World War I
Glencoe World History Chapter 23
SSWH16 The student will demonstrate an understanding of long-term
causes of World War I and its global impact.
a. Identify the causes of the war; include Balkan nationalism, entangling
alliances, and militarism.
b. Describe conditions on the war front for soldiers; include the Battle of
Verdun.
c. Explain the major decisions made in the Versailles Treaty; include
German reparations and the mandate system that replaced Ottoman
control.
d. Analyze the destabilization of Europe in the collapse of the great
empires; include the Romanov and Hapsburg dynasties.
Causes of WWI
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Nationalism
– Thought this would lead to cooperation?!?!?!
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Entangling Alliances
– Triple Alliance (1882)
 Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
– Triple Entente (1907)
 France, Great Britain, and Russia

Militarism – aggressive preparation for war
– Growth of mass armies
– After 1900 draft present in most European
countries
The Spark that led to War
June 28, 1914- A member of a Serbian terrorist
organization, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated the
Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie
 Archduke Francis Ferdinand was the heir to the
Austro-Hungarian throne
 States in Southeast Europe had been struggling
for many years to free themselves from Ottoman
rule
 Serbia wanted a large Slavic state in the
Balkans; Austria-Hungary determined this was
NOT happening

The Spark that led to War
Austria Hungary made harsh demands
which Serbia refused to meet.
 July 28, 1914- Austria Hungary along with
its ally, Germany, declared war on Serbia,
who was supported by its ally, Russia.
 Within a week, Austria Hungary and
Germany were at war with Russia, France,
and Great Britain
 Before the war ended, 30 countries on six
continents would be involved

Two Sides

Central Powers
– Austria Hungary
– Germany
– Ottoman Empire

Allied Powers (Allies)
– France
– Russia
– Great Britain
– Italy (joined in 1915)
Western Front
Germany hoped for a quick end to the war
 Germany stopped at the First Battle of the
Marne
 600 mile line from the Swiss border to the
English Channel
Western Front
 No man’s land~ area in between the
trenches
 Thousands died, no one able to break
through enemy line or end the trench
warfare

Eastern Front
Marked by mobility
 Russians faced enormous losses

– 2.5 million Russians killed, captured, or
wounded
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and ally
Bulgaria eliminated Serbia and moved to
the Western Front
 Italy betrayed Germany by attacking
Austria in May 1915

Conditions on the Warfront
Generals did not know how to deal with
trench warfare in west
 During 1916 and 1917 millions died in
search of the elusive break through
 In 1916, in 10 months at Verdun, France,
700,000 men lost their lives over a few
miles of land
 War of attrition
 Living in holes in the ground
 Decomposing bodies, rats, etc…

Military Situation in 1917
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By 1917, Allies had faced enormous losses
Allied offensives on the Western front had been
badly defeated
Tsar of Russia deposed and new government
established- Bolsheviks (Communists)
Russian Revolution in November 1917, led to
their withdrawal a few months later ceding
territory to Germany
American entry a bright spot to a bleak year
– Provided a much need psychological boost
– Fresh men
– Fresh material
Germany’s Last Bid for Victory
 March
1918~ Germany launched a
powerful campaign to end the war
 By April, they were 50 miles from
Paris
 July 18, German advance stopped at
the Second Battle of the Marne by a
combined force of French, Moroccan,
and American troops supported by
tanks
World War I Map Activity
Paris Peace Conference
January 1919
 27 victorious allied nations met to make a
final settlement but there were problems…

– Secret treaties (Territories, Reparation
Payments, etc…)
– National interests
– Germany not invited to defend themselves
– Russia in a civil war and could not come
Big Four

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Great Britain
– Prime Minister David Lloyd George
– Elected on platform “Make Germany Pay”
France
– Premier Georges Clemenceau
– Wanted national security from Germany invasion &
revenge
Italy
– Vittorio Orlando- Smaller role than the big three powers
The United States
– President Woodrow Wilson
– Wanted lasting peace… compromised believing the League
of Nations would fix any unfair settlements; Senate
refused to ratify the agreement
Treaty of Versailles
Late June 1919, final peace treaty signed
 5 separate treaties with Germany, Austria,
Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey
 Germany is the most significant

– Germany responsible for starting war
– Must pay reparations for all the damage to
the Allied countries
– Reduce army, navy and eliminate Air Force
– Zone was completely demilitarized
– Alsace & Lorraine returned to France
Results of the Treaties
Ottoman Empire broken up
 Poland recreated from sections of East
Germany
 Austro-Hungarian empire disappeared
 Czechoslovakia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, and Yugoslavia were created
(from former Austro-Hungarian Empire)

Mandate System
To gain support of Arab states in the
Ottoman Empire, West promised them
independence, but changed their minds
after the war…
 Mandate system developed- a nation
officially governed another nation on
behalf of the League of Nations but did
not own the territory
 France- Lebanon & Syria
 Great Britain- Iraq and Palestine

Impact
Death of almost 10 million people
 Revolutions broke up old empires (Russian
Revolution- Romanov dynasty and the
Hapsburg dynasty in the Austro-Hungarian
empire) and created new states
 Power of governments increased; strong
central authority a way of life
 Communism became a factor in global
conflict as other nations turned to its
ideology.
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