World War I, The Great War 1914-1918

Causes of the War Nationalism- pride in and loyalty to one’s ethnic group Imperialism- race for colonies around the globe Militarism - arms race in Europe Alliance System

Alliances 1882 Bismarck joins Germany with Austria-Hungary (A-H) Treaty with Russia 1890 Kaiser Wilhelm II gets rid of Bismarck and cancels treaty with Russia Russia joins with France Triple Entente: Russia, France, Great Britain Triple Alliance: Germany, A-H, Italy

War Breaks Out July 1914 Assassination of the A-H Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife Sophia in Sarajevo Germany gave “blank check” of military support to Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary’s severe ultimatum to Serbia, which Serbia refuses in full A-H declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914 Russia mobilizes to defend its ally Serbia Germany declares war on Russia, then France Germany invades Belgium and Great Britain and Italy enter the war on the Allied Powers’ side

Life at War Trench warfare Poison gas Automatic weapons

Trench Warfare on the Western Front

Poison Gas

War on the Western Front Failure of the Schlieffen plan Stalemate in France 1916- about 2 million die

War on the Eastern Front Fighting in Western Russia and the Balkans Russia and Italy plunge into social turmoil

Homefronts in Europe Total war Food shortages, rationing Propaganda Women in the labor force Rise of labor leaders

Propaganda Posters

War Outside Europe Manpower and supplies from colonies British white dominions send troops to Africa and Middle East Japan joined allied cause and attacked German colonies in Asia

US in World War I Officially US was a neutral country US public isolationist and against US involvement in foreign wars US claimed right to trade with either side However, Britain and Germany set up blockades around the British and German coasts.

German submarines, called U-boats, torpedoed enemy ships and neutral ships trading with the enemy.

Sinking of the Lusitania

Zimmerman Telegram- 1917 secret message from Germany to Mexico urging Mexico to attack the U.S. if the U.S. declared war on Germany Germany promised to help Mexico regain land it lost to the U.S. in the Mexican War * The U.S. declared war on the Central Powers in 1917.

1917 – Turning Point of War Russia suffered extreme casualties during the war but tsar refused to pull out By 1917 there was civil unrest and revolution in Russia Lenin comes to power in Russia and fulfills promise to pull Russia out of the war

Russia Withdrawals in Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Russia backs out of the war in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Germany and Russia (March 1918) Treaty gives Germany a lot of Russian territory

1918 With Russia out of the conflict Germany can focus on France again (Western Front) This led to increased German troops in Western Front By late May of 1918 German troops were weakened from push to claim Paris Allies sensed weakness, US helped with arrival of 2 million troops Final assault on France at second battle of Marne in July 1918 failed because of weak German army and strong U.S. forces Central Powers began to crumble- German soldiers turned on Kaiser Wilhelm II November 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II resigned November 11, 1918 World War I finished with the signing of an armistice (agreement to stop fighting)

Treaty of Versailles Participants: “The Big Four”: Woodrow Wilson (U.S.) Georges Clemenceau (France) David Lloyd George (Great Britain) Vittorio Orlando (Italy) Wilson’s 14 points of peace - Plan for achieving lasting peace Self-determination- allowing people to decide their own type of government for themselves 14th point- establishment of the League of Nations (an international organization designed to keep peace) Russia not allowed to participate A-H and the Ottoman Empire collapsed as political entities

How did the Treaty Punish Germany? Territorial losses Military Restrictions War guilt (took the blame) Pay reparations to the Allies

The Treaty Changes the Borders in Europe Central powers lost territory as nations got independence (Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia) Ottomans lost Balkan territory and is reduced to Turkey British control Palestine, Iraq, and Transjordan; France controls Syria and Lebanon Russia also lost territory to Romania, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

New Map of Europe

Sykes-Picot Agreement- 1916 Plans for dividing the Ottoman Empire

The Mandate System

Legacy of the War Huge loss of human life (up to 10 million people dead and 20 wounded) and lost generation Rise of revolutions Resentment by countries who didn’t get any reward for participation Rise of totalitarianism New independent nations