World War I (1914-1918)
The Great War
Europe Changes forever
Intro Video
• Start at 39 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRtdSo
eYQYk
The Ism’s
• The world had changed and influence had
been put on three things
1) Imperialism
2) Militarism
3) Nationalism
1) M.A.I.N.S
–
Militarism, Alliance System, Imperialism, Nationalism,
Significant People
1-Imperialism
• The movement in the late 19th and early 20th
century
– To obtain land and expand your empire
• European version of the Manifest destiny
– Countries in Europe had laid claim to area’s all
over the world
Imperialism and the Balance of Power
1-Issues of Imperialism
• When nations in Europe claimed their lands it
often led to conflicts
– Opposing colonizing forces would often fight one
another
– Boer War – occurred in South Africa between the
Dutch and the English
2-Militarism
• An expanding German army caused other
powers in Europe to take notice
– An arms race began in Europe
– Military power was to be shown through army size
and new naval tech.
Navy power before and after
Former War ships
Dreadnought Class
2-The Dreadnought
• Germany threatened Britain's greatest claim –
the strength of their navy
• In response to this action, Britain devolved the
Dreadnought –(made all other warships
obsolete)
• Britain's navy doubled, as did Germanys, as
did France's and so on.
2-Militarism
• France’s, Germany’s, Britain's, Russia and
other European nations standing armies
doubled
2- Secret alliances
• The nation was entangled in alliances that
were unknown to other countries
– Often made to keep other countries from invading
seized land
– Scenario..
• Japanese-Russo war
• Great Britain is an ally of both, who do they support?
3-Nationalism
• Nationalism is the idea that you must band
together with people similar to you
– The thought that your nation is greater than any
other
– Combined with militarism, this made tensions
high in Europe
Alliance Systems.
• Go back to 1860
– During American civil war the states of Prussia
were waging war trying to unite the German
Kingdoms
– The succeeded in unifying Germany
• Destroyed the balance of power in Europe
– By 1871 had unified and had become one of the
international powers
Alliance System
• In 1870 German attacked France for territory
– From this point on –Germany and France are
enemies
• To protect itself Germany signed a secret
alliance treaty with..
– Italy
– Austria-Hungary
• The Three were known as the Triple Alliance
Alliance system
• Triple alliance caused fear for Russia
– How could Germany expand?
– Both wanted influence in Southeast Europe
• Why would this be important for Germany? Russia?
– Russia opposed Austria-Hungary
• Slav’s
Alliance System
• As a result France and Russia signed
– Franco-Russian Alliance
• Why?
• Due to the Common interest in opposing
Germany and A.H.
Alliance System
• G.B. Wanted to remain neutral
– Naval Race
• When Germany tried to equal G.B. navy the
tensions increased
• Refused to sign a formal alliance with Russian and
France but had friendly understanding
– “entente cordiale”
Triple Entente
The spark of War
• Archduke of AustriaHungary
Franz Ferdinand
• Target of Serbian assassin
group
– “The black hand”
• Was touring Bosnian
Capital, Sarajevo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCTIaii
GB4o
Spark of war
• The black hand was brought in to assassinate
the archduke
– It took place under the knowledge of Serbian
Government
– They had hoped that it would start a war
• Hoped to bring down Austro-Hungarian empire
Spark of War
• Austria-Hungary was angered by the
assassination
• They decided that Serbia had to be crushed to
prevent a Slovak uprising
– however
Spark of War
• A.H. knew that if they attacked Serbia would
declare war on A.H.
– So they asked for Germany to back their cause -They agreed
– A.H sent an ultimatum
• List of demands
– Austrian control in Serbia
– Repayment
– Etc…
Sparks of War
• Germany had made it known that it was going
to back A.H
– Forced them into the war
• Russia informed everyone that they were
going to back Serbia
– They asked for France’s aid
– Fearing Germany, France agreed
The War Begins!
• On August 1st 1914 Germany Declares war on
Russia
•
•
•
•
Aug. 3rd Germany declares war on France
Aug. 4th Britain declares war on Germany
Aug. 6th A.H. declares war on Russia
Aug. 12th A.H. declares war on GB and France
Kaiser Wilhelm II
• Leader of Germany during World War One
Von Schlieffen plan
• Germany’s Ultimate Idea
• Through a series of invasions they would blitz
through France and Capture Paris in a matter of
days
• There were a few problems with the plan
however
– Russia had mobilized their army faster than Germany
expected (had to remove troops from A. to B.)
Von Schlieffen Plan
• German soldiers were to gather on the French
German border and rush to Paris
– The thought was eliminate France and focus on
Russia
• A quick defeat would keep Britain out of the war
• The plan ultimately failed
What are problems with this
plan?
World War One
• As soon as Germany stepped foot in Belgium
G.B. Declared war on Germany
• The Allied Powers (Allies) were formed (GB,
France, Russia, (Italy-1915)
Central Powers
• Germany
• A.H.
• Ottoman Empire (Turkey)
Von Schlieffen plan fails
• Although the plan seemed to work in the
beginning, it was impossible for the northern
soldiers to keep up with the southern ones
• Got within 30 miles of Paris but was fought off
• Now what were the armies to do?
