Chapter 28
Descent into the Abyss: World
War I and the Crisis of the
European Global Order
The Coming of the Great War

There were a host of different factors
that led to the outbreak of WWI,
including:
◦
◦
◦
◦
1) Alliance systems
2) Imperialism
3) Militarism
4) Nationalism
The Coming of the Great War
(#1a)

A) Alliance systems
◦ Germany’s growing industrial and military power in
Europe threatened the major powers on the
continent (France, Russia, and Britain)
◦ Germany’s neighbors, France and Russia, allied
themselves in the 1890’s to surround Germany and
discourage a declaration of war or invasion by
Germany.
◦ Britain responded in part due to Germany growing
economic power and threatening naval capabilities.
◦ By the early 1900’s the three (Russia, France, and
Britain) had formed the Triple Entente (agreement).
◦ Germany responded by allying with AustriaHungary.
Pre-WWI Alliances
Super-Mega Pre-WWI Alliances
Venn Diagram
The Coming of the Great War
(#1b)

Imperialism
◦ For decades, most European powers had been
engaged in an imperialist rivalry around the
globe. These rivalries heightened tensions
between the nations. (map on p.551)
◦ Imperialist rivalries only served to further the
tensions between nations and feed the
jingoism (warlike nationalism) of each
nation.
The Coming of the Great War
(#1c)

Militarism
◦ Alliance systems and imperialist rivalries only
helped to fuel the arms race of the early 1900’s in
Europe.
◦ Naval power was the most obvious form of
military buildup.
◦ Germany poured money into its navy in order to
challenge Britain on the open seas. Both nations
built more and better naval vessels as a result.
◦ The size of armies grew steadily to number in the
millions. Each nation was preparing itself for war.
Militarism Continued

•
•
•
•
•
•

All the countries of Europe built up their armies
and navies. In 1914, their armed forces stood
like this:
Germany: 2,200,000 soldiers, 97 warships
Austria-Hungary: 810,000 soldiers, 28 warships.
Italy: 750,000 soldiers, 36 warships
France: 1,125,000 soldiers, 62 warships
Russia: 1,200,000 soldiers, 30 warships
Great Britain: 711,000 soldiers, 185 warships
As one country increased its armies, so all the
others felt obliged to increase their armed forces
to keep the ‘balance of power’.
The Balkan problem (#2)
Nowhere was the tension higher in
Europe than in the Balkans.
 Complex ethnic divisions and rivalries
made this territory a hotbed of crisis.
 On top of this, in the years before WWI,
there had been a series of regional wars
in this region over territories and
resources. (map on p. 535)

The Balkan Problem

It made the races ruled by the Ottoman Turks
(such as the Romanians and the Bulgarians) and
by Austria-Hungary (such as the Serbs) want to
be free to rule themselves. In the Balkans this
was called ‘Panslavism’ because the people who
wanted to be free were all Slav races. The most
nationalistic of all were the Serbs – Serbia had
became an independent country in 1878, but in
1900 many Serbs were still ruled by Turkey and
Austria-Hungary, and Serbia was determined to
break free. This led to rebellions and terrorism
which destabilized the Balkans.
The Balkans in 1914
Annexed to
Austria in 1908
“The Powder Keg of Europe” (#3)
On June 28, 1914, the Archduke of
Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand visited
the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.
 Bosnia had been taken from Serbia by
Austria-Hungary years earlier.
 A Serbian nationalist, Gavriel Princip,
assassinated the Archduke. (you will read
an article on this)

Gavriel Princip’s mugshot (19 yrs. old)
Franz Ferdinand’s Car
Assassination leads to war
Alliance System takes over (#4)





Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on
Serbia (exactly one month after the assassination).
Serbia was backed by Russia (defender of the Slavic
race), so Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary and
began mobilizing its troops to the border.
Germany backed Austria-Hungary, and was worried
about Russian troop movements, so it declared war
on Russia.
Britain and France then declared war on Germany
and Austria-Hungary
The Ottoman Empire joined Germany and AustriaHungary in 1915. They had for decades been reliant
upon German military advisors and financiers.
Alliance System
WWI Causes
WWI Map (Central Powers and
Allied Powers)
The Schlieffen Plan (#5)
Germany found itself at a distinct
disadvantage once war was declared,
having to fight a two-front war.
 As a result Germany devised a plan to
launch a quick and massive attack to the
west (towards France) and then turn back
towards the more backward less
threatening Russia in the east.
 This plan was spearheaded by General
Alfred von Schlieffen, hence the name.

