Events and Effects of The Great War 1914-1918

Causes of WWI Awful Governments Nationalism Imperialism Militarism Alliances Triple Entente Great Britain, France, Russia Triple Alliance  Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy List of Events Balkan Peninsula Assignations of Archduke Ferdinand

Events During WWI Trench Warfare Inventions Armistice

Russian Revolution Russia was an autocracy before 1917 Nicholas II was the last of the czars. During World War I, Russia fought alongside Britain and France. Russian people turned against Czar Nicholas when he failed to meet Russia’s new challenges, n factories to produce weapons or enough railroads to carry supplies. March 1917, the Russian people revolted. The workers demanded bread and peace. They were soon joined by soldiers. Finally the Czar gave up his throne, ending a 300-year dynasty. Another government was set up to try to run the country but failed. Vladimir Lenin, a communist took control in November of 1917. Communists believe in a society in which all could share equally in the wealth. Russia was reorganized by Lenin and named the Soviet Union. Under Lenin, the Bolsheviks promised to take Russia out of the war and to give all land to the peasants. They vowed to give the factories to the workers and the government to the soviets. Three slogans summed up the Bolshevik program: “Peace, Land, Bread,” “Worker Control of Production,” and “All Power to the Soviets.” Soon after the Soviets gained power, the new Soviet Union signed a peace treaty with Germany. Germany received a large amount of land from the Soviet Union that was good for farming and had many natural resources. The people of the Soviet Union had very little choice in this decision. The country was falling apart.

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles stripped Germany of most of its armed forces and required the Germans to pay reparations, or war damages, of $33 billion to the Allies. Treaty also called for the League of Nations League of Nations: Organization in which member nations would cooperate to keep the peace. New nations were created because Germany and Russia lost territory and Austria-Hungary disappeared completely. New nation-states were Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Hungary. Romania gained territory from Russia, Hungary, and Bulgaria Serbia became the center of a new state called Yugoslavia

Treaty of Versailles Fish Bowl Activity Write one sentence on your graphic organizer summarizing the Fish Bowl Activity and the Treaty of Versailles.

Explain this political cartoon…

World-Wide Depression Great Britain Following WWI Britain had become much more dependent on exports, when the global economy collapsed it was one of the first countries to feel the sting. After being the first country to leave the Gold Standard its currency dropped in value causing its exports to be much cheaper overseas and giving them a competitive advantage. This helped them become one of the first countries to come out of the Depression. France France was probably the least affected by the Great Depression in Europe for two reasons. France was an independent economy. Their economy was not tied into the world economic system to an extent that other major countries were at the time. The payments they received from Germany for its “Debt” of $31.4 billion kept the French economy afloat and able to whether out the storm. For the first few years it was considered to be a safe haven from the economic disasters happening everywhere else on the planet. But in 1931 the French government did feel the disaster and they slipped into their own depression which lasted up until WWII.

World-Wide Depression Germany Hardest hit Unemployment rose to over 30%. As the country struggled to pay for its debts and to bring itself out of the depression the “Weimar Republic” collapsed and brought rise to the Nazism. The End of the World-Wide Depression As WWII broke out the war effort brought about new jobs and stimulated economies around the world. The Great Depression in Europe was over, only to give rise to an even greater challenge, WWII

Rise of Nazism In 1937, Hitler promised to take care of unemployment, lucky for him when he gained power the country was already well on its way to recovery. The Nazi Party also blamed the Jewish religion for the hurtful economy. This resulted in Jews being forced to live in Ghettos, which eventually led to the holocaust. Nazis did help produce more jobs and by WWII only 1 million people were unemployed in Germany compared to 6 million in 1937.