The days of World war One

The Long-Term Causes

of World War One

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe FOUR Traditional Causes According to Most Historians

The Long-Term Causes

of World War One

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe FOUR Traditional Causes According to Most Historians

Before 1906, a battleship was:

10,000 tons 400 ft. long maybe four big guns 11 in. bore several 6 in. bore slow, twelve knots England and Germany build many of them rendered obsolete

Battleship— H. M. S. DreadnoughtAfter 1906, a battleship was:

18,000 tons 520 ft. long, 82 ft. wide 12, 12 in. bore guns range of 20 miles armor plate 11 in. thick18 knots 23,000 horse power 2 million each

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe Industrialization of War

??

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe Industrialization of War

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionALL of the Great Powers STOCKPILE Weapons!

.

The Long-Term Causes

of World War One

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe FOUR Traditional Causes According to Most Historians

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionMonarchy’s Last Breath: One Big Happy Family!

Allied Powers

Central Powers

Great Britain

France

Russia

Italy

Germany

Austrian-Hungarian Empire

Turkey

assassination

The Long-Term Causes

of World War One

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe FOUR Traditional Causes According to Most Historians

The Long-Term Causes

of World War One

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe FOUR Traditional Causes According to Most Historians

Soldiers Mobilized

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

France Germany Russia Britain

Mill

ions

World War I

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and Revolution“It will be over by Christmas…”

Cheering crowds gathered in public squares in every capital of all of the

countries of Europe.

Thousands of young men, praised by thousands of young women, enlisted.

August 1, 1914 in Berlin Arthur Kampf (1914)

The Immediate Cause

of World War One

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe FOUR Traditional Causes According to Most Historians

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionThe Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his Wife Sophie

Meet the “Black Hand” and Assassin Gavrilo Princip

Saravejo

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionSecret-Entangling Alliances: The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand

Bosnia was a bewildering array

of ethnic and religious groups that broke away

from the Ottoman Empire only to be

occupied by Austria.

Summer of 1914

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionGeneral von Schlieffen and “The Schlieffen Plan”

On his deathbed, he declares, “Only keeps zee right wing strong…”

“The Schliefen Plan” (1891-1905): Russia is big but slow (six weeks to mobilize) feint at French boarder at Ardennes Assemble 90% of troops on Belgium and

Luxemburg boarder (34 divisions) take Paris, force France to surrender transfer troops to defeat Russia the Kaiser dictates peace terms and it would have worked if those pesky…

Gen. von Schlieffen

“The Schlieffen Plan”

“Paris for

lunch…

…Moscow

for dinner!”

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and Revolution“The Schlieffen Plan” WHAT WENT WRONG!?

“The Schlieffen Plan” What went wrong!?: Schlieffen died (1913), and new generals

worried about southern flank too much early success, by end of August the

German army was shelling Paris drew down troops on the Western Front to

strengthen southern flank (should have been just for defense)

the Russians mobilized sooner than thought Germany had to reinforce Eastern Front 6-9 September French and British forces

stopped the German offensive at Marne (called “The Miracle of the Marne” by Allies

Gen. Helmuth Ludwig von Moltke“Moltke the Younger”

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionWWI and the Failure of Leadership

Both Side “Dug” In: For the next four

years both side launched one offensive after another

hurling millions of men across “No Man’s Land”

* Paris

THE RACE TO THE SEA

“TRENCH WARFARE”

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionWWI and “Trench Warfare”

“Over-The-Top”

p.726

1914, The Battle of the Marne1 million casualties

1916, The Battle of Verdun700,000 casualties

1916, The Battle of the Somme500,000 casualties

58,000 on the first day

1917, The Battle of Ypres340,000 casualties

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionGerman High Command: Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff

If the “Front” never moved more than 10

miles or so why did

Generals on both sides

repeatedly send men “over-the-top”?

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionWWI and the Failure of Leadership. Why?

The “Professional Soldiers” of WWI: thoroughly trained in the art of 19th

century warfare studied the great battles of the 18th and

19th centuries – Napoleon experienced in colonial wars with

natives and tribal warriors saw war as a game – national sport,

victory comes with team spirit and redoubling of individual effort

To them there had to be a way to break the “Deadlock”

General Douglas Haig (British)dubbed “Sir” made 1st Earl

by King George V

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionDeadlock: Allies Attempt

1900s The Beginning of the 20th Century Crisis: War and RevolutionDeadlock: The Germans Attempt