: The World at War

Causes of the War

1. The Alliance System Triple Entente: Triple Alliance:

1. The Alliance System  Balance of power – a situation in which the strength of rival countries or alliances is nearly equal – Cause of alliance systems prior to WWI  3 Emperor’s League – secret agreement of neutrality between France, Austria-Hungary, and Russia – Persuaded Italy to align with Germany and Austria- Hungary  Triple Alliance – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy – Isolated France

1. The Alliance System  3 Emperor’s League ended  Russia and Austria were rivals  Otto von Bismarck created Reinsurance Treaty – neutrality w/ Russia again  Great Britain and Russia recognize each others spheres of influence and form an alliance  Triple Entente – Britain, Russia, France

Two Armed Camps! Allied Powers: Central Powers:

The Major Players: Nicholas II [Rus] George V [Br] Pres. Poincare [Fr] Allied Powers: Franz Josef [A-H] Wilhelm II [Ger] Victor Emmanuel II [It] Central Powers: Enver Pasha [Turkey]

Europe in 1914

2. Militarism & Arms Race Total Defense Expenditures for the Great Powers [Ger., A-H, It., Fr., Br., Rus.] in millions of £s Increase in Defense Expenditures France10% Britain13% Russia39% Germany73%

3. Economic & Imperial Rivalries

4. Aggressive Nationalism

Pan-Slavism: The Balkans, 1914 The “Powder Keg” of Europe

The “ Spark ”

 Serbia wanted to increase size by annexing Bosnia-Herzegovina – Russia supported Serbia  Pan-Slavism – political and cultural unity of all Slavs under Russian leadership  Heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Archduke Francis Ferdinand assassinated by a Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip **“spark” that started WWI**  Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia – July 28, 1914

Archduke Franz Ferdinand & His Family

The Assassination: Sarajevo

The Assassin: Gavrilo Princip

Who’s To Blame?

Causes of World War I (continued)  Russia backs Serbia and mobilizes troops to Austro-Hungarian border  Germany issues ultimatum on Russia to retreat – August 1 st - Germany declares war on Russia – August 3 rd - Afraid that France would side with Russia, Germany declares war on France  August 3 rd - Britain declares war on Germany after Germany invaded Belgium

The Schlieffen Plan

German Atrocities in Belgium

Recruitment Posters

A Young Australian Recruit

Recruits of the Central Powers Austro- Hungarians A German Soldier Says Farewell to His Mother

New French Recruits

A German Boy Pretends to Be a Soldier

Posters: Wartime Propaganda

Australian Poster

American Poster

Financing the War

German Poster Think of Your Children!

The Western Front: A “ War of Attrition ”

A Multi-Front War

The Western Front

1 st Battle of the Marne (September 1914) German Army was within 25 miles of Paris French Troops launched a counterattack at the Marne River Germans retreated – abandoned Schlieffen Plan Trench Warfare ensues 500,000+ French and Germans killed or wounded

Verdun – Feb-Dec, 1916  French Verdun- town with Forts  German would advance and try to “bleed” France to death- French drove Germans back  Longest WWI battle  Over 250,000 killed 500,000 wounded  Verdun showed the French determination as shown by the sacrifice of its defenders

Battle of the Somme – July 1-Nov 18, 1916  Chief Ally attack  Goals- kill soldiers, gain territory, draw German’s away from Verdun  19,240 British killed on first day (British record)

War Is HELL !!

The “ Colonial ” Fronts

Sikh British Soldiers in India

Fighting in Africa British Sikh Mountain Gunners Black Soldiers in the German Schutztruppen [German E. Africa]

Fighting in Africa 3 rd British Battalion, Nigerian Brigade

Fighting in Salonika, Greece French colonial marine infantry from Cochin, China

America Joins the Allies

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Zimmerman Telegram

The Yanks Are Coming!

Americans in the Trenches

The War of the Industrial Revolution: New Technology

Trench Warfare

“No Man’s Land”

French Renault Tank

British Tank at Ypres

U-Boats

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

The Airplane “Squadron Over the Brenta” Max Edler von Poosch, 1917

The Flying Aces of World War I Eddie Rickenbacher, US Francesco Barraco, It. Rene Pauk Fonck, Fr. Manfred von Richtoffen, Ger. [The “Red Baron”] Willy Coppens de Holthust, Belg. Eddie “Mick” Mannoch, Br.

Curtis-Martin U. S. Aircraft Plant

The “Red Baron”

The Zeppelin

Flame Throwers Grenade Launchers

Poison Gas Machine Gun

11 a.m., November 11, 1918 The Armistice is Signed!

The Somme American Cemetary, France 116,516 Americans Died

World War I Casualties