World War I 1914 - 1919

Causes of WWI Long Term Causes: The Event That Started The War: Nationalism Imperialism Militarism Alliances The Event That Started The War: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on June 28, 1914

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife Sofie in Sarajevo, June 28, 1914

“The Murder That Triggered A World War” The Assassin – Gavrilo Princip “The Murder That Triggered A World War”

The Funeral of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife Sophie

Alliances of World War I Allied Powers – Britain, France, Russia (until 1917), Italy, and the United States Central Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire

World War I Leaders Woodrow Wilson David Lloyd George United States Great Britain

George Clemenceau France Vittorio Orlando Italy

Franz Joseph, I Austria-Hungary Kaiser Wilhelm, II Germany

Weapons of World War I Industrialization led to the development of advanced weapons that were used for the first time during World War I.

Ninety percent of soldiers killed during WWI were shot by machine gun

In 1915 Germany became the first country to use poison gas in warfare In 1915 Germany became the first country to use poison gas in warfare. The gases ranged from disabling chemicals, such as tear gas and the severe mustard gas, to lethal agents like phosgene and chlorine.

Tanks allowed troops to leave the trenches and advance against machine-gun fire.

Some airplanes were used in combat during WWI, but most were used for observation.

Submarines / U-boats

During the war, the Germans used zeppelins as bombers During the war, the Germans used zeppelins as bombers. However, they never became effective offensive weapons.

Trench Warfare In this type of warfare, soldiers fought each other from trenches. By 1915 opposing armies on the Western Front had dug miles of parallel trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire. Armies traded huge losses of human life for pitifully small land gains. Trench Warfare created a stalemate.

Conditions in the Trenches Trench Rats Many men killed in the trenches were buried almost where they fell. If a trench subsided, or new trenches or dugouts were needed, large numbers of decomposing bodies would be found just below the surface. These corpses, as well as the food scraps that littered the trenches, attracted rats. One pair of rats can produce 880 offspring in a year and so the trenches were soon swarming with them. "The rats were huge. They were so big they would eat a wounded man if he couldn't defend himself." These rats became very bold and would attempt to take food from the pockets of sleeping men. Two or three rats would always be found on a dead body. They usually went for the eyes first and then they burrowed their way right into the corpse.

Body Lice Lice were a never-ending problem, breeding in the seams of filthy clothing. It caused soldiers to itch unceasingly. Even when clothing was periodically washed and deloused, lice eggs invariably remained hidden in the seams; within a few hours of the clothes being re-worn the body heat generated would cause the eggs to hatch.

Trench Fever Lice caused Trench Fever, a particularly painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by high fever.  Recovery - away from the trenches - took up to twelve weeks.  Lice were not actually identified as the culprit of Trench Fever until 1918.

Dysentery Dysentery is a disease involving the inflammation of the lining of the large intestines. The inflammation causes stomach pains and diarrhea. Some cases involve vomiting and fever. The bacteria enters the body through the mouth in food or water, and also by human feces and contact with infected people. The diarrhea causes people suffering from dysentery to lose important salts and fluids from the body. This can be fatal if the body dehydrates. This disease struck the men in the trenches as there was no proper sanitation. Latrines in the trenches were pits four to five feet deep. When they were within one foot they were supposed to be filled in and the soldiers had the job of digging a new one. Sometimes there was not time for this and men used a nearby shell-hole.

Dysentery caused by contaminated water was especially a problem in the early stages of the war. The main reason for this was that it was some time before regular supplies of water to the trenches could be organized. Soldiers were supplied with water bottles, that could be refilled when they returned to reserve lines. However, the water-bottle supply was rarely enough for their needs and soldiers in the trenches often depended on impure water collected from shell-holes or other cavities. Later, to purify it, chloride of lime was added to the water. This was not popular with the soldiers as they disliked the taste of the purified water.

Trench Foot Many soldiers fighting in the First World War suffered from trench foot. This was an infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary conditions. In the trenches men stood for hours on end in waterlogged trenches without being able to remove wet socks or boots. The feet would gradually go numb and the skin would turn red or blue. If untreated, trench foot could turn gangrenous and result in amputation. Trench foot was a particular problem in the early stages of the war. For example, during the winter of 1914-15 over 20,000 men in the British Army were treated for trench foot.  

The only remedy for trench foot was for the soldiers to dry their feet and change their socks several times a day. By the end of 1915 British soldiers in the trenches had to have three pairs of socks with them and were under orders to change their socks at least twice a day. As well as drying their feet, soldiers were told to cover their feet with a grease made from whale-oil. It has been estimated that a battalion at the front would use ten gallons of whale-oil every day.

Trench Foot

U.S. Entry in WWI Sinking of the Lusitania Zimmermann Telegram On May 7, 1915 the Lusitania was sunk by German U-boats. 1,119 of the 1,924 passengers on board were killed. 114 of the casualties were Americans. Zimmermann Telegram British intelligence intercepted a telegram sent from Germany to Mexico, proposing all alliance against the United States. On April 6, 1917 the U.S. entered WWI

Propaganda in WWI Propaganda – Ideas or rumors that are spread to gain support for a particular cause.

In November 1917, Communist leader Vladimir Lenin seized power in Russia. He insisted on Russia’s withdrawal from WWI. In March 1918 Russia and Germany signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended the war between them. The U.S. entry in WWI marked a turning point in the war. On November 9, 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II steps down. On November 11 Germany and French Commander Marshal Foch signed an armistice – an agreement to stop fighting. On November 11, 1918 WWI was over.

Effects of WWI 8.5 million soldiers were killed. Another 21 million were wounded. WWI devastated Europe’s economy. The cost of the war was $338 billion. The map of Europe changed. Several nations, particularly Germany, were angered by the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.

The Treaty of Versailles: Major Provisions League of Nations Territorial Losses International peace keeping organization; enemy and neutral nations initially excluded. Germany and Russia excluded. Germany returns Alsace-Lorraine to France; French border extended to west bank of Rhine River. Germany surrenders all of its overseas colonies in Africa and the Pacific.

Military Restrictions War Guilt Limits set on the size of the German army. Germany prohibited from importing or manufacturing weapons or war material. Germany forbidden to build or buy submarines or have an air force. Sole responsibility for the war placed on Germany’s shoulder’s. Germany forced to pay the Allies $33 billion in reparations over 30 years.

Anger and resentment over the Treaty of Versailles will lead to the outbreak of World War II twenty years after the end of World War I.