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Unit 1: The First World War
1914-1918
Unit: Essential Question
To what extent was “the war
to make the world a safe for
democracy” a success
failure?
• Also known as …
• The War to end all Wars
• The Great War
• The First World War
• Some WWI Firsts
– First industrialized conflict; modern technology
introduced
– First use of chlorine & mustard gas (Germans)
– First use of the flame thrower & automatic
machine guns
The skin of victims of mustard gas blistered, the eyes
became very sore and they began to vomit. Mustard
gas caused internal and external bleeding and attacked
the bronchial tubes, stripping off the mucous membrane.
This was extremely painful and most soldiers had to be
strapped to their beds. It usually took a person four or
five weeks to die of mustard gas poisoning. One nurse,
Vera Brittain, wrote: "I wish those people who talk about
going on with this war whatever it costs could see the
soldiers suffering from mustard gas poisoning. Great
mustard-colored blisters, blind eyes, all sticky and stuck
together, always fighting for breath, with voices a mere
whisper, saying that their throats are closing and they
know they will choke."
– First tank battle (Germans vs British)
– First use of mass airplanes
– First fighter pilot, Eddie Rickenbacker-America’s most
successful fighter ace in the war
– First use of x-ray in the military
– First use of a blood bank
– First use of guide dogs by blinded soldiers
– First four-star general, General John J. Pershing
– First use of “trillion” in estimating war costs
– First commissioning of war art for propaganda
– 1917 use of the IQ Test given to Doughboysnickname of WWI soldier
– First U.S. president to visit a European country
while in office- Woodrow Wilson on 12/04/1918
Propaganda- material disseminated by the
advocates or opponents of a doctrine or cause
– Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread
widely to help or harm a person, group, movement,
institution, nation, etc…………
Focus Question
What are the four MAIN
causes of
World War I?
•
MAIN Causes of World War I
1. Nationalism- a devotion to the interests and
culture of one’s nation.
–
Having an extreme sense of pride in your country
- often, nationalism led to rivalries among
nations.
- in this atmosphere of competition, many feared
Germany’s growing power in Europe.
- Various ethnic groups resented domination by
others and longed for their nation’s to become
independent. Many ethnic groups looked to larger
nations for protection. Russia regarded itself as the
protector of Europe’s Slavic people, no matter
which government they lived under.
- Among these Slavic people were the Serbs. Serbia
was an independent nation, but millions of Serbs
lived under the rule of Austria-Hungary
- As a result, Austria-Hungary and Russia were rivals
for influence over Serbia.
2. Imperialism- the policy of extending a
nation’s authority over other countries by
economic, political, or military means
– Empire building, taking over other countries for your own
3. Militarism- the development of armed
forces and their use as a tool of diplomacy.
– Building up arms and armies
– As a result, countries began to build up their
Arms in battle to “out do” one another
4. Alliance System- taking
sides, or developing enemies
• Britain had the world’s largest and strongest
Navy
– By 1897, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany decided that
his nation should become a major sea power.
– The U.S.A., Italy, France, and Japan soon joined the
naval arms race.
• The Balkan Peninsula was known as the
“Powder Keg” of Europe.
• Russia- wanted access to the Mediterranean
• Germany- wanted a Rail line to Ottoman
Empire
• Serbian resistance
• Assassination Leads to War- this was the spark
that led to the explosion in the Balkans
Franz Ferdinand
of
Austria-Hungary
Gavrilo Princip
BOSNIA
Sarajevo is the
capital of Bosnia.
Bosnia was under
the rule of AustriaHungary but it was
the home to many
Serbian people.
*Serbian
nationalists
viewed the
Austrians as
foreign oppressors
• When news of the archduke’s visit reached
members of the “Black Hand” terrorist group,
they knew immediately what they were going to
do.
• June 28th was the day of the visit to Sarajevo
– June 28th, 1389- Serbia conquered by Ottoman
empire
– June 28th, 1912- Serbia freed itself from Turkish
rule
THE ASSASSINATION
• 22 conspirators were located along the route
from the railroad station to town hall
• A grenade was thrown, several officers riding in
his attendance were injured, the archduke was
ok
• Franz Ferdinand ignored suggestions to leave
and asked to see one of his injured officers
• One of the corners was very sharp, and the car
had to slow down significantly to make the turn
• Gavrilo Princip sprang from his spot and fired
two shots. The first hit Ferdinand’s wife, Sophie,
in the abdomen. She was pregnant at the time
and died instantly. The second shot hit
Ferdinand next to the heart- he died almost
instantly. He uttered one last word, “Sofia” -a
call to his stricken wife.
