‘The Great War’ 1914-1918 Multiple Causes + assassination Fought mostly in Europe; in France No clear cut winner or loser Germany accepts defeat and war-guilt clause Unresolved issues at the end Conservative estimates of 15 million dead (5 million non-combatants), 20 million injured

The World at War - 1918

‘Powder Keg’ – Long term causes Nationalism Especially in South, Eastern Europe European Rivalries especially with imperialism Alliances Germany, France, England, Russia Militarism & arms race German & British navies

‘Explosion’ - Short term causes June 28 1914 -Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand Ferdinand in favor of greater Serbian autonomy Not enough for Serbian extremists

Gavrilo Princip One of seven assassins First balked, second bungled, attempted suicide shot Ferdinand & Sophie swallows ineffective cyanide, captured by mob and tortured Too young to be executed, sentenced to in prison, dies of TB

Diplomatic Alliances Triple Entente Germany Russia Austro-Hungarians Triple Alliance – 1879 Germany Austro-Hungarians Italians (1882) Triple Entente Russia France Britain

Nationalist Movements Caused by French Revolution Unification of Italy, 1861 Unification of Germany, 1871 Austro-Hungarian Empire South Slavs seek independence Russian Empire Poles, Ukrainians, Balts Ottoman Empire Greeks, Serbians, Romanians, Bulgarians

Role of Public Opinion Beginning of media age Availability of cheap newspapers Little accountability Awkward pressure on politicians Sacrifice diplomatic expediency for public support

New Military Technology Barbed wire Machine Gun Gas First used by Germans, 1915 Mustard gas, 800,000 casualties Tanks Initially effective but quickly lost to counterattacks Airplanes limited bombing, strafing, used primarily for reconnaissance Submarines

Tanks and Airplanes

‘Home by Christmas’ - 1914 German invasion of France Schliefen Plan put into effect Stalemate followed Trench warfare began Intro of poison gas by 1915 By 1917 Strategy of attrition had taken over

Trenches on the Western Front

French gas attack on German lines

Turning Point United States entry into the war in 1917 Sinking of Lusitania (German unrestricted warfare) Zimmerman Telegram British blockade of German ports Russia leaves war due to civil war in 1918

Brutality of War Unprecedented casualities Verdun, 1916 315,000 French killed 280,000 German casualties Less than 160,000 bodies recovered The Somme, British gain few thousand yards 420,000 casualties No significant strategic advantage

End of the War and Peace exhaustion of Central Powers troops Bulgaria, Ottomans, Austro-Hungarians, Germans surrender Armistice: November 11, 1918 Paris Peace Conference Dominated by France, Great Britain, and the US A dictated peace Wilson’s Fourteen Points harsh on Central Powers Creation of League of Nations

Total War

The Home Front Government takes command of economies Women in the workforce TNT poisoning: yellow skin, orange hair Bombing of civilian areas by Zeppelins ‘Meatless Mondays’ and ‘Wheatless Wedesdays’

War Propaganda Propaganda Attempt to persuade people’s opinion using music, commercials, ads, and posters Maintenance of public support for war Untruths and exageratation

Propaganda

Interesting Facts 60 million men will be mobilized to fight: Africans to Latin Americans War will be decided on western front 7 million civilians will be killed 8 million combat deaths Spanish Flu will be greatest public health disaster in modern history: 22 to 30 million will die worldwide

The End of Empire

Collapse of the Russian Empire Russia: February Revolution, 1917 Germany smuggles Lenin into Provisional Government Russia October Revolution, creation of the USSR Treaty of Brest-Litovsk cedes Poland, Baltic countries, Ukraine to central Powers

The End of the Ottoman Empire Treaty of Sèvres (1920) removes Balkan and Arab provinces Mustafa Kemal leads uprising against Sultanate, creates Republic of Turkey Allies recognize republic in 1923 Intensely secular government