Europe at War Chapter 5, Section 2

What Started World War I? June 28, 1914--Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were murdered by a Serbian.

The World at War After the murder: The emperor of Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia troops were sent to defend Serbia. Germany declared war on Russia in response to their helping Serbia. Russia supported Serbia because Russians and Serbians share a similar ethnic background as Slavic peoples. World War I started!

World War I Alliances European leaders didn’t want other countries to declare war on them. To defend themselves, countries formed alliances. Alliances are an agreement among people or nations to unite for a common cause. Each member agrees to help the other members in the alliance in case one of them is attacked.

World War I Alliances (Cont’d) When Germany supported Austria- Hungary, France sided with Russia. Germany then invaded Belgium—which was neutral—to attack France. Because Great Britain was in an alliance with Belgium, Great Britain declared war on Germany. When German submarines sank four American merchant ships, the United States sided with Russia, France, and Great Britain.

World War I Alliances The Central Powers Austria-Hungary Germany Turkey (Ottoman Empire) Bulgaria The Allies Russia (dropped out in 1917) France Great Britain/United Kingdom Italy (joined in 1915) United States (joined in 1917) Notes: Italy originally allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary but joined the Allies after the war began. Russia dropped out of the war completely after the revolution in 1917.

Conclusion of World War I Almost 22 million civilians and Soldiers died on both sides. The Allies won the war. Europe was left devastated.

Europe After World War I More people killed in World War I than all wars in the 19th century combined. Many people left poor, homeless, and unemployed. The Allies blamed Germany for much of the killing.

Treaty of Versailles In 1919, Germany and the Allies signed the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty demanded that Germany be punished by forcing them to pay for the damage done to the Allied countries. Germany was also forced to give up valuable territory.

A New Map of Europe Additional treaties after the Treaty of Versailles altered the political boundaries of Europe. Austria-Hungary was divided after the war and became two countries. Several Eastern European ethnic groups that were part of Austria- Hungary gained their independence.

World War II—Germany in the 1930’s Germany was still paying the Allied countries for damages during World War I. The German economy was in ruins, and they wanted to rebuild their country. Adolph Hitler—a member of the Nazi party—was elected in 1933. The Nazis believed in fascism—or a philosophy that supports a strong, central government controlled by the military and led by a powerful dictator. The people believed Hitler would help Germany recover from World War I.

Hitler and the Nazi Party Practiced an extreme form of patriotism and nationalism. Had extreme racist beliefs. Blamed Jewish citizens and other specific groups for the country’s problems. Seized Jewish property and sent Jews, disabled people, political opponents, and others to concentration camps. During the Holocaust, millions of people were deliberately killed, starved, or died of disease.

Timeline: Hitler and the Nazi Party (Cont’d) 1934—Took control of the armed forces. 1939—Invaded Poland and World War II started. June 1940—Swept through Western Europe and conquered Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Denmark, and Norway. 1941—Invaded the Soviet Union.

World War II Alliances (1939-1945) The Axis Powers Germany Italy Japan The Allies United Kingdom France (until June 1940) Soviet Union (formerly “Russia”) United States (joined in 1941) Note: The United States tried to stay out of World War II. We entered after Japan bombed a military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941.

Europe After World War II World War II turned much of Europe into a battleground. The United States, France, and the United Kingdom occupied Western Europe. The Soviet Union occupied Eastern Europe, including parts of Germany.

Europe After World War II (Cont’d) Once peace was established, the western allies set up free governments in Western Europe. In 1949, the countries of Western Europe joined Canada and the United States in creating NATO—or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Members agreed to defend one another if they were attacked by the Soviet Union or any other country. Without a common enemy and because of political differences, the Soviet Union separated itself from Western Europe and the United States.

The Marshall Plan United States Secretary of State George C. Marshall created the Economic Cooperation Act of 1948—also known as The Marshall Plan. Provided U.S. aid—agricultural, industrial, and financial—to countries of Western Europe. Greatly benefitted war-torn Europe. May have prevented economic depression or political instability. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nymHILU_XNg

Questions?