WORLD WAR I

1914-1918

Great BritainBackground: GB is a small country, but at the start of this century she

was the greatest of the world’s great powers. Under Queen Victoria (1837-1901) Britain had become the richest and most powerful nation on the earth. She had the richest industries, the most trade, the largest number of colonies and the biggest navy. Her immediate rival was Germany. 

Ruler: King George V ruled 1910-1936Character: The man who ruled the greatest country in the world was shy

and quiet. He spend 15 years in the Royal Navy before becoming King in 1910, aged 45. Unlike his father, he was a devoted family man. There was nothing very unusual about him except that, as one historian has pointed out, his trousers were creased at the sides, not back to front. In comparison with many rulers of the time, he had little power. He could not make his own laws, as that was Parliaments’ job.

 

Germany Background: In 1914 Germany was less than 50 years old. Before 1870 there was no such

country, only a collection of small states, each with its own ruler. One of the states Prussia was bigger than the rest and its ruler wanted to unite all the states to be more powerful. France and Austria did not want them to unify so they declared war on Prussia. Both countries lost to Prussia. In 1871 Prussia’s Wilhelm and Prime Minister Bismarck unified the German Empire. Her immediate rival was France and Great Britain. 

Ruler: Kaiser Wilhelm II 1888-1918Character: Kaiser Wilhelm was King George V’s cousin, but was the exact opposite

in character. He was energetic and had a strong, outgoing personality. Although, he was born with a withered left arm, he was an excellent horseman who could also swim, shoot, fence and hunt. Just as his cousin George spent his youth in the navy, so Wilhelm spent most of his youth in the army. When he grew up, he loved the army and enjoyed dressing up in military uniform. He could be very charming and friendly, but was often impatience and rude. He was very popular with his subjects.

 

RussiaBackground: Russia is the largest country in the world, but in 1900 she was also one of the

poorest. She was very rich in minerals-oil, coal, iron ore, gold etc-but these were not much used. She had a huge population, but most people lived in the western half of the country. Hardly anyone at all lived in Siberia. Russia had great amounts of land, but much of it was too cold for farming. She had a long coast line, but most of it was frozen for half the year, making sea transport impossible. Russia was friendly with France as it had loaned them money to modernize their military after Germany had said no.

Russia was an empire of many peoples, each speaking a different language. The Russian Empire was a very weak giant. Her immediate rival Austria-Hungary 

Ruler: Tsar Nicholas II 1894-1917Character: He was a weak man and not very clever. He was a bad judge of

people and was easily influenced by poor advisers. Example: Rasputin, who helped his son, who was a hemophiliac with hypnotic powers of healing.

Nicholas’ greatest weakness was trying to rule Russia as an autocrat, meaning he had complete control of all and would not share his power. This made him unpopular with his subjects, who believed in democracy.

Austria-HungaryBackground: You can tell from its’ name that Austria-Hungary was actually a union

of two separate countries. Inside each country lived many different peoples, or nationalities, each with its own language, its own customs and its own way of life. Like Russia, this made the country very hard to govern, especially as many of the peoples wanted to be independent of Austria-Hungary, so that they could rule themselves their own ways. The patchwork of peoples was falling apart. Example-Bosnia wants to join with their independent Serb brothers in the country of Serbia. Immediate rival Serbia and Russia.

Ruler: Emperor Franz Joseph II 1848-1916Character: At 84, he was the oldest of all Europe’s rulers. He was a quiet, serious

and religious man, devoted to his work. His long life had been a sad one: his brother Maximilian, the ruler of Mexico had been killed by rebels, his son Rudolf had committed suicide and his wife had been stabbed to death by an assassin. In 1900, he was saddened when his nephew, Franz Ferdinand married beneath him to a Countess named Sophie Chotek. Should have married a princess.

Franz Joseph was well liked by his subjects, but his people hated the government officials who ran the country.

