling goods to the British and
French.
• Germany practices unrestricted submarine warfare.
(Sinking the Lusitania, 1200 dead, 128 Americans)
• Zimmerman note- Telegraph from German foreign
secretary, Arthur Zimmerman, stating that Germany would
help Mexico “reconquer” the lands they lost if Mexico
would ally itself with Germany.
• April 2, 1917, U.S. declares war on Germany, joins the
Allies.
The Treaty of Versailles
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•
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Nov. 9 Kaiser Wilhem II Steps down
Nov. 11, 1918 Armistice
Wilson and the 14 points- No secret
treaties, self determination (choose
their own government) and League of
Nations
Allies refused to lift economic
sanctions until Germans sign a treaty
Feb. 1919 Germans met at Weimar,
and drafted a new constitution, the
Weimar Republic is formed.
Treaty of Versailles- Germany had to
take blame for the war. Must pay
reparations.
Clemenceau wanted to punish
Germany, reparations really gave the
new Weimar government in Germany
no chance to succeed.
Lloyd-George, Clemenceau, Wilson
At Versailles
Consequences of the War
• 37.5 million casualties,
over 10 million dead
• An entire generation of
European men were wiped
out on the battlefield.
• France and Britain owed
billions of $ to the U.S.
• Germany owed billions to
the victors in reparations
• European Economies
devastated
Ruined French Church
Territorial changes
after the Treaty of
Versailles