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The First World War: European Tensions Ignited
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European Alliances Before World War I
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A. Causes of the War Europe at its Peak IR at its peak
Europe had 25% of world population (highest % of any time in history) Modernization led to the sense that Europeans were at the peak of world civilization Imperial Tensions (LT #5) European nations competed for colonies Militarism (LT #5) Glorification of war and increase in military spending Germany competed against England’s naval superiority
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Nationalism (LT #8) Great pride in one’s country or aspiring to become one’s country Germany and Italy only recently new united countries Many countries torn by tensions of different nationalist groups Combined with militarism and imperial competition, this increased tensions in Europe The System of Alliances (LTs 1, 2, and 6) Web of treaties to protect themselves Triple Alliance = Germany, A-H, and Italy Triple Entente = France, Russia and GB
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War Breaks Out
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B. War Breaks Out Nationalism in the Balkans (LT #8)
People with diverse religions, ethnic backgrounds, languages As Ottoman Empire receded, new nations were born Russia and Austria competed for control of new nations A-H annexes Bosnia in 1908 and Serbia resents this The Assassination of the Arch Duke Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria visited Bosnian capital on June 28, 1914 7 assassins from the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist group, plot against him 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip shoots Archduke and his wife, Sophie Austria-Hungary’s Ultimatum Germany gave ‘blank check’ of military support to A-H A-H’s severe ultimatum to Serbia Serbia refuses to let A-H’s officials run an investigation in Serbia A-H declared war on Serbia July 28, 1914
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The Alliance System leads to war
Russia supported Serbia and Germany supported A-H Within one week, almost all Europe plunged into war ~ Germany declares war on Russia and France ~ Britain declares war on Germany
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Alliances and Fronts of WWI
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C. Alliances & Fronts of the War
The Alliances The Allied Powers (Allies) = Britain, France, Russia and Belgium Central Powers = Germany, A-H, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire The Western Front Germany tried to take France quickly in the West and then turn around to fight Russia (Schlieffen Plan) Instead, battle lines formed in northeastern France and changed little Battles Along the Western Front Long, bloody battles: Verdun = 680,000 casualties; Somme = over 1 million casualties
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The Eastern Front Lack of modern technology caused Russia enormous defeats Treaty signed with revolutionary gov’t in Russia = it lost 25% of its land The Balkan Front The Allies abandoned attempts to land in the Balkans after losing The Battle of Gallipoli (Australia and New Zealand) The Italian Front Italians joined the Triple Entente in 1915 and fought A-H The War Ends Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire were first Central Powers to be defeated Revolts inside A-H and Germany help end the war quickly
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New Weapons Used in the War
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D. New Weapons Used in the War
The Machine Gun Modern industry replaced single-fire, short-range rifle British machine guns fired 8 rounds per second, at a distance of 2,900 yards Artillery Greater power and carried much farther 24 million shells used in Battle of Verdun alone Weapons of the ‘Industrial Age’ 75 different types of poison-gas bombs used Flame throwers Tanks Airplanes Casualties of Modern Weaponry Tactics of sending masses of men toward enemy didn’t work against modern weapons Britain suffered 57,470 casualties on first day of Battle of the Somme Total losses for WW I exceeded 10 million
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Weapons of the ‘Industrial Age’
75 different types of poison-gas bombs used Flame throwers Tanks Airplanes Casualties of Modern Weaponry Tactics of sending masses of men toward enemy didn’t work against modern weapons Britain suffered 57,470 casualties on first day of Battle of the Somme Total losses for WW I exceeded 10 million
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The Reality of Soldier’s Lives
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E. The Reality of Soldiers’ Lives
Patriotic Fervor: Many Europeans looked forward to war at the start Attitudes Change: Soldiers changed Europeans’ optimistic fervor through letters about the horrors of War The Bitter Truth: Wilfred Owen died a week before war ended, and wrote ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ The Return Home: No crowds or heroes’ welcome after the war
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Trench Warfare
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F. Trench Warfare The Race to the Sea
475 miles of trenches dug across northern France British troops used over 10 million shovels Life in the Trenches Charging ‘over the top’, crossing ‘no man’s land’ to reach enemy trenches Boring, terrifying, and caused shell shock Horrible living conditions
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Effects of the War on the Home Front
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G. Effect of the War on the Home Front
Mobilizing for Total War Civilians back home made huge sacrifices Gov’ts controled industries, rationing New Jobs for Women Worked in jobs traditionally held only by men who were now at the front 1 million women now paid employees Women’s Wages Paid less than men for same work Better pay & hours in industrial work than traditional jobs Women’s Changing Role Discovered benefits of financial autonomy and mobility Some refused to return to domestic service Won right to vote throughout Europe
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Tragedies of the War: The Home Front
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H. Tragedies of the War: The Home Front
Voices of Despair Modern warfare also affected those at home Sheer numbers of deaths horrifying Injuries horrifying (amputations, burns, shell shock) Patriotic songs gone Families scarred Marian Allen’s poem ‘The Wind on the Downs’ I used to think of you as brown and tall…
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Hall of Mirrors at Palace of Versaille
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I. The Paris Peace Conference
Peace of Justice Leaders for Allies and CP met at Palace of Versailles Wilson’s 14 Points supported self-determination for all nations and a just peace Peace of Vengeance Italy and Britain wanted territory France wanted to punish Germany Italy & US left, leaving France and GB to settle affairs Treaty of Versailles with Germany France & GB create severe treaty punishing Germany Germany must return Alsace-Lorraine; demilitarize the Rhineland; pay war reparations $32 billion!; agree to war guilt clause The New Europe Similar treaties signed with all other Central Powers Borders will change in Europe (new countries formed, and, A-H, Bulgaria, Germany and Russia all lose territory)
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