The Schlieffen Plan
Trench Warfare (#6 p.650)
Effects of WWI Weaponry (#7)


On top of having
devastating killing
power, the weapons of
WWI were best used
to hold defensive
positions rather than
lead charges or
offensive maneuvers.
As a result, very little
ground was gained by
either side between
1914 and 1917.
Direct Control from Governments
(#8)

As war continued, governments took
more and more control over areas of
both public and private life:
◦ Industrial sectors were taken over by gov’t.
Factories were told what to produce and
railroads were administered by the state.
◦ Massive censorship took place (Sedition Acts)
◦ Propaganda departments were created to stir
public support and opinion.
- As a result, WWI became the first total
war in human history.
War Brings Change for Women
(#9)




Because WWI was a total war, all members
of the society were asked to participate.
More than any other previous war, women’s
involvement increased tremendously.
Millions of women in Britain, France,
Germany, Russia, and the U.S., joined the
work force or military.
Wages for women increased and they gained
a newfound sense of confidence that was
rooted in the reality of their importance to
their countries and societies.
War Brings Change for Women
(#9)



It is no coincidence that
women’s liberation
movements began
around this time.
Rising hemlines on
dresses, acceptance of
smoking in public, and
unchaperoned dating
were results.
The culmination of
women’s gains came
after the war when each
country extended
suffrage.
The Armenian Genocide (#10)
The Ottoman Turks (part
of the Central Powers),
opened up war fronts in
the southern region of
Russia.
 After severe losses, the
Turkish government sought
to blame minorities in
their empire, mainly
Armenian Christians.
 The government lashed
out in a campaign of
violence, killing as many as
a million Armenians from
1915-1918.

U.S. Entry into WWI (#11)



By 1917, much of the war in Europe had
settled into a stalemate, especially on the
Western Front. U.S. entry in that year would
turn the tide for the Allied nations.
When the war broke out in 1914, most of
the American public and its leaders were
indifferent toward the cause. In fact, U.S.
president Woodrow Wilson had won reelection in 1916 on the campaign slogan, “He
kept us out of war!”
That would all change in 1917.
U.S. Entry into WWI (#11)

Reasons for U.S. entry into WWI include:
◦ 1) War benefited American businesses. Profits
were enormous from selling food, raw materials
and weapons (mainly to the Entente allies).
◦ 2) British propaganda efforts. America was
naturally pro-British due to our common
heritage, but the British launched a massive
campaign of propaganda against Germany that
influenced American public opinion.
◦ 3) Germany’s need to attack ships with their
submarines to enforce their blockade on Britain
and France led to the sinking of U.S. ships and
death of U.S. citizens, greatly angering our nation.
Armistice (#12)



U.S. entry into the war was just in time. Russia had
pulled out of the war in March and the U.S. entered in
April. A German drive on the western front was stalled
by the arrival of American troops.
With casualties mounting and their armies losing
ground, the Germans signed an armistice on Nov.
11,1918.
Many German citizens were enraged due to the fact
that German propaganda in the months before that
promised a victory “within weeks”. Much of the blame
was transferred by the government to socialist groups
and Jewish politicians (because they were minorities).
This would become a rallying cry for Hitler in the
1920s.
American newspaper headline
Allied representatives at Armistice
signing (Nov.11, 1918)
Armistice Day
The War’s Effect (#13)

The effects of WWI prove its devastation:
◦ 1) At least 10 million dead and 20 million
wounded. An influenza outbreak in 1918 killed
millions of civilians as well.
◦ 2) Hundreds of billions of dollars of damage
was inflicted on cities, railroads, bridges, farms,
and factories.
◦ 3) This devastation led to a global economic
downturn into the mid-1920’s and
contributed to the outbreak of the Great
Depression.
The Paris Peace Conference



