1. review questions & notes
World War I
review questions & notes
Geographic divisions, divisions in time, and other ways of ‘dividing’ the war.

2. Review Question #1, a & b.
Which countries made up the Allies up to 1917? And after 1917?
Which countries made up the Central Powers?
up to 1917 = Great Britain, France, and Russia,
After 1917 = Great Britain, France, U.S.A.
b) Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ottoman Empire.

3. Review Question #2
Which country had a long-standing feud, or grudge, towards Germany, and why?
France--Germany had defeated France in the Franco-Prussian war in 1870 and imposed harsh peace terms.
And this picture shows how the Germans added insult to the injury of those terms…
Picture of signing of victory celebration of Germans in Hall of Mirrors in Palace of Versailles removed to make PwrPt file size smaller for loading on website.

4. …and when France (and Britain and the U. S
…and when France (and Britain and the U.S.) forced Germany to sign a harsh, humiliating peace terms, where do you think they chose for the ceremony?
Picture of signing of Treaty of Versailles removed to make PwrPt file size smaller for loading on website.

5. In 1870, Germany took the provinces of Alsaçe and Lorraine from France

6. …and in 1919, France took Alsaçe and Lorraine back from Germany.
and (sort of) too the Rhine River valley, or ‘Rhineland’ as well, by making it a demilitarized zone.
But this is getting a bit ahead of matters--more on the peace terms later.

7. Review Question #3, a & b
Germany: France to the west, and Russia to the east.
It had the ‘Schlieffen Plan’: defeat France quickly by going through Belgium, then face Russia.
Which country had to fight on two fronts-east and west-at the same time?
What did that country do to deal with this problem?

8. Geographical Divisions
Trench warfare--what we think of when when people talk about WW 1, characterized the WESTERN FRONT.
In Europe there were 2 ‘fronts’:
The Western front was in Northern France, from Switzerland to the English Channel
The Eastern front was in (surprise!) Eastern Europe.

9. Trench Warfare
Digging in = only way to be (somewhat) safe vs. artillery, machine guns, etc. (partly due to being so close to enemy: yards, in places).
Defensive strength of trenches was SO great that neither side could overcome the other; result = 4 years of stalemate.

10. Horrors of Trench Warfare
Efforts to overcome trenches
MASSIVE frontal assault (with artillery-‘walking bombardment’, etc.)
Mining
Poison gas
Tanks
Diagram/dwaring of trenches removed to make PwrPt file size smaller for loading on website.
Result of failure of these was war of attrition: win by using up enemy’s resources (soldiers, war materiel, etc.)
War of attrition = disheartening. Long term effect: disillusioned, disheartened view of the war, of war & Western society in general.

11. Homefront
-- Due to the nature of the war (grinding down of enemy/war of resources and production), keeping domestic support for the war was important.
-- Propaganda was used to rally civilians to bear sacrifices (death of loved ones, rationing), continue war production work, etc.
-- Civilians were also targeted in air raids and by sinking ships.
Picture of signing of 4 propaganda posters removed to make PwrPt file size smaller for loading on website.

12. The U.S. Entered the War
Due to the sinking of ships with U.S. civilians or (non-military) sailors,
Due to them Zimmerman Telegram: German inviting Mexico to attack the U.S.
…but also: just as Russia dropped out.
Picture of signing of 3 Lusitania related images removed to make PwrPt file size smaller for loading on website.

13. End of the War
Horrors of trench warfare, and overall suffering of the war led to harsh peace terms.
Woodrow Wilson (U.S. President) tries force peace-keeping terms: ‘14 Points’ (see hand-out)
Germany views peace terms as impossible/unfair--sees itself as victim (Hitler plays on this). WW2 results.
‘Lost Generation’--even the survivors suffer, but also, a whole generation of young men were lost.
European dominance is shaken.
Modern Middle East takes shape.
5 images removed to make PwrPt file size smaller for loading on website.

14. Memorials to WW 1 The last few veterans of the war have passed on,
But we keep the day that ended the war as THE day to thank and honor veterans: 11th month, 11th day, 11th hour (called ‘Armistice Day’ elsewhere).
images removed to make PwrPt file size smaller for loading on website.