“War to End All Wars”

SETTING THE STAGE Many Western European countries had become constitutional monarchies by the late 1800’s. Constitutional Monarchy- a form of government with elected officials and a king or queen with limited powers Since the people could vote and elect their own lawmakers, people began to have more pride and support for their countries. Also, many Western European countries had colonies that supplied raw materials needed to produce goods. They were willing to go any lengths to defend their countries.

EUROPEAN ALLIANCES BEFORE THE WAR. Why did nations make alliances? In the early 1900’s, nations feared one another. Each nation was afraid another would invade or try to take over its territory. Nations made alliances (agreements with one another) to protect themselves. The combination of these alliances and nationalism made conditions ripe for warfare..

ALLIANCE- AN AGREEMENT AMONG PEOPLE OR NATIONS TO UNITE FOR A COMMON CAUSE Allied Forces Russia, France, Great Britain, Italy, U.S. Central Powers Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey ( Ottoman Empire )

THE SPARK THAT LIT THE FUSE…. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Austria) was assassinated while visiting Serbia. The Black Hand was responsible….

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophia

The Serb nationalist gunman, Gavrilo Princip, was standing on the left side near the road as the Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro- Hungarian Empire, was driving by.

Both died within minutes from their wounds. Two bullets were about to lead to the deaths of a further 20 million men! Archduke’s bloodstained jacket Gavrilo Princip, Serbian terrorist

WWI Begins! The emperor of Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in 1914 after the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Russia responded by sending troops to defend Serbia. Germany then declared war on Russia. WWI began.

Other countries began declaring war on each other due to alliances. The United States reluctantly entered the war on April 6, 1917, after Germany sank four American merchant ships.

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TRENCH WARFARE Life inside the trenches were very dangerous, especially the ones on the front lines. It was a nasty hole. A soldier did everything inside the trench they ate, slept, utilized the latrine, and entertained themselves in the trench. When it rained the trenches became waterlogged and they often most times caught trench foot. In this photo the French Soldiers are taking a prisoner. This shows that everything was done within the trenches.

Military Firsts of WW I  Use of chemical warfare  Use of tanks and machine guns  Use of bombs from planes  Use of submarines in combat Total deaths from WWI: 22 million civilians and soldiers

The Treaty of Versailles  The treaty officially ended the war in  After WWI much of Europe was destroyed.  After losing WWI in 1918, Germany was severely punished for its role in the war. The terms were set in the Treaty of Versailles.  This made it even more difficult for Germany to recover and rebuild after the war.  Other factors that contributed to their difficulty were the worldwide Depression and a flu pandemic.

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles  Germany had to accept the blame ‘for causing all the loss and damage’ of the war.  Germany had to pay for all damages of war.  Loss of land, colonies, industries, and a significant reduction in military.

Europe After 1919

Germany and much of Europe was left in economic ruin. More people died in WWI than in all the wars of the 19 th century combined. Austria-Hungary became two separate countries. Many other boundaries of European countries were altered.

What happened to Germany and Austria-Hungary after the war?