WORLD WAR I The Great War

FHAO – World War 1  Objectives:  Students will be able to describe some of the conditions in Europe leading up to World War 1.  Students will work together to understand the origins of World War 1.  Students will make determinations about the impact of World War 1 on Germany during the creation of the Weimar Republic.  Essential Questions:  How do choices and circumstances help some political parties gain power and cause others to lose power?  How do people respond to disappointment, shame, and humiliation?

FHAO – World War 1  Group Analysis:  Complete assigned reading in the HHB book and answer guided reading questions.  Prepare to share about your reading to the class.

Causes  Long Term  M (militarism)  A (Alliance System)  I (Imperialism)  N (Nationalism)  Short Term-Direct  Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Serbian nationalists  Provokes Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia…Alliances are called upon

Nationalism  Nationalism, or devotion to one’s nation; kick-started international and domestic tension.  Groups of people started to believe that a nation should express the heritage of a single ethnic group.  Heightened international rivalries.  New Nations formed = Unification of German & Italian States  EXAMPLE: Alsace-Lorraine – This was a former French territory taken by the Germans in The French were humiliated in battle and wanted the land back.  Social Darwinists believed that the best nation would come out ahead in the constant competition among countries.  Industrial output, trade and the possession of an overseas empire were the yardsticks of wealth and greatness.

“Powder Keg of Europe” – The Balkan Peninsula

Imperialism  Imperialism –  Industrialization led to population increase in Europe  Population increase led to a higher need for overseas access to resources  Industrialized nations competed among them selves as they carved colonies out of Africa islands in the Pacific China. Example: Austria-Hungary annexed parts of the Balkan Peninsula (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Militarism  Militarism:  Glorification of the military grew, in the competing countries and fueled this arms race even more.  A strong NAVY would support the ideals of Imperialism  Germany armed themselves more than anyone else. Most dangerous guns in the world.  Machine Gun, Mobile Artillery, Tanks, Submarines, Airplanes

Alliances  Alliances:  Nations knew that if they declared war, powerful allies were obligated to fight along with them.

Alliances  Prior to WWI  Triple Entente – Great Britain, Russia, France  Triple Alliance – Italy, Germany, Austria- Hungary  During WWI  Triple Entente (“Allied Powers”)  Triple Alliance (“Central Powers”) – Italy drops out; Ottoman Empire added

Short Term Cause  Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to throne of Austria-Hungary on June 28,  Assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital city of the Austro-Hungarian province of Bosnia.  Gavrilo Princip, an ethnic Serb, killed them both. He believed that Bosnia rightfully belonged to Serbia.  This assassination triggered WWI!!

Short Term Cause  Assassination of Ferdinand  Austria-Hungary issues ultimatum to Serbia = investigate & punish who did this  Austria-Hungary gets support from Germany = Germany begins to Mobilize  Serbia gets support from Russia = Russia begins to mobilize

Short Term Cause  JULY 28, 1914  Austria-Hungary declares war on SERBIA…  Alliances are called upon…  Germany & Russia are brought into the conflict

“Who’s to Blame?”

Trench Warfare  War on the “western front” carried on for three years as a STALEMATE

American Neutrality  The U.S. remains neutral from (war ended in 1918)  Wilson wants U.S. to serve as light of democracy for rest of world  Hard to pick sides:  1/3 of Americans in 1910 were immigrants (most from Europe)  Immigrants chose sides – supported home lands (U.S. was divided)  Germany seen as bully – invaded Belgium; killed innocent civilians

American Neutrality

America Goes to War  Woodrow Wilson urges congress to declare war on April 2, 1917  The U.S. must now mobilize for war

Armistice Day  The eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month…1918  Germany agreed to a ‘cease-fire’ & signed the armistice (truce)  We celebrate as ‘Veterans’ Day  Final Toll – bloodiest war in history (until WWII)  20 million dead (1/2 civilians)  10 million displaced (refugees)

Wilson fights for peace  WWI ; Who lost?  What happened after war?  The Treaty of Versailles  Woodrow Wilson wants PEACE throughout the world…  Wilson’s 14 Points:  There were 3 parts to speech  1-5: Laws to prevent future wars  6-13: Boundary changes based on the principle of self- determination  14: The League of Nations – International peacekeeping *Not many of his points were actually agreed to

The Treaty of Versailles  Allies (along w/ Central Powers) signed peace treaty – Hall of Mirrors; June 28, 1919  Provisions:  Established 9 new nations (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia)  Ottoman Empire divided b/w France & G.B. (Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan) * Punished Germany: 1) return Alsace-Lorraine to France, 2)no army allowed, 3) War-guilt clause 4) Reparations!  Russia (now the USSR) lost more land than Germany