13.3 Mrs. Stoffl A Global Conflict

Setting the Stage The war grew to beyond just a European conflict Australia, Italy and Japan fought w/ the Allies Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria fought w/ Central Powers Allies/Central Powers saw new alliances as a way to help tip the balance of the war in their favor Goal = End the stalemate

Objectives Understand the shifts between sides in WWI. Understand the impact of the war on the home front.

War Affects the Worlds The Gallipoli Campaign Allies’ strategy: Attack a region in the OE called Dardanelles Goals: Take Constantinople (The OE capital) Defeat the Turks Gain a supply line to Russia

The Gallipoli Campaign Feb (1915) the Gallipoli Campaign began Allies repeatedly attacked the Gallipoli Peninsula Turks forcefully defended the area Both sides dug in big trenches + the fighting resulted in another stalemate…lasted for months! Dec (1915) Allies gave up w/drew from the area 250,000 casualties

Battles in Africa and Asia Allies targeted Germany’s colonies in Africa + Asia Japan ran the Germans out of China + took their island colonies in the Pacific Br and Fr took 3 of German’s 4 African colonies The Br and Fr used ppl from their own colonies to help fight Some colonial leaders saw this as a way to prove their loyalty ∴ possibly gain independence after the war

America Joins the Fight Germans in 1915 hit the Lusitania but then stopped u-boat attacks on neutral ships after pressure from the U.S. But in 1917 the Germans were desperate for an advantage over the Allies ∴ started up again Jan 1917 – Germans again began unrestricted submarine warfare Announced that their u-boats would sink any ship in the waters around Britain w/o warning

America Joins the Fight Germans knew this might cause U.S. to enter the war BUT Their goal: Starve Br into defeat by destroying all shipments of supplies before U.S. mobilized

America Joins the Fight Feb 1917 – British intercepted the Zimmerman Telegram Message from Germany to Mexico: Stated that if Mexico would help Germany win the war then Germany would help Mexico regain land it lost to the U.S. This was the LAST STRAW for the U.S. April 2, 1917 U.S. declared war on Germany

War Affects the Home Front Total war: Countries devote all resources to war effort + civilians could be attacked Unemployment disappeared b/c all ppl worked to support the war effort Also involved rationing: Limited the amount of goods you could buy if goods were also needed for war Gov’ts used propaganda: One-sided information designed to persuade, keep up moral, and create support for war

Women and the War Women were needed to do work the men abandoned Women built tanks, munitions, and ran hospitals Most women leave workforce after war In the War Women were also near the front lines as nurses

Russia Withdraws from War March 1917 – Civil unrest in Russia = Czar Nicholas forced to step down Temporary gov’t set up BUT By Heavy casualties + POWs = Army done w/ fighting November 1917 – Vladimir Lenin, leader of Communist Party in Russia seized power Signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk w/Germans Ended Russian involvement in the war Gave huge amounts of Russian lands to the Germans

The Central Powers Collapse B/c Russia gone Germany sent all troops to Western Front March 1918 – Germans launch massive attack on Allies Crush everything in their path May 1918 both sides again meet at the Marne River Second Battle of the Marne: German army exhausted, low on supplies Allies fresh w/ 140,000 new American troops 350 Allied tanks smash through German lines and head towards Germany

The Central Powers Collapse Went from bad to worse for the Central Powers: September Bulgaria - surrenders October Ottoman Empire - surrenders Austria-Hungry - citizens rebel against empire Germany – soldiers mutiny and ppl turned on the Kaiser November 9 th - Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany steps down 11 th – Germany surrenders, WWI is over, sign an armistice: Agreement to stop the fighting

The Legacy of the War Death and destruction across Europe Destroyed mass amounts of farmland, villages and town 8.5 million soldiers died 21 million civilians were wounded Devastated the European economy $338 billion price tag (that’s $3,000,000,000,000 today) Drained the treasuries of the European countries Many countries in HUGE debt (to the U.S.) Flu epidemic

WWI Clips Start of war War in total