General Information… Called the “Great War” or “The War to end all Wars” July 28, November 11, 1918 Almost 8,000,000 dead. *** Russia the most = 1.7 million Almost 22,000,000 wounded….. Map of Europe greatly changed.

A New Century, a New Hope The people of Europe were feeling fairly optimistic at the beginning of the 1900s. There had not been a major war in Europe for nearly 80 years. New technologies were making life easier.

The Rise of Germany The only significant threat to this cosy world order was a rising power – Germany. Germany didn’t even exist as a nation until 1871 (New Zealand is older!) Until then it had been a loose collection of small kingdoms ruled by princes. These kingdoms were united by a common history, language, culture and desire to wear pointy helmets.

The German Threat Germany had advanced industries and a large population. They also had a leader (Bismarck) who was prepared to use force to defend his young nation’s interests. In 1870 Bismarck’s armies defeated France in a war over borders.

Containing the threat of Germany The nations that were most threatened by Germany were Britain, Russia and France.

Britain Had the world’s largest navy and wanted to protect its colonies and trade around the world. Threatened by Germany’s growing naval power (fleet of battleships).

Russia Russia: –Had the world’s largest army. Most soldiers were untrained. –Russia did not have enough factories to supply a large army with the guns and bullets needed for a long war. –Threatened by Germany’s advanced industry and well- trained army.

France France: –Shared a border with Germany. –Had already been defeated by Germany in –Had lost the territory of Alsace-Lorraine. Threatened by Germany’s growing military power. Also scared of pointy helmets.

Germany’s Weak Neighbor Germany was a rising power. Its ally Austria-Hungary was an old and crumbling empire. People within its borders were calling for independence. The cries of the Serbian people would lead to World War One. Russia supported the Serbs.

Causes of World War I

The four MAIN Causes that led to War in Europe Military Alliances Imperialism Nationalism

Causes of World War I Militarism Building up armed forces to prepare for war. Building up armies, navies, and other armed forces. It also meant using them as a tool for negotiation with other countries. This led to the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Britain, France and Russia to double in size.

Alliance = An agreement to provide military support to an ally if they are attacked Two Main Groups Allies (Triple Entente): France, Great Britain Russia, Italy (left Triple Alliance) and United States (joined later) Central Powers (Triple Alliance): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria And Ottoman Empire. PROBLEM? One event could drag all countries involved into a conflict.

Imperialism Domination by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region. Countries tried to increase the power and influence around the world. This led to conflicts among them. Late 1800s: Britain and France already had large empires. German emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, wanted colonies for Germany. Reasons for start of war… “main causes of World war I” Nationalism A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one’s country. This led to competition and rivalries among nations. Various ethnic groups resented domination by others and longed for their nations to become independent. Many ethnic groups looked to larger nations for protection.

Causes of World War I Nationalism The Austro-Hungarian Empire made up much of southeast Europe and was made up of many different nationalities. Peoples such as the Czechs, the Serbs, the Bosnians and the Poles all wanted the right of self-determination, which meant they want to be an independent nation.

The Spark World War I began in 1914 after Austrian-Hungary prince Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia The assassination triggered a web of alliances that led to all of Europe being dragged into the conflict

Domino Effect Austria blamed Serbia for Ferdinand’s death and declared war on Serbia. Germany pledged their support for Austria -Hungary. Russia pledged their support for Serbia.

Domino Effect Germany declares war on Russia. France pledges their support for Russia. Germany declares war on France. Germany invades Belgium on the way to France. Great Britain supports Belgium and declares war on Germany.

German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II “ You will be home before the leaves have fallen from the trees!!”

The Fighting Starts Where did the fighting begin? Germany began invading Belgium. It planned to overrun France and then to attack Russia. The British and French could not save Belgium but did manage to stop Germany’s advance. By spring 1915, two lines of deep trenches had developed in France. The German occupied one line the Allies occupied the other line. Between the two lines lay “no man’s land”a barren expanse of mud pockmarked with shell craters and filled with barbed wire. The soldiers would climb out of their trenches and try to overrun enemy lines. They did this while facing machinegun fire and poison gas.

Trench Warfare A type of fighting where both sides stayed in deep trenches to avoid the gunfire “up top.” Trench warfare was used on the Western Front, the line between France and Germany (no man’s land) that rarely moved. These trenches were protected by barbed wire and concrete machine-gun nests.

Trench Warfare

New Technology The spirit of invention continued in wartime. These were invented or used for the first time on a large scale in World War One: Flame Throwers Machine Guns Tanks Aircraft (bombing and reconnaissance) The field telephone U-Boats (submarines) Poison Gas Depth Charges Aircraft Carriers

America the Neutral Wilson won re-election in presidential election of 1916, using the slogan “He kept us out of war.” Wilson’s decision reflected the U.S.’s longstanding policy of isolationism, or not being involved in foreign affairs. For the first three years of World War I, the U.S. remained neutral

Reasons for U.S. Involvement in WWI The British Blockade The War affected American shipping Great Britain set up a blockage along the German coast to keep goods from getting through. American ships would not challenge.

German U-boat attacks 1915 the German government declared the waters around Great Britain a war zone, threatening to destroy all enemy ships. Germany warned the U.S. that neutral ships might be attacked. Germany began unlimited submarine warfare in the Atlantic Ocean in Germany suffered because of the British blockade, so it developed small submarines called U-boats to strike back at the British.

Sinking of Lusitania In 1915, Germany sank the British cruise ship Lusitania, killing over 1,200 people, including 128 Americans. While this angered many Americans, it still was not enough to get the U.S. to enter the war.

Zimmerman Telegram The Zimmerman Note was an alleged telegram from Germany to Mexico asking them to declare war against the U.S. if they joined the war in Europe. The Zimmerman Telegram was the last straw for most Americans in turning against Germany In exchange for its lost Southwest territory (Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona).

Strong ties with BritainStrong ties with Britain One last reason the United States joined with the Allies was its strong cultural ties with Great Britain By 1917, the U.S. was ready to join the conflict

U.S. enters World War I "The world must be made safe for democracy.” -- Woodrow Wilson One day after subs sank seven U.S. ships and after the Zimmerman note was made public, Congress declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917 Now they needed to raise an army, train them, and ship supplies and troops.

The End