World War I
Notes
I. Causes
A. See M.A.I.N. notes
II. A Chain Reaction
A. Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand on June 28th 1914 by
Black Hand from Serbia (Gavrilo Princip)
B. Serbia issued an ultimatum (a statement, especially in diplomatic
negotiations, that expresses or implies the threat of serious
penalties if the terms are not accepted) from Austria-Hungary.
C. Causes a chain reaction of events
D. Von Schlieffen Plan
1. German plan to avoid a two-front war
2. Goal was to beat France before Russia could mobilize
3. Germans use neutral Belgium as a means of getting into
France which brings Great Britain into the war
E. The Sides are Decided
1. Triple Entente (allied powers) – Britain, France, Russia (later:
Italy, Greece)
2. Triple Alliance (central powers) – Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Italy (later: Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria)
III. Total Warfare (Industrialized)
A. Total War – all of a nation’s resources go into the war effort
B. Propaganda – spreading ideas to promote yourself or to damage
your opponent
C. Trench warfare develops
D. New weapons are developed – machine gun, tank, planes, poison
gas, u-boats (submarines)
IV. Key Battles of WWI
A. Marne (Sept 1914)
1. Germans attack the French and nearly take over Paris
2. 600 taxis used to bring French troops to the front to turn the
tide of the war
B. Ypres (Apr 1915)
1. Germans attack the British
2. First time poison gas is used
C. Verdun (Feb-Dec 1916)
1. Historic fortress town in France that the French had to defend
2. 550,000 French casualties and 434,000 German casualties
D. Somme (Jul-Nov 1916)
1. Put in motion to relieve the French at Verdun
2. Large amounts of casualties but it helped the French
3. First ever tank attack took place during this battle
E. Amiens (Aug-Nov 1918)
1. August 8, 1918 – allies broke through German lines with tanks,
called the ‘black day of the German Army’
2. Attack broke German morale and ultimately led to them to ask
for an armistice
V. Turning Points of WWI
A. United States enters war on side of allies on April 6, 1917
1. Reason 1 – close historical ties with Great Britain and France
2. Reason 2 – May 1915 – German U-boat sinks the ocean liner
the Lusitania (128 Americans die)
3. Reason 3 – Early 1917 – Zimmerman Telegram sent to Mexico
B. Russian Revolution
1. Czar Nicholas II is thrown out of power in a revolution which
brings Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power in Russia
(communist)
2. They sign an armistice (peace agreement) with Germany on
December 3, 1917
VI. Cost of the Great War
A. Armistice is signed on November 11, 1918 to end WWI. (11th hour,
of the 11th day, of the 11th month)
B. Casualties
1. 8.5 million people dead
2. 17 million wounded
C. Widespread famine and disease
D. Huge economic losses
VII. Treaty of Versailles
A. Big Four meet in France
1. United States - President Woodrow Wilson
2. Britain - Prime Minister Lloyd George
3. France - Premier Georges Clemenceau
4. Italy - Premier Vittoria Orlando
B. Defeated nations not allowed to attend
C. Woodrow Wilson advocates the Fourteen Points of Peace (“peace
without victory)
1. Establish the League of Nations
2. End secrete treaties
3. Guarantee freedom of the seas
4. Reduce military spending
5. Self determination – right of each country to rule themselves
D. Breakup of old Empires
1. Ottoman Empire – most of it is given to Britain and France to
control, Turkey created
2. Austria-Hungarian Empire – countries of Austria, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia are formed
3. Other new countries - Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia
E. Germany treated very harshly
1. Forced to take full responsibility for the war
2. Took German colonies and lands within Europe (Poland
created)
3. Germany forced to pay reparations
4. Forced to limit the size of its military
5. Causes resentment and hatred