Chapter 23 WAR AND REVOLUTION

Nationalism and the System of Alliances The growth of nationalism in the 19 th century had many serious results. Europe’s great powers were divided into 2 alliances: 1.Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, & Italy. 2.Triple Entente: Britain, France, & Russia. Many European nations were willing to go to war to preserve the power of their national states.

Internal Dissent Socialist labor movements were more willing to use strikes to reach their goals, even if it led to violence. Many believed that the fear of revolution and the desire to suppress internal conflicts encouraged the leaders of some nations to go to war in 1914.

Militarism After 1900, the size of armies throughout Europe grew at an alarming rate. Conscription- a military draft. Militarism- preparation for war. Military leaders became more powerful. Leaders drew up plans that could be used if they went to war.

The Outbreak of War: Summer 1914 Nationalism, internal conflicts, and militarism all played a role in the starting of WWI. By 1914, Serbia, supported by Russia, was determined to create a large Slavic state in the Balkans. Austria-Hungary was determined that this would not happen.

On June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria- Hungary, visited Bosnian city of Sarajevo. He would be assassinated by a Gavrilo Princip of the Black Hand, a Serbian terrorist organization, that wanted to be free of Austria-Hungary. The Austrian leaders wanted to attack Serbia, but feared Russia would intervene. Asked their German allies for support. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

Russia was determined to support Serbia. Czar Nicholas II ordered mobilization of the Russian army for a war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Germany warned Russia against mobilization and declared war on them August 1, Germany had the Schlieffen Plan that planned for war against Russia and France. Couldn’t go to war against just Russia, so they declared war against France on August 3, 1914.

The Germans demanded passage through Belgium which was a neutral country. On August 4, 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany, officially for violating Belgium neutrality.

Section 2

: Illusions and Stalemate Propaganda was used to stir up hatred towards other nations & gained support from its citizen’s. The German’s hoped for a quick end to the war with the Schlieffen Plan. The German advance towards Paris was halted at the First Battle of the Marne.

The Western Front was a stalemate because of trench warfare. The war on the Eastern Front was fought much differently. Russia moved into Germany and was met with defeat & ended the threat of Russia. Russia did manage to push the Austrians out of Galicia and Serbia. Italy betrays Austria and attacks them. Germany-Austrian army pushed Russia back to their own territory.

: The Great Slaughter Barbed wire, machine gun nests, and heavy artillery protected the trenches on both sides. Between the trenches = No-man’s land. Both sides tried to break through each others defenses by bombarding the trenches and no-man’s land with artillery & then having the soldiers charge. Millions died doing this. Trench warfare was a war of attrition, trying to wear the other side down by constant attacks and heavy losses.

Airplanes were used for scouting, dropping homemade bombs, and then air warfare. Germany used their giant airships to bomb London. If hit by antiaircraft guns, they became raging infernos.

Widening of the War Central Powers- Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire. Allied Powers- France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy The Allies tried to open a Balkan Front at Gallipoli, but were forced to withdraw. In the Middle East, the British forces from Egypt destroyed the Ottoman Empire. The Allies were able to seize German colonies around the world.

Entry of the United States The US tried to remain neutral due to its isolationist policies- “its not our war, so let’s stay out of it”. Britain used its navy to blockade Germany. Germany used its navy and submarines to blockade Britain. Germany began unrestricted submarine warfare- they sank all types of ships.

May 7, 1915, the Germans sank the Lusitania, a British ship. The U.S. protested & the Germans stopped the unrestricted submarine warfare. The Germans resumed unrestricted submarine warfare hoping to starve Britain into submission before the U.S. entered the war. The U.S. entered the war in 1917, giving the Allies a boost psychologically & economically.

The Home Front: The Impact of Total War WWI became a total war, a war involving a complete mobilization of resources and people. Drafted tens of millions of young men to serve in their militaries. Governments expanded their powers over their economies. They set up price, wage & rent controls, rationed food supplies & materials, regulated imports & exports, and took over transportation systems & industries.

Deaths and casualties mounted & support for the war decreased. Some countries used force to control their people & passed laws making it illegal to protest the war. New opportunities opened up for women. Women filled jobs that were left open by the men who went off to fight in the war. They were expected to leave the workforce when the men returned from the war.

Section 3

Background to Revolution 2 million Russian soldiers were killed due to incompetent military leaders & being unprepared for war. Czar Nicholas II had no training or ability to lead the nation in war. The Russian people suffered through a series of military and economic disasters. Women protested. Czar Nicholas ordered troops to break it up by any means, but they joined them instead.

The Duma, the legislative body asked the Czar to step down. With no support, he did. The provisional government decided to carry on with the war to preserve Russia’s honor. Alexander Kerensky was faced with challenge to its authority from the soviets- representatives of workers and soldiers.

The Rise of Lenin V.I. Lenin believed that violent revolution was the only way to destroy the capitalist system. In April 1917, German leaders shipped Lenin back to Russia hoping he would create disorder in Russia. The Bolsheviks promised an end to the war, the redistribution of land to the peasants, the transfer of factories from capitalists to the workers, and the transfer of government power to the soviets.

The Bolsheviks Seize Power On the night of November 6, 1917, the Bolsheviks seized the Winter Palace, where the provisional government met. The government quickly collapsed. Lenin headed the Council of People’s Commissars & had the power. The Bolsheviks changed their name to the Communists. On March 3, 1918, Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and gave up the eastern Poland, Ukraine, Finland, and the Baltic provinces.

Civil War in Russia Many people opposed the new Communist government. The Allies gave support to anti-Communist forces. From , the Communist (Red) Army was forced to fight the anti- Communist (White) forces. The Communist won the civil war because the Red Army was well disciplined & the Whites were not united. The presence of foreign armies on Russian soil was used to stir up Russian patriotism.

Triumph of the Communists By 1921, the Communists had total control of Russia. It was now a centralized state dominated by a single party. The Communist were hostile to the Allies because they helped the enemies in the civil war.

Section 4

The Last Year of the War The Allies were defeated on the Western front and Russia withdrew. The entry of the U.S. gave them a much needed boost. With Russia out of the war, it became a 1 front war. In an effort to break the stalemate, the Germans attacked. They were stopped at the second Battle of the Marne. On September 29, 1918, General Ludendorff told the government that “the war was lost”. The Allies refused to make peace with the current government.

On November 11, 1918, the new government led by Friedrich Ebert signed an armistice. A Communist revolution was met with army troops who quickly crushed the rebellion. People now had a fear of Communism.

An Austria-Hungary revolution produced independent republics. In January 1919, representatives from the victorious countries met to make a final settlement of the war. At the Paris Peace Conference, Great Britain wanted Germany to pay for the war. France was mainly concerned about national security, wanted Germany stripped of all armaments, pay reparations, and use the Rhineland as a buffer zone.

“The Big Three”, Wilson, Lloyd George, and Clemenceau made most of the important decisions. They accepted the idea of a League of Nations from Wilson’s Fourteen Points. Britain and the U.S. agreed to help France if Germany attacked them. There were 5 separate treaties with the defeated nations (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey).

The Treaty of Versailles with Germany was the most important of them. 1.Germany and Austria were responsible for starting the war. 2.Germany had to pay reparations. 3.Germany had to reduce its army and navy and eliminate their air force. 4.The Rhineland became demilitarized. 5.Parts of eastern Germany were given to make a new Polish state.

Both German and Russia empires lost land and new countries were created. The Ottoman Empire was broken up. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine became mandates. This war was a total war. Many people died and the lands and infrastructures of many cities were destroyed.