Once the armistice was signed in Nov. 1918,
the victorious nations had to settle upon a
plan for peace by signing a treaty.
Over the next 7 months, representatives
met in Paris to hammer out the details of
the historic treaty.
Though there were diplomats from all over
the globe, Georges Clemenceau (France),
David Lloyd George (Britain), and Woodrow
Wilson (United States) were the undisputed
leaders of the conference. They were known
simply as “The Big Three”.
THE BIG THREE
From left to right: David Lloyd George, Georges
Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson
Paris Peace Conference Cont’d
Because the Germans had so many overseas
colonies and the Ottoman empire controlled
so many lands, representatives from all these
territories showed up expecting to be
granted self-determination. (#15)
 This was an idea set forth by Woodrow
Wilson that people had the right to choose
their own form of government.
Unfortunately, Wilson only thought this
applied to white people, so Arabs, Indians,
Vietnamese, and Africans did not get this
privilege.

Paris Peace Conference Cont’d
The French were determined to punish
Germany for their aggression in WWI.
Germany had invaded their country twice
in the span of 50 yrs. and they wanted to
make sure it did not happen again.
 The French premier, Clemenceau, actually
ran his re-election campaign on the slogan
“Make Germany Pay”. He won
convincingly.

Paris Peace Conference Cont’d
(#14)

There were four major punishments for
Germany.
◦ 1) War-Guilt Clause: Germany had to admit to
sole responsibility for starting the war.
◦ 2) Reparations: Huge war-time damage fees that
Germany was required to pay to the nations it
assaulted (33 billion in US currency)
◦ 3) All German colonies were stripped from them
and given to members of the Allies.
◦ 4) The German military was severely decreased.
They could only have 100,000 soldiers and a
limited number of battleships, but no submarines.
The Versailles Diktat (#16)
The final treaty to come out of the Paris Peace
Conference was the Treaty of Versailles (signed at
the Versailles Palace).
 For Germany, it was nothing more than a diktat,
or dictated peace, with no room for negotiation.
 German representatives were not even invited to
Paris until May of 1919 and were never consulted
or asked for input.
 Additionally, they were lodged in the most run
down hotel in Paris, brought in through the
servants door to the palace and made to stand
for hours while the treaty was read to them.

SIGNING OF THE TREATY
OF VERSAILLES
The Hall of Mirrors
What about Austria-Hungary and
the Ottoman Empire (#18)




Germany was not the only country punished. AustriaHungary’s empire was carved into several new nations
(Czechoslovakia, Hungary,Yugoslavia).
The Ottoman lands in the Middle East were not given
independence, but instead became mandates
(territories whose control was swapped from one
nation to another) of Britain and France.
Italy and China lost land despite fighting with the Allies.
Russia lost more land than any nation even though they
were members of the original Triple Entente’. Because
they quit the war early and were now Communist, they
were an easy target for punishment. (#17)
American response to the Treaty
(#19)


Even the United States public and legislature
were worried about the faults within the
treaty, but mainly they did not want to tie
themselves to European affairs in the future.
Despite the fact that Woodrow Wilson was
one of the main contributors to the treaty,
Congress refused to sign. The main issue
they were worried about was the League of
Nations, an international peace-keeping body,
that had been Wilson’s idea all along. The U.S.
signed a separate treaty with Germany.
AMERICAN POLITICAL
CARTOON RESPONDING
TO THE TREATY
WWI’s impact on nationalism (#20
and 21)
When the war broke out, European powers moved
quickly to bring in soldiers from their colonies. These
territories were promised self-rule or independence
for their cooperation. (#21)
 With soldiers being recalled to Europe to fight, most
colonies seized upon this lack of force as an
opportunity to push for independence. (#20)
 As you probably guessed, when the war ended,
European powers repeatedly reneged on their
promises.
 The combination of broken promises with a limited
number of European military officials present
(because they had been recalled to Europe for the
war) led to intense nationalist movements.

Indian Nationalism (#22)
Because India was so valuable to the British
Empire, the Brits were not willing to part with it
despite the promise they made before the war.
 Western-educated Indians, many educated in
British schools that had been built in India,
demanded more political authority and formed
the National Congress Party.
 British officials supported this group initially, for
they saw it as a forum where the opinions of
educated Indians could be heard, thereby
watering down any potential political unrest.