France

Background: Twice the size of Britain and about the same size as Germany. The

land was fertile and her people hard working. She owned many Colonies, but was weaker than Britain and Germany. The French people had lost a lot of pride when they lost the Franco-Prussian war and the new German Empire had taken Alsace and Lorraine a valuable area rich in minerals. France hated Germany for this. Immediate rival Germany.

Ruler: President Raymond Poincare (1913-1920)

Character: Clever man, honest, outspoken, sometimes short tempered; he was also cold and unsympathetic. He was born in Lorraine. The

people of France respected him, but did not like him very much.

United States

Background-Not much interested in Europe. Concerned with our own back yard.

Ruler: President Woodrow Wilson

Character: Honest, honorable a political science professor. Like Roosevelt before him, Woodrow Wilson regarded himself as the personal representative of the people. "No one but the President," he said, "seems to be expected ... to look out for the general interests of the country." He developed a program of progressive reform and asserted international leadership in building a new world order. In 1917, he proclaimed American entrance into World War I a

crusade to make the world "safe for democracy."  

CAUSES OF WWI Historians have four long-term causes of the World War I:

NATIONALISM – a devotion to the interests and culture of one’s nation. Pride in your nation.

IMPERIALISM – Economic and political control over weaker nations. Take over the world for raw materials and markets.

MILITARISM – Increased military spending. Be as strong as the country you may have to go to war against.

ALLIANCE SYSTEM – By 1907 Europe was divided into two armed camps. I got your back.

NATIONALISM

Often nationalism led to competition and conflicts between nations.

It led to alliances as well.

NATIONALISM

Also, ethnic groups resented being dominated by others and wanted to create their own nations.

Russians wanted to protect their Serb brothers, both Slavic.

IMPERIALISM For many centuries, European nations built empires.

Colonies supplied European nations with raw materials and provided markets for manufactured goods.

As Germany industrialized it competed directly with France and Britain.

Major European countries also competed for land in Africa and other parts of the world. This leads to conflict.

Imperialism…

one country takes control of the economic and political affairs of another country

MILITARISM-Arms Race Empires had to be defended and European nations increased military spending enormously in the late 19th and early 20th century.

By 1890 the strongest nation militarily in Europe was Germany.

Germany had a strong army and built up a navy to challenge England’s fleet.

France, Italy, Japan and the United States quickly joined in the naval buildup.

ALLIANCE SYSTEM

By 1907 there were two major defense alliances in Europe:

The Triple Entente, later known as the Allies, consisted of France, Britain, and Russia. Later Italy

The Triple Alliance, later known as the Central Powers, consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (soon joined by the Ottoman Empire). FRANCE BRITAIN RUSSIA

TRIPLE ENTENTE

Leaders - Central Powers

• Kaiser Wilhelm II (William II) Germany• Emperor Franz Joseph, Austria-

Hungary• Enver Pasha, Ottoman Empire (Young

Turks)

Leaders – Allied Powers

• Raymond Poincare – President of France, he had been born in Lorraine and hated the Germans

• Georges “The Tiger” Clemenceau – Premier of France

• Nicholas II – Czar of Russia.. Overthrown/murdered by Bolsheviks

• David Lloyd George – PM of UK at Treaty of Versailles

• George V-Ruler of Great Britain

THE SPARK: AN ASSASSINATION

The Balkan region was considered “the powder keg of Europe” Many ethnic groups living together.

Russia wanted access to the Mediterranean Sea/warm water port.

Austria-Hungary, which had taken control of Bosnia in 1878, accused Serbia of trying to get the Bosnians to revolt and join them.

Finally, in June of 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne was gunned down by a group of Bosnian Serb radicals, igniting a crisis.

Inevitability of War

June 28, 1914 - Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria Hungary assassinated.

July 5, 1914 - Germany pledges military assistance if Austria-Hungary goes to war against Russia

July 23, 1914 - Austria-Hungary issues Serbia an ultimatum.

The Inevitability of War - Entangling Alliances

• July 28, 1914 - Austria-Hungary 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.

