TAKS Practice In which of the following situations would a historian need to use secondary sources? A. When studying the private lives of World War I leaders B. When researching different interpretations of World War I C. When explaining the battlefield decisions of World War I generals D. When trying to understand the personal experiences of World War I soldiers

TEKS Objective 4(C) identify the causes of World War I and reasons for U.S. entry;

EUROPE 1914

Identify the 4 M.A.I.N causes of World War I. M A I N ilitarism lliance System mperialism ationalism

Nationalism A devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation. Struggle for power was visible in the Balkans, a European region with many ethnic groups. The Ottoman Empire that ruled the Balkans was falling apart. Austria-Hungary saw this and began to annex provinces. The Slavs wanted to revolt, and Russia promised protection. Imperialism Other nations were also trying to expand, and this quest for colonial empires is known as imperialism. Late 1800s: Britain and France already had large empires. German emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, wanted colonies for Germany. He created a stronger military to start colonizing. Conditions in Europe in 1914 Militarism The development of armed forces and their use as a tool of diplomacy Germany built a strong navy to rival Britain’s Germany enlarged, bought latest weapons. German army officials drew up war plans like the Schlieffen Plan, which called for attacks on several countries. Britain, France, and Russia began to prepare, too.

The Alliance System Triple Entente: Triple Alliance:

The Major Players: Nicholas II [Rus] George V [Br] Pres. Poincare [Fr] Allied Powers: Franz Josef [A-H] Wilhelm II [Ger] Victor Emmanuel II [It] Central Powers: Enver Pasha [Ottaman]

Wait He’s my cousin Nicholas II [Rus] George V [Br] Queen Victoria of Britain Wilhelm II [Ger]

The Schlieffen Plan Germany's lone war plan. It calls for a decisive attack on France, knocking her out of the war before the Russians can mobilize their army.

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914 The “Powder Keg” of Europe Many of these Slavic people were subjects of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. The only thing keeping the Empire together was its 84 year old emperor, Franz Josef, who had ruled since 1848

The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand On 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, were shot dead in Sarajevo, by Gavrilo Princip Princip was a 19 year old member of the radical Bosnian group "Union or Death".

WAR 5 July Kaiser William II promised German support for Austria against Serbia 28 July Austria declares war on Serbia 29 July Russia begins to mobilize 1 August Germany declares war on Russia 3 August Germany declares war on France 4 August Britain declares war on Germany

New French Recruits England Mobilizes

Unable to save Belgium, the Allies retreat to the Marne River, where they turned to halt the German advance. At a crucial point in the battle, six hundred Parisian taxicabs were commandeered by French authorities and used to transport six thousand French reserve infantry troops to the battle Over two million men fought in the First Battle of the Marne, of whom more than 500,000 were killed or wounded.

The Race to the Sea After the First Battle of the Marne, from September- November 1914, both Allied and German forces began a series of outflanking maneuvers, the so-called "Race to the Sea“, which began the era of trench warfare.

Trench Warfare No Man’s Land could be as little as 25 feet

Trench Warfare

On 22 April 1915 at the Second Battle of Ypres the Germans used chlorine gas for the first time on the Western Front

After an ineffectual year of fighting the German High Command developed a new strategy. They would bleed the French dry by forcing them to defend some point to the death. Verdun – February-December 1916 " Vous ne les laisserez pas passer, mes camarades"General Robert Nivelle Thus began 10 month long siege of Verdun

The Somme – 1 July and 18 November 1916 In an effort to force the Germans to ease their attack on Verdun, the British launched and attack on the Somme. What was envisioned as a few days battle, soon developed in to a six month struggle with little territory changing hands. By the end of the battle in late autumn 1916, the British Army had suffered 420,000 casualties including nearly 60,000 on the first day alone. The French lost 200,000 men and the Germans nearly 500,000.

The World War would continue for two more years with very little ground changing hands and more horrific battles.