1914-1918: The World at War

Causes of the War

The Alliance System Triple Entente: Triple Alliance: Great Britain Germany Austria- Hungary France Russia Italy

Two Armed Camps! Allied Powers: Central Powers: Great Britain Germany Austria- Hungary France Russia Turkey Italy

Victor Emmanuel II [IT] The Major Players: 1914-17 Allied Powers: Central Powers: Nicholas II [RUS] Wilhelm II [GER] George V [GB] Victor Emmanuel II [IT] Enver Pasha [Turkey] Pres. Poincare [FR] Franz Josef [A-H]

Europe in 1914

Nationalism and Alliances Rivalries over colonies and trade grew during the Age of Imperialism. At the same time, Europe’s great powers had been divided into two loose alliances. Triple Alliance= Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy Triple Entente= France, Great Britain, Russia Nationalism- not all ethnic groups had separated to become nations. Slavic minorities in the Balkans and the Hapsburg Empire, still wanted to be their own nations. The Irish in the British Empire and the Poles in the Russian Empire had similar dreams of becoming their own nations.

Militarism Growth of massive armies heightened existing tension between countries. Conscription= a military draft (U.S. and GB were the exceptions) European armies doubled in size between 1890-1914. Militarism= aggressive preparation for war. Military leaders began gaining power leaving political leaders with little leeway. In 1914, they had to make decisions for military instead of political reasons.

Assassination in Sarajevo By 1914, Serbia, supported by Russia, was determined to create a large, independence Slavic state in the Balkans. A-H which had its own Slavic minorities was equally determined to prevent that from happening. June 28, 1914 Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of A-H and his wife, Sophia visited the city of Sarajevo in Bosnia. A group of conspirators waited for them in the streets. Gavrilo Princip, 19 year old Bosnian Serb was a member of a Serbian terrorist organization that wanted Bosnia to be free from A-H and to become part of a large Serbian kingdom. An assassination attempt by one conspirator earlier that day failed. Princip shot and killed both the Archduke and his wife.

Austria-Hungary Responds The A-H did not know if the Serbian government was directly involved but did not care. Austrian leaders wanted to attack Serbia but feared that Russia would intervene on Serbia’s behalf. Instead they asked for the backing of their German ally. Emperor William I of Germany gave A-H a “blank check” promising their full support. On July 28, A-H declared war on Serbia.

Russia Mobilizes Russia was determined to support Serbia. July 28, Czar Nicholas II ordered partial mobilization of the Russian army against A-H. Mobilization= process of assembling troops and supplies for war. Leaders of the Russian army informed the czar that they could not partially mobilize. Their plans were based on a war against both Germany and A-H. Mobilizing against only A-H would create chaos in the army. The Czar ordered full mobilization of the Russian army on July 29, knowing that Germany would consider this order an act of war.

Conflict Gets Bigger Germany did react quickly. Their government warned Russia that it must halt its mobilization within 12 hours. Russia ignored the warning. Germany then declared war on Russia on August 1. General Alfred von Schlieffen had helped draw up a plan. Two-front war with France and Russia since the two had formed a military alliance in 1894. Germany would conduct a small holding against Russia while most of the German army would carry out a rapid invasion of France. In order to invade France, they would have to move along the coastline of Belgium. After France was defeated, German invaders would move to the east against Russia.

Conflict Gets Bigger Germany could not just fight Russia. Therefore, it declared war on France, August 3. At the same time, it issued an ultimatum to Belgium demanding that German troops be allowed to pass through. August 4, Great Britain declared war on Germany for violating Belgian neutrality. Britain was allied with France and concerned about maintaining its own world power. By August 4, all the Great Powers of Europe were at war.

1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures 2. Militarism & Arms Race Total Defense Expenses for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.] in millions of £s. 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1914 94 130 154 268 289 398 1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures France 10% Britain 13% Russia 39% Germany 73%

4. Aggressive Nationalism

The “Powder Keg” of Europe The Balkans, 1914 The “Powder Keg” of Europe

The “Spark”

Who’s To Blame?

German Atrocities in Belgium

Mobilization

Recruitment Posters

A Young Australian Recruit

Recruits of the Central Powers A German Soldier Says Farewell to His Mother Austro-Hungarians

New French Recruits

A German Boy Pretends to Be a Soldier

Women and the War Effort

Financing the War

For Recruitment

Munitions Workers

French Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

Working in the Fields

A Woman Ambulance Driver

Red Cross Nurses

Women in the Army Auxiliary

Russian Women Soldiers

Spies “Mata Hari” Real Name: Margareetha Geertruide Zelle German Spy!

Posters: Wartime Propaganda

Australian Poster

American Poster

Financing the War

German Poster Think of Your Children!

The Western Front: A “War of Attrition”

A Multi-Front War

The Western Front

Trench Warfare

Trench Warfare “No Man’s Land”

Verdun – February, 1916 German offensive. Each side had 500,000 casualties.

The Somme – July, 1916 60,000 British soldiers killed in one day. Over 1,000,000 killed in 5 months.

War Is HELL !!

Sacrifices in War

Krupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun

The Eastern Front

The Gallipoli Disaster, 1915

Turkish Cavalry in Palestine

T. E. Lawrence & the “Arab Revolt”, 1916-18

T. E. Lawrence & Prince Faisal at Versailles, 1918-19

The Tsar with General Brusilov

The “Colonial” Fronts

Sikh British Soldiers in India

Fighting in Africa Black Soldiers in the German Schutztruppen [German E. Africa] British Sikh Mountain Gunners

3rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade Fighting in Africa 3rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade

Fighting in Salonika, Greece French colonial marine infantry from Cochin, China - 1916

America Joins the Allies

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Zimmerman Telegram

The Yanks Are Coming!

Americans in the Trenches

The War of the Industrial Revolution: New Technology

French Renault Tank

British Tank at Ypres

U-Boats

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

“Squadron Over the Brenta” Max Edler von Poosch, 1917 The Airplane “Squadron Over the Brenta” Max Edler von Poosch, 1917

The Flying Aces of World War I Eddie Rickenbacher, US Francesco Barraco, It. Eddie “Mick” Mannoch, Br. Manfred von Richtoffen, Ger. [The “Red Baron”] Rene Pauk Fonck, Fr. Willy Coppens de Holthust, Belg.

Curtis-Martin U. S. Aircraft Plant

Looking for the “Red Baron?”

The Zeppelin

Flame Throwers Grenade Launchers

Poison Gas Machine Gun

“Art” of World War I

“A Street in Arras” John Singer Sargent, 1918

“Oppy Wood” – John Nash, 1917

“Those Who Have Lost Their Names” Albin Eggar-Linz, 1914

“Gassed and Wounded” Eric Kennington, 1918

“Paths of Glory” C. R. W. Nevinson, 1917

German Cartoon: “Fit for active service!”, 1918

1918 Flu Pandemic: Depletes All Armies 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 died

The Armistice is Signed! 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 The Armistice is Signed!

9,000,000 Dead

The Somme American Cemetary, France 116,516 Americans Died

World War I Casualties

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians A Portent of Future Horrors to Come!

Turkish Genocide Against Armenians Districts & Vilayets of Western Armenia in Turkey 1914 1922 Erzerum 215,000 1,500 Van 197,000 500 Kharbert 204,000 35,000 Diarbekir 124,000 3,000 Bitlis 220,000 56,000 Sivas 225,000 16,800   Other Armenian-populated Sites in Turkey Western Anatolia 371,800 27,000 Cilicia and Northern Syria 309,000 70,000 European Turkey 194,000 163,000 Trapizond District 73,390 15,000 Total 2,133,190 387,800