– They flanked and dug in
Napoleon tactics
• Much Like the civil war, Europe still used the
“old style of warfare”
• The idea was to rush the opposition with full
frontal attacks
• Bad idea against machine guns
• The two sides constantly tried to outflank one
another
Race to the Sea
• The constant flanking moved the war north
• Multiple battles due to constant interaction
• Lead to trench warfare
The Warfare
• The strategy for war had now changed
• Rather than frontal assaults, it had turned into
trench warfare
– Why?
Trench Warfare
• The race to the sea showed the nations that
the nature of war had changed
– How?
• They dug themselves into trenches
– To avoid what?
A common Trench
Trenches
• The sole purpose of a trench was it offered
protection from
– Explosives
– Machine gun’s
– Enemy line of vision
– Poison gas?
Advantages of the Trench
• It was very effective in protection
– For days, months or even years
• Effectively stopped enemy advances
• Good communication lines, and ability to
move from A to B
Negatives of the Trench
• To effective at protection
– Any advancement lead to massive amount of
deaths
• Were the trenches to effective? Or was it human error?
• Disease
– Pest’s
– Filthy living conditions
• Shell shock
Death Tolls
• Huge numbers of troops would die as they
tried to rush enemy trench
• Constant barrage of bullets
• Bodies were left in trenches
Pest and infestation
• With the dead bodies left to rot, pests began
to move into the trenches
– Rats***
– Often they were hunted down as a source of food
• Also for protection for the soldiers
Trench Foot
• Condition in which someone’s foot is wet for
too long.
– The skin begins to blister, rot and eventually falls
off
– Swelling also occurs
– If left untreated for too long, amputation is
necessary
Louse
• Small Parasite
– Feeds on human blood
Trench Conditions
German Trench
Allied Trenches
How did Trench Warfare change
the war?
• 1) caused the war to last much longer than
anticipated
• 2) made the war more violent
– How?
• 3) changed the landscape of Europe forever
New Tech’s
• Machine Gun
– Guns that could fire anywhere from 600 to 1,200
shells in a minute
• 20 shells a second!
• Known to cut tree’s down
Tanks
• The First Tanks were introduced during WW1
• Primitive, bulky, and mostly ineffective
• Usually broke down before it had a chance to
go anywhere
Planes
• Wooden Cloth vehicles
– Mainly used to scout
– Adapted machine guns
• TRIED to drop bombs late in the war
America Enters the War
• Until 1917, America had a very Isolated view
of the war
– President Wilson urged American's to stay
Imperial through all this
– Difficult for Americans to do
America choosing sides
• Americans could not keep their interests out
of Europe
– They were left with a choice
• Central Powers
• Allied Powers?
• Who do you think a majority of Americans
sided with?
Pro British Sentiment
• Many Americans were very pro-British
– Many of Wilsons Cabinet were pro-British
– They pushed to aid G.B
• Great Britain used propaganda to try and
influence America into the war
America pulled into the war
• Germany knew that if they could stop
American Trade to G.B. they could force them
out of the war
– Announced they would sink any vessel in G.B.
waters
– Angered U.S.A
– (Unrestricted Submarine Warfare)
• What is this?!
The Lusitania
• British Passenger Liner
• Entered A war-zone
– Fired on by German U-Boat
• Kills 1,200 passengers (128 americans)
• Americans viewed it as an act of terrorism not
war –but America was very much so angered
Other events
• The sinking of the Sussex
– Another merchant ship sunk by German U-boat
• Sussex Pledge
– Germany promised to no longer sink citizen ships
without warning
• Wanted to keep US out
Zimmerman Telegram
• Letter intercepted by British intelligence and
published in American newspapers
– Stated: to Mexico from Germany
– 1) Aid us in war with the United States
– 2) in doing so, you will be returned lost lands
• TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA
• Ultimately pushed America into the war
America Declares War
• Feb. 1st 1917 (Germany resumed unrestricted
warfare)
– Sink 6 American ships in two months
• April 2nd, 1917 – America Declares War
– War had been fought already for three years
The American
Soldier
“Doughboy”
Getting America Ready for War
• Not all Americans were sold on the war
– Committee on Public Information (CPI)
– Their goal was to sell the war to the American
Public
• Actors, Song writers, Authors and others with a voice
were recruited to paint a positive image of war
• Are the same practices used today?
American Propaganda
Troubles at home
• Espionage (Spying) was a major fear of the
USA
– Espionage Act (1917) made to allow prison terms
to ones found guilty
– Sedation Act (1918) made it illegal to speak
negatively about the war
• Or anyone who talked badly about the president!
• 1,000 convictions
German Americans
• At this time in history—hard place to live for
German-Americans
– some were beaten for their heritage
– One was lynched for “seeming” disloyal
– Other common things changed as well
American Pride
• Sauerkraut was
changed to …
• Hamburgers were
changed to…
Liberty Cabbage
Salisbury Steak
Limitation of Free Speech
• Schenk vs. The US
– Stated that free speech could be restricted if it
posed a danger to America
– 1st amendment states: “Congress shall make no
law abridging the freedom of speech”
• What do you think about this?
