WWI & the Russian Revolution 1914-1919 Chapter 27 WWI & the Russian Revolution 1914-1919

Causes Division Nationalism & imperialism led to competition & rivalries Countries formed hostile alliances Triple Entente- Russia, France, Great Britain Triple Alliance- Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy (Ottoman Empire joins later) Alliance system caused WWI to progress from a regional conflict to a major worldwide event. Militarism European nations were preparing for war Conscription- Drafting soldiers to create large armies Industrial Revolution brought new military technology Internal Conflict Democratic and socialist rebellions Cultural divisions among minority groups

The Armenian Genocide The Ottoman Empire had Christian Armenian populations living within its empire Minority (non-Muslim) groups had long been subject to heavy taxes, kidnapping, forced conversion, & exploitation Europe began to pressure Ottoman government for better treatment of minorities Armenians began pushing for reforms and equality, but were violently repressed by the Ottoman government

A group called the Young Turks led a reform & modernization movement within the Ottoman Empire Staged a coup, forced the Sultan to step down in 1908 Reactionary counter-coup wanted to return sultan to power and bring back strict Islamic law Targeted Young Turks and Armenians, who were seen as being supportive of the coup 15-30,000 Armenians were killed

During WWI Ottoman troops suffered humiliating defeats by Russia 1912- First Balkan War ended with the Ottoman Empire losing most of its European territory (the Balkans) Muslims living in the Balkans were forced to leave Hundreds of thousands of Muslims settled in Armenian lands, and having lost their own land and homes, were resentful of their Christian neighbors During WWI Ottoman troops suffered humiliating defeats by Russia Ottoman leaders blamed Armenians for siding with & helping the Russians Religious leaders proclaimed jihad (holy war) against Armenians

Genocide begins Ottomans began forcing men enlisted in the army into concentration camps Armenians intellectuals and community leaders were rounded up for deportation and assassinated Entire villages were confined and burned alive Armenians were subject to lethal human experimentation and mass poisoning Women, children, the sick, and the elderly were sent on death marches into the Syrian Desert Deprived of food & water, the deportees were subject to rape and murder Other ethnic minority groups were targeted as well- such as the Assyrians and Greeks

It is estimated that 1.5-2 million Armenians were killed between 1914 & 1923 The Three Pashas (men who organized and directed the genocide) were never punished for their crimes 2 were later assassinated by Armenian vigilantes

The Serbian Problem Serbs- Ethnic minority living in Europe They wanted to create their own nation Supported by Russia Austria-Hungary wanted to prevent the Serbs from breaking away and taking territory

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary Serbian terrorists group “The Black Hand” planned to assassinate him to help their cause Unfortunate because Franz wanted to give greater autonomy to ethnic minorities within the empire June 28, 1914: Gavrilo Princip of “The Black Hand” successfully assassinated Ferdinand

Response of Austria-Hungary They didn’t know if the Serbian Government was responsible, but they didn’t care They saw this as an opportunity to crush the Serbs They made sure that Germany would support them before they attacked Russia agreed to help Serbia Both sides begin to mobilize troops

The War Begins Germany’s Schlieffen Plan Planned to fight a two front war (East and West) Germany attacks France in the west with full force in hopes of an easy victory Planned a defensive war in the East against Russia until troops in the west were free to join the fight Germany was instead stopped on both sides by the French and the Russians, a stalemate ensued

Trench Warfare Thousands of men were sent in waves of attacks hoping to break through enemy trenches Spent years battling in a constant back-and forth over a few miles of land Disease and new military technology greatly increased the amount of casualties

New Weapons Machine gun Armored Tank Airplane Used to defend trenches and take out large number of men Armored Tank Developed toward end of war, used to break through enemy trench lines Airplane Used for spotting and mapping enemy Drop poison gas Dogfights (plane to plane combat in the air)

Submarines Chemical weapons Germans subs were called U-boats, used torpedoes to sink ships Wanted to prevent supplies from making it to the trenches Chemical weapons Poison gases could burn and blister skin, cause blindness, and death when inhaled

America Enters the War The Lusitania (1915) Germany sinks the RMS Lusitania, a British passenger ship The Lusitania was secretly carrying hundreds of tons of war munitions The torpedo caused the smuggled artillery to explode, sinking the ship Killed 1,198 passengers and crew members 128 of those passengers were American American opinion of the war shifts against Germany British increase pressure on the US to join the war effort Sent anti-German propaganda to the US Germany temporarily suspended submarine warfare to avoid further tension with US

Zimmerman Telegram (1917) Germany attempts to bring Mexico into the war Promised to return lands Mexico lost to the US (Texas, New Mexico) Message was intercepted by British and given to US Mexico remains neutral Germany also resumes unrestricted submarine warfare, hoping to starve out the British America enters war against Germany

Russia exits the war Russia is the largest country involved in the war, but technologically inferior Russia drops out of the war after the government is overthrown by the Bolsheviks US entry is crucial Fresh troops More supplies & money Huge psychological boost

Aftermath US, Great Britain, and France win An estimated 17 million died from the war 10 million military, 7 million civilians Many died from disease Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918 killed 50- 100 million worldwide Trenches Diseases like cholera and typhus ran rampant Poor sanitation led to deadly infections, as antibiotics had not been discovered yet

Upheaval in Germany German emperor is forced from power, Germany forms a democratic republic New government signs armistice November 11, 1918 Radicals within Germany are not happy with the new government and its moderate policies

Paris Peace Conference Delegates from victorious nations met in 1919 to determine a peace settlement Treaty of Versailles consisted of five separate treaties with the defeated nations German treaty was the most harsh- the War Guilt Clause laid blame on Germany Forced Germany to pay for damages Reduced army and navy, eliminated air force 1/10 of German territory was given to France, Poland, and Czechoslovakia Land along Rhine River became demilitarized zone, served as barrier to France The German people are outraged at the harsh treatment, and their own government for accepting the terms

Many new nation-states are formed as the map of Europe and Asia is redrawn Austria-Hungary is dissolved New republics and monarchies are formed Mixture of ethnic people made it impossible to draw boundaries along ethnic lines Minority groups in every state pushed for independence, leading to conflict Ottoman Empire is dissolved France & Britain took control of Syria, Iraq, and Palestine Republic of Turkey is established