THE FIGHTING BEGINS The Alliance system pulled one nation after another into the conflict. Domino Effect – The Great War had begun.

On August 3, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium, following a strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan (Swinging Hammer).

This plan called for a quick strike through Belgium to Paris, France.

Next, Germany would attack Russia.

The plan was designed to prevent a two-front war for Germany .

1914 – 1915 Illusions• Belief that modern industrial

war could not be conducted for more than a few months.

• “Fatal attraction of war”– Exhilarating release from

every day life– A glorious adventure– War would rid the nations

of selfishness– Sparked a national re-birth

based on heroism• “Home by Christmas”

First Battle of the Marne, 1914

• Casualties at the battle were heavy.  The French incurred 250,000 losses, and it is believed that the Germans suffered similar casualties (no official figures are available).  The British recorded 12,733 casualties.

• Important: Stopped the advance of the Germans led to a stalemate.

THE WAR BECOMES A STALEMATE Unable to save Belgium, the Allies retreated to the Marne River in France where they halted the German advance in September of 1914

Both sides dug in for a long siege

By the spring of 1915, two parallel systems of deep trenches crossed France from Belgium to Switzerland

Western Front

There were 3 types of trenches; front line, support, and reserve

Between enemy trenches was “no man’s land” – an area with shell craters and filled with barbed wire

The conditions in these trenches were horrific; aside from the fear of bombardment, soldiers also had to contend with the mud, flooding and disease associated with living in such a harsh environment.

Trenches dug from English Channel to Switzerland

6,250 miles

6 to 8 feet deep

Stalemated both sides for 4 years

FIRST BATTLE OF THE SOMME

During the First Battle of the Somme - which began July 1, 1916 and lasted until mid-November – the British suffered 60,000 casualties the first day

Final casualties for the First Battle of the Somme totaled 1.2 million, yet only 7 miles of ground was gained

This bloody trench warfare, in which armies fought for mere yards of ground, lasted for three years

Gas attacks were common features of trench life and often caused

blindness and lung disease

The Eastern Front• 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• Much more mobile more than the West

– But loss of life still very high– 1915: 2.5 million Russians killed,

captured, or wounded

Life in the Trenches

• Boredom– Soldiers read to pass

the time– Sarah Bernhardt came

out to the front to read poetry to the soldiers

• We all had on us the stench of dead bodies.” Death numbed the soldier’s minds.

• Shell shock• Psychological devastation

NEW WEAPONS USED

Machine Guns – Guns could now fire 600 rounds per minute

The Tank – New steel tanks ran on caterpillar treads

Flame Throwers

Airplanes – Early dogfights resembled duals, however by 1918 the British had a fleet of planes that could deliver bomb loads

Poison Gas – mustard gas was used to subdue the enemy

Poison Gas

• Germans used Chlorine gas 1915

• Phosgene: an improved lung gas

• Mustard gas: no smell and its effect were not noticed for 12 hours

• 1st used in 1916 by Brits at the Battle of the Somme

• Tank limitations: a speed of four mph and restricted to forward fire

• Mechanically very primitive At the Battle of Amien 1918, allied commanders had 342 tanks available the first day

• 145 on the second• 85 on the third• 38 on the fourth• 6 on the fifth day!

The changes of war-Airplanes• Airplanes

– Dog fights in the air– Bombing inaccurate– Romanticized the

battlefields– Paris and London bombed– Pilots fired pistols and

threw hand grenades• Fragile w/limited speed• Limited to:

1. surveillance: observation 2. “dog fighting” – personal combat (public loved this.)

AMERICANS QUESTION NEUTRALITY In 1914, most Americans saw no reason to join a struggle 3,000 miles away – they wanted neutrality

Some simply did not want their sons to experience the horror of warfare

German-Americans (and some Irish-Americans) supported Germany in World War I

However, many Americans felt close to the British because of a shared ancestry and language

Most importantly, American economic interests were far stronger with the Allies

THE WAR HITS HOME During the first two years of the war, America was providing (selling) the allied forces dynamite, cannon powder, submarines, copper wire and tubing and other war material.Cash and Carry

Both the Germans and British imposed naval blockades on each other.