America Enters / Russia Leaves
• When America was deploying, Russia Dropped
out of the war
– Why?
• Here is a hint
To
Bolsheviks
• Czar Nickolas II -- former leader of Russia
– Abducted his throne (gave up power)
• Vladimir Lenin (leader of Bolsheviks) takes
control of Russian Government
– Communist Russia is born
Cont…
• Signed a treaty with Germany
– Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
– Gave them land for Germany to remove troops
that remained in Russian Territory
Why did America get involved?
• Yes they wanted to support GB and France,
but not the biggest issue
– Yes they were attacked
– Yes they were plotted against
• The Biggest reason however was for
Economical Reasons
– US had so much Invested in GB and France (Trade
and Stock)
Effect America had on Europe
• Ally’s moral was low
– America’s entry sparked a fighting sprit
– Likewise, lowered the moral of the Central Powers
• All but spelled doom for Germany and Central Powers
• Had to do something drastic
• Germany Makes a final offensive, but
ultimately fails
Battle of Argonne Forest
• German Attack stalled
• USA and French launch massive counter attack
• 600K Troops, 40K tons of Supplies, 4K artillery
pieces
• Started on September 26th, 1918
– Slowly but surely, America and France advanced
through German Lines
The War Comes to an End
• As war raged on the Western Front (FranceGerman boarder) A.H and O.E. Surrender and
leaves Germany Alone
• With a naval Mutiny influence reaching Berlin,
an uprising begins
• Kaiser Wilhelm is forced to step down
Germany Surrenders
• On the 11th day, on the 11th hour, in the 11th
month Germany Surrenders (1918)
– How long was the war?
• Germany Signed an Armistice (cease fire)
A Flawed Peace
• In January 1919 a peace conference began
in Paris to resolve the issue of WW1
• The big four were present
– 1) USA – Wilson
– 2) Great Britain – David Lloyd
– 3) France – Clemenceau
– 4) Italy – Orlando
• Germany was not Present
– Does this seem fair?
Wilson’s 14 points
• At the conference President Wilson presented
his 14 point plan
– Wanted to eliminate the general causes of the war
– Disarmament
– Freedom of the sea’s
• The biggest point however was his idea for
the –League of Nations
The 14th point
• The league of nations was Wilson’s brainchild
– Nations would preserve peace
– They would also prevent events leading to other
wars
– And act as protectors of other’s territories
Rejection
• The conference in Paris ultimately rejected the
Wilson’s ideas saying
– “it was far to easy on Germany”
– And “it did not align with our nations interests”
• Is this a precursor for anything in history?
Treaty of Versailles
• Despite Wilsons hopes, Germany signed a
document that was far to harsh than he
preferred
• Under the treaty
– Germanys army was stripped
– They had to pay reparations (33 Billion)
– Made Germany take blame for the war (in
hindsight—worst part of the treaty)
• Why?
Broken Peace
• This treaty is what lead Germany to allowing A
Fascist government to take control in the 30’s
• It belittled Germany, it caused a lot of
resentment
• Resulted in 10+ countries being formed in
Europe
– Poland
– Czechoslovakia
Effect the War had on America
• After the war was over the government
released control of the economy they had
taken
– Rationing ended
– Capped prices ended
• Companies began to raise prices and produce
more goods
– What would this cause?
Effects
• By 1919 Prices had risen by 15%
– Increased the cost of living
• (Clothes, Food, Shelter and other essentials)
Inflation leads to strikes
• Seattle General Strike
– Shipyard workers *more money less hours*
– Was a General Strike
• Workers of the city, not just the industry went
on strike
– Paralyzed the city
• Americans hated it (COMMON Communist action)
Strikes – Boston Police Strike
• 75% of Boston's Police force walked out on the
job
– Lead to wide spread rioting and chaos
– When Workers tried to return, Police
Commissioner refused to hire them back
– Calvin Coolidge gained political notoriety by
solving conflict
Racial Unrest
• White and Black Soldiers—and men—were
competing for jobs
– Tensions were high between the two
• Over 20 Racial riots in 1919
• In Chicago a riot was started that killed 38
people/ 15 white – 23 Black
The Red Scare
• American’s viewed Communist as enemies
– “seemed” unpatriotic
• Many Americans accused immigrants for
starting riots in the name of communism
• (Communist International) – organization for
coordinating communist activities in other
countries
Red Scare
• Wide Spread fear that “Reds” were trying to
take over America
• Wide spread bomb attacks to place in America
• One of which took place on US Attorney
General Mitchell Palmer
Palmer Raids
• Palmer established special division
– Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Focused their actions on Radical organizations
and immigrants
• 500 Deported
Palmer Raids
• Failed to turn up any hard evidence
• Used “dirty cop” techniques
– Failed to use warrants and disregarded rights
End of Progressivism
• After Wilsons tenure America elected Warren
Harding on the ideas of
– Returning America back to “Normalcy”
• This idea ends the progressive age
What are the main points of WW1?