1. The First World War
Boys and Girls! War Savings Stamps Poster by James Montgomery Flagg

2. The First World War: What? When?
War involving nearly all the nations of the world
When?

3. Write out 10 descriptive words for this picture

4. The First World War: Causes Why? Long term -
1. Militarism Stockpiling of Weapons
2. Alliance system
3. Imperialist Competition
4. Nationalism
The First World War:
Causes Why?
Short term - Assassination of Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and his Wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg one hour before their deaths, June 28, 1914

5. Like a snowball beginning to roll!
June 28, 1914 Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria assassinated
July 5, 1914 Germany issues A-H “blank check”
pledging military assistance if A-H goes to war against Russia
July 23, 1914 Austria issues Serbia an ultimatum
July 28, 1914 A-H declares war on Serbia
July 29, 1914 Russia orders full mobilization of its troops
August 1,1914 Germany declares war on Russia
August 2, 1914 Germany demands Belgium declare access to German troops

6. SO! SO! SO! SO! Sum it UP One thing led to another
Austria-Hungary, unsatisfied with Serbia's response to her ultimatum declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914.
SO!
SO!
Russia, bound by treaty to Serbia, announced mobilization of its vast army in her defense, a slow process that would take around six weeks to complete.
SO!
Germany, allied to Austria-Hungary by treaty, viewed the Russian mobilization as an act of war against Austria-Hungary, and after scant warning declared war on Russia on 1 August.
France, bound by treaty to Russia, found itself at war against Germany and, by extension, on Austria-Hungary following a German declaration on 3 August.  Germany was swift in invading neutral Belgium so as to reach Paris by the shortest possible route.

7. Lets have SO! A War! SO! SO! Sum it UP One thing led to another
Britain, allied to France by a more loosely worded treaty which placed a "moral obligation" upon her to defend France, declared war against Germany on 4 August.
SO!
SO!
United States President Woodrow Wilson declared a U.S. policy of absolute neutrality
Japan, honouring a military agreement with Britain, declared war on Germany on 23 August 1914.  Two days later Austria-Hungary responded by declaring war on Japan.

8. The First World War: Who? Central Powers: Allies: Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
Russia
France
Great Britain
Italy
Japan
United States (1917)

9. The First World War:
Where? 9

10. “Belgium is a country, not a road”
King Albert I of Belgium denied permission
August 2, 1914 Germany declared war on France
Why???
The Schlieffen Plan!
August 4, 1914 Great Britain declared war on Germany for violating Belgian neutrality

11. The Schlieffen Plan’s Destructive Nature

12. The Schlieffen Plan Invade western front 1st
After defeating France concentrate on the Eastern front
Avoid fighting a 2 front war

13. The Schlieffen Plan’s Destructive Nature
Germany made vast encircling movement through Belgium to enter Paris
Underestimated speed of the British mobilization
Quickly sent troops to France

14. The Schlieffen Plan’s Destructive Nature
Sept 6-10, 1914
Battle of Marne
Stopped the Germans but French troops were exhausted
Both sides dug trenches for shelter
STALEMATE

16. 1914 – 1915 Illusions and Stalemate
Many Europeans were excited about war
“Defend yourself against the aggressors”
Domestic differences were put aside

17. 1914 – 1915 Illusions and Stalemate
War would be over in a few weeks
Ignored the length and brutality of the American Civil War
(prototype to World War I)

18. 1914 – 1915 Illusions and Stalemate
Belief that Modern industrial war could not be conducted for more than a few months
“Home by Christmas”

19. 1914 – 1915 Illusions and Stalemate
“Fatal attraction of war”
Exhilarating release from every day life
A glorious adventure
War would rid the nations of selfishness
Spark a national re-birth based on heroism

20. The Trenches Trenches dug from English Channel to Switzerland
Trench Design
Trenches dug from English Channel to Switzerland
6,250 miles
6 to 8 feet deep
Immobilized both sides for 4 years

21. The Trenches
Trench Design

24. Life in the Trenches Elaborate systems of defense barbed wire
What’s it like?
Elaborate systems of defense
barbed wire
Concrete machine gun nests
Mortar batteries
Troops lived in holes underground

25. Life in the Trenches Soldiers read to pass the time
Boredom
Soldiers read to pass the time
Sarah Bernhardt came out to the front to read poetry to the soldiers

26. “Death is everywhere”
“We all had on us the stench of dead bodies.” Death numbed the soldier’s minds.
Shell shock
Psychological devastation

27. “Death is everywhere” Mustard gas Carried by the wind
Where is it coming from?
Mustard gas
Carried by the wind
Burned out soldier’s lungs
Deadly in the trenches where it would sit at the bottom