The Germans used U-boats (submarines) to prevent shipments to the North Atlantic

Any ship found in the waters around Britain would be sunkUnrestricted Sub Warfare.

German U-boat 1919

THE LUSITANIA DISASTER United States involvement in World War I was hurried up by the Lusitania disaster

The Lusitania was a British passenger liner that carried 1,198 persons on a fateful trip on May 7, 1915

A German U-boat sank the British passenger liner killing all aboard including 128 American tourists. No warning.

The Germans claimed the ship was carrying Allied ammunition. It was! 4,200 cases of guns.

Americans were outraged and public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers

1916 ELECTION The November 1916 election pitted incumbent Democrat Woodrow Wilson vs. Republican candidate Supreme Court justice Charles Evans Hughes

Wilson won a close election using the slogan, “He kept us out of war”

That slogan would prove ironic because within a few months the United States would be embroiled in World War I

Wilson

AMERICA EDGES CLOSER TO WAR

Several factors came together to bring the U.S. into the war;

1) Germany ignored Wilson’s plea for peace 2) The Zimmerman Note, a telegram from the German foreign minister to the German Ambassador in Mexico, proposed an alliance Germany promised Mexico a return of their “lost territory” in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona3) Next came the sinking of four unarmed U.S. merchant ships by German subs

AMERICA DECLARES WAR

A light drizzle fell on Washington on April 2, 1917, as senators, representatives, ambassadors, members of the Supreme Court, and other guests crowded into the Capital building to hear Wilson deliver his declaration of war

Wilson said, “The world must be safe for democracy”

Congress passed the resolution a few days later

The U.S. involvement in WWI ended a long tradition of avoiding

involvement in European conflicts…

…and set the stage for the U.S. to emerge as a global superpower later in the 20th century.

AMERICAN POWER TIPS THE BALANCE

America was not ready for war – only 200,000 men were in service when war was declared

Congress passed the Selective Service Act in May of 1917 Draft

By the end of 1918, 24 million had signed up and almost 3 million were called to duty

FRESH U.S. SOLDIERS JOIN FIGHT

After 2 ½ years of fighting, the Allied forces were exhausted

One of the main contributions of the Americans was fresh and enthusiastic troops

American infantry were nicknamed “doughboys” because of their white belts

Most doughboys had never ventured far from the farms or small towns they lived in

When Russia surrendered to the Germans in 1917, it allowed the Central Powers to focus on the Western Front. Lucky U.S. had joined. Russia now communist!

By May, the Germans were within 50 miles of Paris

The Americans arrived and immediately played a major role in pushing the Germans backIn July and August the Americans helped the Allies win the Second Battle of the Marne

AMERICAN TROOPS GO ON THE OFFENSIVE

AMERICAN WAR HERO

Alvin York, a blacksmith from Tennessee, originally sought an exemption from the war as a Conscientious Objector

York eventually decided it was morally acceptable to fight if the cause was right

On October 8, 1918, armed with only a rifle and a revolver, York killed 25 Germans and (with six doughboys) captured 132 prisoners

Upon his return home he was promoted to Sergeant and hailed a hero

GERMANY COLLAPSES, WORLD WAR I ENDS

On November 3, 1918, Germany’s partner, Austria-Hungary, surrendered to the Allies

That same day, German sailors mutinied against their government

Other revolts followed, and Germany was too exhausted to continue

So at the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month of 1918, Germany signed a truce (armistice) ending the Great War

THE WAR AT HOMEPerformed a Production Miracle

The entire U.S. economy was focused on the war effort

The shift from a consumer economy to war economy required business and government working together

In the process, the power of the U.S. government expanded

Congress gave President Wilson direct control over the economy

SELLING THE WAR The U.S. had two major tasks; raising money and convincing the public to support the war

