World War I
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Underlying/Long Term Causes: The MAIN causes of WWI
Militarism
Alliances: Triple Entente (Britain, Russia and France) -- Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy)
Imperialism
Nationalism
Short term/Immediate Cause of the war – the “spark” that set off the war
 Assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand June 28, 1914 – by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black
Hand (Serbian nationalist group)
 The Balkans (southeast Europe – north of Greece) were already referred to as a “powder keg” due to nationalist and
political problems;
 Austria-Hungary blames Serbia for this incident. Austria-Hungary (with German approval – “blank check”)
places a harsh ultimatum on Serbia. Serbia refuses and Austria declares war.
July 28, 1914: A-H Declares war on Serbia
July 30: Russia mobilizes troops
Aug 1: Germany declares war on Russia
Aug 3: Germany declares war on France
Schlieffen Plan: German invasion of France through Belgium – plan to take Paris in 6 weeks
before Russia can have troops at German border – to prevent a two-front war
Aug 4: Britain declares war on Germany
Central Powers
Germany – Kaiser Wilhelm II
Austria-Hungary – Emperor Franz Joseph
Ottoman Empire
others
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Allied Powers
Britain – PM. Lloyd George & King Edward
France – various and Premier Clemenceau
Russia – Czar Nicholas II (drop out in 1917)
Italy – PM. Orlando (join in 1917)
USA – Pres. Wilson (join in April 1917)
others – Canada, Australia, etc.
The Major Battles/Events
1st Battle of the Marne – Sept. 1914 -- Germany halted within 60 miles of Paris; beginning of trench warfare
Battle of Gallipoli – April 1915 – Jan. 1916 – an attempt to attack the “soft underbelly” of the CP; Allied forces
(mostly volunteers from Australia and NZ) attempted to cut off entrance to the Black Sea; stupidity on the part of
British command resulted in a 6 month slaughter of the ANZACs
Sinking of the Lusitania – May 1915 – the merchant ship Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat for supposedly
carrying military goods (it was!); 120+ Americans were killed; many in US outraged, but still stay out of war
Battle of Jutland – early 1916 – only real naval battle; German fleet defeated by British
Verdun – Feb. – Dec. 1916 -- ’a French graveyard’; aprox. 1 million dead;
the Somme – July - Nov. 1916 – over 1 million casualties for 7 miles gained by the Allies
Germany resumes unrestricted sub warfare – Feb. 1917 -- begin attacking US supply ships again
Zimmerman Note/Telegraph – Feb. 1917 – see below
US declares war on Germany – April 6, 1917
Russian Revolution – Nov. 1917 – Russia taken over by Communists; Czar and family placed under house arrest;
killed the next year
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – March 1918 -- peace treaty between (now) Communist Russia and Germany
2nd Battle of the Marne – July 1918 – last German offensive halted just outside of Paris
Armistice Day – Nov. 11, 1918 – Germany surrenders 4 days after the Kaiser abdicates
Weapons
new or developed; impact of industrial technology on warfare; results were mass destruction and enormous loss of life
 tanks – British invention; introduced at the Somme
 poison gasses – Germans used first at Ypres; mustard gas, chlorine, etc.
 machine guns – 8 rounds/sec; little skill or training to do the work of 40 riflemen
 artillery – sells over 15 inches – by end of war had a range of 60+ miles
 submarines/U-boats – German; fought in “wolf packs” across Atlantic disrupting shipping
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airplanes – began as spy plane; were soon armed and engaged in “dogfights’; the “Red Baron”
(German) and Eddie Rickenbacher (US) became most famous “Aces”
land mines, grenades, mortars, flame throwers, zeppelins, telephone
Warfare
Western Front
trenches stretched from Fr./Ger/Swiss border
across N France to English Channel
over 475 miles of trenches on the Western Front
trenches built by shovel; dugouts
boring, wet, terrifying life
Rats and disease, trench foot, shell shock
No Man’s Land --’the killing ground’ between the trenches
troops rotated from rear to support lines to front lines
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Eastern Front
NE Europe along Russian/German border
mostly ground warfare
few trenches
cold, wet, and nasty
War at Sea
German U-boats blockade Britain
unrestricted sub warfare
US in WWI
Isolationism: US decides to stay out of the war; begin sending supplies and military goods to Allies
Atlantic War: supply ships are attacked in the Atlantic by German U-boats; virtually an undeclared war
Zimmerman Telegram: sent by German foreign minister to the German ambassador to Mexico (Zimmerman); offered
Mexico a deal to assist in a US invasion in exchange for land in the Southwest; message was intercepted by British
who passed it along to US; when the US press published it, popular opinion shifted to entering the war
American Loans – US had lots of $ tied up in materials and loans to the Allies; $3+ billion dollars in1916
“Make the world safe for democracy”: US felt it was doing the right thing by helping eliminate German dictatorship
and aggression
US impact on war: influx of fresh troops revitalizes the Allies; Germany running out of supplies, troops, and morale;
Treaty of Versailles (Paris) 1919
The Big Three (Four): Wilson: 14 Points – wanted self determination, disarmament, freedom of seas & trade,
and formation of a League of Nations – no blame or punishment
Lloyd George : Britain wanted compensation for war losses and to punish Germany
Clemenceau : wanted compensation for losses, return of territory, and revenge
(Orlando : wanted money and territory)
Germany – lost huge chunks of land, had to disarm and reduce their military, had to pay
war reparations (approx. $33 billion), and had to ADMIT GUILT for the war
Rest – European map redrawn with many new countries (Yugoslavia, Austria, Hungary,
Poland, Czechoslovakia, etc.); creation of a League of Nations (only one of the 14 Points
accepted)
Results of the War
cost over $350 billion --- $33 billion for US alone
around 8 million dead (not including civilians) and 20 million wounded – US had 114,00 casualties with 49,000 dead
beginning of the end of Imperialism – many old ruling families lose power (Romanovs, Hapsburgs)
US begins rise to world prominence
Europe, especially France, is a mess; economy, industry, population (esp. young men), and geography destroyed
League of Nations created, but US doesn’t approve the Treaty of Versailles, so we don’t join
Russia becomes communist
The Homefront
total war---shortages of all goods resulted in rationing and recycling; everyone participated and did without; bond
drives to help fund the war (2/3, rest was by taxes)
women given new opportunities – factory work; nursing; helped lead to women’s suffrage (19th amendment)
use of propaganda for war effort
the despair of loss--broken families, broken men, broken hearts--the disillusionment of a generation
worldwide flu epidemic 1917-1918; kills more people than the war
Provisions of the Treaty:
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