WORLD WAR I The Great War

Leading Up to the War European Gov’ts used propaganda to stir up national hatreds before war  Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause  Used to boost morale for war later in the war

Who was involved? Allies Great Britain France Russia (exited in 1917) Serbia (exited in 1915) United States (1917) Italy (1915) Japan Central Powers Germany Austria-Hungary Bulgaria (1915) Ottoman Empire (1915)

New Weapons of War Poison Gas  Caused blindness, severe blisters, death by choking Machine Gun  Used to wipe out waves of attackers, by automatic fire Tank Submarine  German U-boats used torpedoes against ships Airplanes

Schlieffen Plan General Alfred von Schlieffen  Constructed a planned called the Schlieffen Plan  Major goal was to win a quick victory for the Central Powers  Planned to avoid two-front war  Wanted to invade and take France and then rush east to defeat Russia

Western Front  The region of northern France where the forces of the Allies and the Central powers battled each other  Used trench warfare- fighting from trenches protected by barb wire  Goal was for one of opposing sides to advance to others trench to gain position Avoid exposure in “No Man’s Land”  Caused WW I to become a war of attrition, a war based on wearing the other side down by constant attacks and heavy losses

Major Battles of Western Front 1 st Battle of Marne (most imp. Battle)  Allied victory turned away German invasion of France  Forced Germans to scrap Schlieffen Plan Battle of Verdun  10 month battle 700,000 lost their lives Battle of Somme  Bloodiest battle of WWI  Over a 1 million causalities over 4 months of fighting

1 st Battle of Marne

Battle of Verdun

Battle of Somme

Eastern Front  Region along German-Russian border where Russians and Serbs battled Germans, Austrian, and Turks Major Battles  Battle of Tannenberg (August 1914)  Battle of Masurian Lakes (Sept 1914)  Both were Russian defeats by Germans  Prevented Russian invasion of Germany  Russia would be on the defensive until they withdrew in 1917

Battle of Tannenberg

Battle of Masurian Lakes

Fighting Spreads to Other Parts of the World Gallipoli Campaign  Strategy where the allies would take the Dardanelles  Capture Constantinople, defeat the Ottomans, and open supply lines to Russia  February 1915 to December 1916 Bloody stalemate led to over 250,000 casualities Battles in Africa  British and French attacked German holdings in Africa  Japan controlled German Pacific island colonies

Gallipoli Campaign

America Joins Fight Events leading United States Joining WW I:  Lusitania- British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915 (was carrying ammunition)  Killed 1,198 people died, 128 U.S. and  Was called unrestricted submarine warfare, sinking of ships without warning German U-boats  Zimmerman Note- In Feb. of 1917, Germany’s foreign secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent a note to Mexico  Stated Germany would help Mexico if they invaded the U.S., take back lands U.S. taken from them Woodrow Wilson declared war Germany on April 2, 1917

Lusitania

Zimmerman Note

War Affects the Home Front WW I affected not only the soldiers, but also civilians  Total War- is when a country devotes all of their resources for war  gov’ts took control of the economies  Declared what should be produced and how much should be produced  Gov’ts also practiced rationing- limiting amounts of goods people can buy during wartime  Women replaced men in their roles  Ran factories, plowed fields, paved streets, and ran hospitals

The Allies Win WW I After U.S. joined the war, the balance shifted toward the allies  Russia Surrenders  Shortage of supplies and civil unrest led to surrender  By 1917, 5.5 million Russian soldiers had been wounded, killed, or taken prison Russian army lost will to fight Signed Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended war between Germany and Russia (1918)

Central Powers Collapse In March 1918, Germans launched one last massive counter-attack on the western front  By May of 1918, Germans had reached the Marne River 40 miles outside of Paris  Allies launched a counter-attack with the help of the U.S.  July nd Battle of Marne Allies smashed through German lines 2 million more U.S. troops arrive as the Allies marched toward Germany

Central Powers Collapse Central Powers Crumble  Bulgarians surrendered  Ottoman Turks surrendered  Revolution in Austria-Hungary caused the war to end  In Germany, soldiers mutinied, and public turned on Kaiser  On Nov. 9, 1918 William II stepped down, and Nov. 11, 1918 Germany signed an armistice, agreement to end war, with France

Legacies of WW I Loss of Life  8.5 million soldiers died, 21 million were wounded  Death of civilians by starvation, disease, and slaughter Negative Economic Impact  $338 billion, total cost of war  Countries left in great debt  Destroyed farmlands, homes, villages, and towns Suffering from war influenced Art and Literature Failed Peace Agreement

1. Describe the Causes of WWI. 2. Describe the immediate cause of WWI. 3. Describe the Schlieffen Plan 4. List the importance of the 1 st Battle of Marne. 5. List the Major Battles of Western and Eastern Front. 6. List the Allies and Central Powers. 7. Who won? 8. List lasting legacies of the war. WW I Review Questions