Causes of the War -Lots of Instability Nationalism Old Empires Old Style Gov’ts Alliance System

Alliances -Led to an arms race -Triple Alliance (Central Powers) Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire -Triple Entente (Allies) France, Britain, Russia

The Balkans

Strategy -War starts Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand -Alliances cause chain reaction to Austria-Hungary’s attack on Serbia after the assassination

Chain Reaction Russia moves army to Austrian AND German borders Germany declares war on Russia Two days later… Germany declares war on France Great Britain declares war on Germany

Nations Take Sides Central Powers Germany and Austria- Hungary Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire join later –Hopes of regaining lost territory Allies Great Britain, France, Russia Japan joins within weeks Italy joins later –Accuses its former Triple Alliance partners of starting the war unjustly

Western Front

First Battle of the Marne

Trench Warfare

New Tools of Warfare

Slaughter Continues Battle of Verdun fighting at its peak Germans launch a massive attack on French near Verdun Lasts 303 days 377,231 French casualties, 337,000 German casualties- or, 70,000 casualties for each month of battle Battle of Somme River (AKA Somme Offensive) British army tries to relieve the French First day of battle 20,000 British killed 1 million casualties- one of the bloodiest battles in human history Germans advanced about 4 miles British gained about 5 miles

The Eastern Front

Russia Struggles Not industrialized = Army not supplied Russia’s one asset- numbers For more than 3 years, Russia keeps hundreds of thousands of German troops occupied in the east- meaning Germany could not apply its full force at the Western Front

War Affects the World Australia and Japan enter on Allied side India supplies troops to fight alongside British Ottoman Turks and Bulgaria ally with Germany and the Central Powers

Gallipoli

Battles in Africa and Asia Germany’s colonial possessions in Asia and Africa came under assualt Japanese overran German outposts in China and captured Germany’s Pacific island colonies English and French troops attacked Germany’s four African possessions- seized control of three

America Joins the Fight focus of the war shifts to high seas Unrestricted submarine warfare Sinking of the Lusitania Zimmerman Note

War Affects the Home Front Europe has lost more men in battle than in all the wars of the previous three centuries The Great War = Total War –Countries devote all resources to the war effort

Russia Withdraws March civil unrest forces Czar Nicholas to step down Eight months after new government took over, revolution hits Vladimir Ilyich Lenin seizes power –Treaty of Brest-Litovsk- ends war between Germany and Russia

Second Battle of the Marne Germans send nearly all forces to the Western Front March Germans launch a final, massive attack on the Allies in France July Second Battle of the Marne 350 tanks, 2 million additional American troops

Central Powers Crumble Bulgarians and Ottoman Turks surrendered Revolution swept through Austria-Hungary German soldiers mutinied November Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down, Germany declares itself a republic Armistice is signed between France and Germany

Legacy of the War A new kind of war –New technologies –Ushered in notion of war on a grand and global scale –Left behind a landscape of death and destruction Human cost Economic Impact Sense of disillusionment

Paris Peace Conference Left to Right: David Lloyd George (Britain), Vittorio Orlando (Italy), Georges Clemenceau (France), Woodrow Wilson (U.S.)

Wilson’s Plan for Peace

Treaty of Versailles Signed June 18, 1919 Establishes League of Nations Punishes Germany –Article 231- the “war guilt” clause One of five treaties negotiated by the Allies –Created feelings of bitterness and betrayal

Creation of New Nations

Peace Will Not Last… U.S. rejected the Treaty of Versailles German people are left with bitterness and hatred- “war guilt” clause People of Africa and Asia angry at the way the Allies disregarded their desire for independence Japan and Italy not satisfied with the outcome