28. Life in the Trenches Trench warfare baffled military leaders
Attempt a breakthrough
Then return to a war of movement
Millions of young men sacrificed attempting the breakthrough

29. Battle of Verdun
10 months
700,000 men killed

30. Battle of Verdun
10 months
700,000 men killed

31. The changes of war New Technologies
New weapons crippled the “frozen front”
Poison gas (mustard gas)
Hand grenades
Flame throwers
Tanks
Airplanes
Subs

32. The changes of war Airplanes Dog fights in the air Bombing inaccurate
Romanticized the battlefields
Paris and London bombed
Pilots fired pistols and threw hand grenades

33. The Eastern Front Defeated
Russian army moved into Eastern Germany on August 30, 1914
Defeated
The Austrians kicked out of Serbia
Italians attacked Austria in 1915
G. came to Austrian aid and pushed Russians back 300 miles into own territory

34. The Eastern Front Much more mobile more than the West
But loss of life still very high
1915: 2.5 million Russians killed, captured, or wounded

35. The Eastern Front
Germany and Austria Hungary joined by Bulgaria in Sept. 1915
Attacked and eliminated Serbia from war

36. Why did it take so long for America to get involved in the war?
America was isolationist
“Why should I get involved in someone else’s problems”

37. Thinking Slide:
Is isolationism really an option for a country as powerful as the United States?

38. Which side should the US pick?
Central Powers:
Allies:
11 million German-Americans
Irish-Americans hated Great Britain
Close cultural ties
Shared transatlantic cables (so censored stories)
Big business loaned much $ to allies
US Exports to both sides:

39. What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
Britain blockaded (stopped) all German ships going to America
Germany announced a submarine war around Britain
Y-53 German Submarine 1916

40. What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
In May, 1915 Germany told Americans to stay off of British ships
They could/would sink them

41. What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
Lusitania torpedoed, sinking with 1200 passengers and crew (including 128 Americans)
Was eventually found to be carrying 4200 cases of ammunition
German Propaganda Justifying Lusitania sinking

42. What did it take to get the US involved?
1. Blockades
The US sharply criticized Germany for their action
Germany agreed not to sink passenger ships without warning in the future
Note in Bottle After Lusitania Disaster

43. What did it take to get the US involved?
2. Unlimited Submarine Warfare
1917 Germany announced “unlimited submarine warfare” in the war zone
Why? Otherwise their blockade would not be successful

44. What did it take to get the US involved?
3. Zimmerman Note
US intercepted a note from Germany to Mexico,
It promised Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona back in return for an alliance

45. What did it take to get the US involved?
Zimmerman Note + the sinking of 4 unarmed American ships led to a declaration of war

46. Thinking Slide:
Should we tell the story of WWI with Germany as the “bad guy”? Explain.

47. How was the war looking for the allies?
Not Good...
Russia left the war after its communist revolution in 1917
Made it a one front war for Germany - all its troops could concentrate on France

48. Convincing the American People
Posters - Gee!!
How do you think this poster helped to convince the American people that the war was a good idea?

49. Convincing the American People
Idealism: 2 Goals For War:
1. War to End All Wars
2. Making the World Safe for Democracy

50. Convincing the American People
Idealism: Fourteen Points
What? President Wilson’s Plan for after the war
Fourteen promises, including freedom of the seas & a League of Nations to work for peace
President Woodrow Wilson

51. What did the US do to help?
Supplies:
US provided the food, money, and fresh toops needed to win the war
American Troops March Through London

52. How did the War Affect the US?
Women
Women filled factory jobs
May have led 19th Ammendment after the war (Gave women the right to vote)
African Americans
Black soldiers still served in Segregated Units
“Great Migration” - thousands of African Americans moved North to work in factories

53. The Home Front Received lower wages than males
Food shortages made running a household difficult

54. The Home Front Censorship Not told about high death toll
Romanticized the battlefields
“soldiers have died a beautiful death, in noble battle, we shall rediscover poetry…epic and chivalrous”

55. The Home Front Censorship
“Newspapers described troops as itching to go over the top.”
“Government reported to the press that life in the trenches promoted good health and clear air”

56. The Home Front “On Leave”
Troops would stay together so they could sympathize with each other

57. The Home Front Impossible to hide death Women in mourning
Badly wounded soldiers returned home
Opposition began to emerge

58. How did the War Affect the US?
Enforcing Loyalty
Hatred of all things German
Ex. “Liberty Cabbage”
Espionage Act 1917 & Sedition Act of 1918 punished those against the war (many labor leaders)