INDIAN NATIONAL
CONGRESS
COMMEMORATIVE
STAMP
Indian Nationalism Cont’d (#23)
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

Despite the creation of this political body
for representation, all Indians were united in
a common bond, their disdain for British
rule.
This was chiefly due to British racism. No
matter their caste, language, or religion, the
British viewed all Indians as inferior.
What began to emerge as a result was a
powerful force, Indian unity. This nationalism
was something the subcontinent had never
experienced before. It would eventually win
them their independence.
Violent or Non-violent protest??
(#24a)

The methods for bringing about change in India
were as varied as the people themselves.
However, they more or less fell into two groups,
militant or non-violent protests.
◦ Radical Hindu leader, B.G. Tilak, promoted a
nationalism built upon traditional Hindu beliefs
(ignoring Indian Muslims).
◦ He used religious festivals for Hindu gods as a
platform for mass demonstration.
◦ He endorsed several tactics like boycotting British
goods, refusal of Indians to serve in the British
military, and violence if the British refused to
cooperate.
Violent or Non-violent protest??
(#24a)
Tilak’s message caught on and by the
1920’s there were frequent terrorist
attacks against British officials and
government buildings.
 In response, the British passed the
Rowlatt Act, which placed severe
restrictions on several Indian rights.
 Local protests escalated, but this time
with a different message of non-violence,
spearheaded by Mohandas Gandhi.

Violent or Non-violent protest??
(#24b)
Gandhi certainly was a revolutionary
figure in India. Physically speaking, he did
not embody a freedom fighter.
 He was of average height and very slight
of build. However, he was extremely
intelligent, well-organized, confident and
articulate.
 What he lacked in physical stature, he
made up for in his commitment to
morality and self-discipline.

Violent or Non-violent protest??
(#24b)
His strategy for independence was actually born
in South Africa, where he had worked a decade
earlier to gain rights for Indian immigrants in that
country.
 This non-violent protest, or satyagraha, as Gandhi
called it, included boycotts against British goods,
strikes, noncooperation, and mass
demonstrations.
 While it was peaceful, it was also very aggressive,
as Indians actively disobeyed British laws that they
deemed unjust. As a result, it is sometimes called
“passive resistance”.

B.G. Tilak
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
Indian Revolutionaries
The Zionist Movement
As we have seen, in order to obtain support for the war,
the British made dozens of promises that they never
intended to keep. Two of these pertained to the Arab
heartlands of the Ottoman Empire.
 First of all, Arab independence was promised in
exchange for their support against the Ottomans.
Instead, Britain and France made mandates out of these
territories. As a result, they faced stiff resistance in
places such as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.
 They had also promised prominent and wealthy Jews a
homeland in Palestine for their support.
 So to recap, the British managed to promise Arabs their
independence and Jews a homeland (taken from Arab
territory). They failed to follow through on either.

The Zionist movement (#25)
As a result of these promises to Jewish
leaders, a Zionist movement sprang up
after WWI. This was essentially a call for
the Allied powers to create a Jewish
homeland in Palestine (Arab territory at
the time, but it had once been the
kingdom of Israel)
 The World Zionist Organization was
created to rally for this cause.

The Zionist Movement (#26)

The Zionist Movement was strengthened by three
other events of the early 1900s:
◦ 1) The Balfour Declaration- a promise by British foreign
secretary, Lord Balfour, to promote the establishment of a
Jewish homeland in Palestine after the war (despite
promises to Arabs that they could control their own
lands).
◦ 2) Pogroms- in the late 1800’s, a wave of violent assaults
on the Jewish community in eastern Europe (particularly
Russia and Romania) convinced Jewish leaders that their
own homeland was necessary to avoid these persecutions.
◦ 3) the Dreyfus Affair- Alfred Dreyfus, a French army officer
and Jew was accused (falsely) of selling military secrets to
Germany. He was not offered a trial and was treated
inhumanely in the months after his arrest. The event drew
worldwide attention toward the anti-Semitism in Europe.