World War I

Setting it Up Austria declares war on Serbia Russia mobilizes as a “precaution” Germany declares war on Russia Germany expects France to help Russia so they declare war on France

Schlieffen Plan Attack France quickly and win Get over to Russia before they can mobilize (no industry/railroads) Works at first, but falls apart quickly

Germany Marches into Belgium in order to get to France –B–Belgium is neutral –E–England declares war on Germany to protect Belgium

New Alliance Systems Central Powers = Germany, Austria- Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Allies (1914) = England, France, Russia, Japan and Italy

War begins – supposed to be quick

First Battle of the Marne Germany tries to take Paris, but fails Possibly most important battle of war – Schlieffen Plan fails

Western Front French/German border Trench Warfare –5–500 miles of trenches –R–Rats, disease, human waste, dead bodies, no fresh food, muddy –‘–‘No Man’s Land” is area between German and French trenches – dangerous –S–Stalemate – neither side advances much

Famous/Important Battles Second Battle at Ypres (1915) –1 st use of Chlorine Gas (by Germans) –Gas covered 4 miles; affected 10,000, ½ of those died in 10 minutes Verdun (siege Feb. 1916) –German try to finish war in France –100,000 shells every hour –10 months; ½ mill. French casualties –War of Attrition

Battle of the Somme (1916) Germans advance 4 miles English advance 5 miles 20,000 British killed in 1 day Over 1 ½ million casualties in 3 months

Eastern Front Russian and German Borders Germans advance Russia only survives because of a large population (millions die)

New Tools for war 1. machine guns 2. poison gas 3. tanks 4. airplanes 5. submarines (U- Boats) 6. flamethrowers 7. Zeppelins

Other areas of war Ottoman Empire –Dardenelles Led to Constantinople Also a trench style stalemate Gallipoli T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia) leads guerilla attacks by Arabs on Turks

U.S. enters war (1917) 1. Lusitania (1915) –E–English passenger ship (128 Americans on board die) sunk by German U-boat –O–Other ships are sunk as well

U.S. enters war 2. Zimmermann note –G–Germany tries to get Mexico to invade U.S. Promises a return of conquered territory

U.S. aids the Allies Enters April 1917 War Over in 18 months

Russia Quits war Has revolution at home to deal with Signs Treaty of Brest- Litovsk with Germany –Treaty forces Russia to give up lots of land

2 nd Battle of the Marne (July 1918) Germany’s last effort to win on Western Front – fails War is over Kaiser Wilhelm steps down

Germany Loses king Creates a republic

Costs and Lives Costs and Lives Russia most casualties Deadliest war in history up to this point Money $185,000,000,000 total U.S. = $22.5 billion Germany = $37.8 billion

Treaty War Ends 11/11/1918 at 11 a.m. Treaty of Versailles Jan. 18, new nations created (including Poland, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia) Germany had to return Alsace-Lorraine to France Germany had to pay $33 billion in war damages to the allies

Treaty, cont. Germany’s army reduced to 100,000, no weapons, no U-boats Germany forced to admit sole guilt (war- guilt clause) Germany loses all colonial/imperial holdings Austria-Hungary divided Russia loses more territory than Germany

Non-Treaty Results/Long-term significance League of Nations (threatens American isolationism?) Russia determined to regain territory as Soviet Union Germany humiliated (HUGE chip on its shoulder) No enforcing of treaty World War II