The U.S. spent $35.5 billion on the war effort

The government raised about 1/3 of that through an income tax and “sin” taxes

The rest was raised through war bonds sold to the public (Liberty Loans & Victory Loans)

VICTORY GARDENS To conserve food, Wilson set up the Food Administration (FA) The FA declared one day a week “meatless” another “sweetless” and two days “wheatless” Homeowners planted “victory gardens” in their yards Schoolchildren worked after-school growing tomatoes and cucumbers in public parks Farmers increased production by almost 30% by adding 40 million acres of farmland

PROPAGANDA To popularize the war, the government set up the nations first propaganda agency called the Committee on Public Information (CPI)

George Creel led the agency and persuaded many of the nation’s artists to create thousands of paintings, posters, cartoons and sculptures to promote the war

SOCIAL CHANGE DURING THE WAR

The greatest effect of the First World War on the African American population was that it sped up the Great Migration

The Great Migration was when hundreds of thousands of blacks from the south moved to Northern cities

They left to escape discrimination and to seek greater job opportunities

Popular destinations included Chicago, New York and Philadelphia

WOMEN IN THE WAR Many women were called upon to take on jobs previously held by men who were serving in the war

They became railroad workers, cooks, dockworkers, factory workers, and miners

Many women served as volunteers in organizations such as the Red Cross

Their service helped the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 giving women the right to vote

THE FLU EPIDEMIC In the fall of 1918, the United States suffered a home-front crises when a flu epidemic affected 25% of the population

Mines shut down, telephone service was cut in half, factory work was delayed

Cities ran short on coffins while corpses lay unburied for as long as a week

The epidemic killed as many as 500,000 in the U.S. before it disappeared in 1919

Worldwide the epidemic killed 30 million people

Despite the hero’s welcome he received in Europe, Wilson’s plan for peace would be rejected by the Allies Wilson’s plan was called the “Fourteen points”

Included in his “points” were: No secret treaties

Freedom of the Seas

More free trade

Reduction of arms

Less colonialism

League of Nations pt 14 keep peace “Baby” to United Nation’s “Adult”

WILSON FIGHTS FOR PEACE

ALLIES REJECT WILSON”S PLAN, SIGN TREATY

The Big Four leaders, Wilson (U.S.), Clemenceau (France), Lloyd George (England), and Orlando (Italy), worked out the Treaty’s details

Wilson gave in on most of his 14 points in return for the creation of the League of Nations

On June 28, 1919, the Big Four and the leaders of the defeated nations gathered in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and signed the Treaty of Versailles

TREATY OF VERSAILLES The Treaty created nine new

nations including; Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia

The Treaty broke up the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire empires

Created Mandates: Babysitting Land

The Treaty said Germany could not have an army, made them give Alsace-Lorraine back to France, and forced them to pay $33 billion in reparations (war damages) to the Allies

What was the League of Nations?

• International group formed

after World War I

to settle disputes or

disagreements peacefully

But…The United States decided NOT to join the League of Nations…

because…the U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles

WHY? The United States

thought the nation should return to a

policy of “isolation” or

remaining separate from

other countries

and so… Never joined the League of Nations

BUT…The other

countries signed the

Versailles Treaty and so formed the League of Nations

THE WEAKNESS OF THE TREATY

The harsh treatment of Germany prevented the Treaty from creating a lasting peace in Europe

The Treaty humiliated the Germans by forcing them to admit sole responsibility for the war (War-Guilt Clause)

Furthermore, Germany would never be able to pay $33 billion in reparations

THE LEGACY OF WWI At home, the war strengthened both the military and the power of the government

The propaganda campaign provoked powerful fears in society

For many countries the war created political instability and violence that lasted for years

Russia established the first Communist state during the war

Americans called World War I, “The War to end all Wars” --- however unresolved issues would eventually drag the U.S. into an even deadlier conflict

The United States wanted to remain The United States wanted to remain neutral in neutral in

WWI…WWI…

But…

• Cultural ties to the Allies

• The desire to make money through trade

• The use of German submarine warfare…

…brought the U.S. into the war