• July 28th- Austria-Hungary declared war on
Serbia ( the support of Germany was a
major reason why this happened- Germany
gave Austria-Hungary a support system
* The alliance system pulled one nation after another
into the conflict
– Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary
– Germany declared war on Russia
– Germany invaded Belgium (Schlieffen Plan)
– Britain declared war on Germany & AustriaHungary
23
Alliances during WWI
Triple Entente (Allied Powers)
Great Britain (UK)
France
Russia
Japan-few weeks later (Aug. 1914)
Italy-1915
US-1917
Serbia
Triple Alliance (Central Powers)
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Italy-1914
Bulgaria-1915
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Focus Question
Why was trench warfare utilized
during WWI and what were the
affects on soldiers?
• The Fighting Starts
• The Schlieffen Plan– Germany’s plan to avoid fighting a two-front war
(one against the Russians to the east, and one
against the French to the west)
– Germany thought that Russia’s huge military would
take a long time to mobilize- during that time
Germany would invade Belgium and then swing
south behind French lines and capture Paris. Then,
they could concentrate their efforts on Russia.
– Germany expected a quick victory in Belgium but
the forces there gave strong resistance
– This unexpected resistance allowed the Russians to
get their troops closer to Germany- the Schlieffen
plan was failing. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed
• Trench Warfare and a deadly stalemate
The Trenches
• When mobility was halted, troops dug in
• Trenches had different layers
• Traditional charge tactics were used
• New weapons made these tactics very costly
• Charging into machine gun fire killed many men quickly
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The organization of the trench system
No-man’s land
Trench rats
Over-the-top/trench warfare
Artillery, then attack
The fight over just yards of ground
Machine-gun fire
Planes
Gas Warfare
Shell Shock
PTSD- “Johnny Got His Gun”- victim example
• The British Blockade
– They blockaded the German coast to prevent the
movement of weapons, military supplies, and most
importantly, food!
– They extended their blockade to neutral ports and
mined the entire North Sea.
– By 1917, famine spread throughout Germany
– An estimated 750,000 Germans starved to death
as a result of the British blockade
• The German U-boat response
German U-boat
• Germany responded to the British blockade
with a counter-blockade using U-boats and
forming “wolf packs”
– Any British or Allied ship found in the waters around
Britain would be sunk- and it would not always be
possible to warn crews and passengers of an
attack.
• Sinking of the Lusitania
– Torpedoed by a German U-boat
– 1,198 people were killed (128 Americans)
– Germany defended their actions by saying the ship
carried ammunition
– This outraged many Americans
• Germany goes too far
• President Woodrow Wilson wanted to remain
neutral, but was finally pushed too far
– Germany sank 6 more vessels, all having American
passengers aboard
• American Neutrality:
• Since fighting against Great Britain in the War of 1812,
the U.S. had remained neutral and uninvolved in
conflicts in Europe
• In 1914 most Americans including President Wilson
believed the war in Europe did not involve U.S.
interests
– Unclear of which side to support (GB or Germany?)
• Why do you suppose?
– War was too far removed from home
• The Atlantic Ocean was viewed as a great
barrier that separated the U.S. from Europe
• As a neutral nation, the U.S. could continue to
trade with any other country
– But a “neutral” nation could not….
1) Shelter war ships in ports, train troops, or sell weapons
and munitions to either side
• Private companies or banks, however, could
still make loans or sell weapons to the
governments of combatant nations
• Wilson was adamant that the U.S. government
abide by the terms of neutrality set by the
London Declaration (1909 negotiation by
Britain, Germany, the United States, and other
nations concerning the terms of neutrality)
• Wilson could not however prevent private
transactions with both sides
• Highly profitable enterprise during wartime
• Between 1914-1916 American companies’
trade in munitions increased from $40 million to
$1.3 billion
• Private banks issued loans of $27 million to
Central Powers and $2.2 billion to the Allies
• This trade helped the U.S. out of an economic
slump
• Wilson’s desire for America to steer clear of the
conflict- Isolationism; and to remain neutral
was ultimately unsuccessful
• The Zimmermann Note
– Telegram from German foreign minister to the
German ambassador in Mexico which stated:
• A proposed alliance between Mexico & Germany if the
U.S. entered the war
• Germany would support Mexico in recovering lost territory
in New Mexico, Texas, & Arizona
• This telegram was intercepted by British agents
Zimmerman telegram-coded &
decoded
Focus Question
Why did the U.S. turn from a
position of isolationism and
neutrality to entering World
War I?
• What major events (political, economic,
military, and social) influenced the U.S.
decision to enter into WWI?
1) Unrestricted Submarine WarfareGermany announced it’s U-boats
(submarines) would once again sink all ships
entering British waters despite having signed
the Sussex Pledge.
2) The Zimmermann Telegram
3) The Russian Revolution- In 1917 the Russian
Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and the U.S.
expected Russia would have a democratic
government. Therefore, the U.S. felt
comfortable joining the Allies
• How did the U.S. Government prepare
resources and rally public opinion for the
war effort?
• Although neutral, the U.S. decided to prepare
for the war through a military build-up after
German submarines sank a number of
passenger ships including the R.M.S Lusitania
• Propaganda rallies begin…
• Committee on Public Information was
created
• How did the U.S. make the final decision to
declare war on Germany?
• President Woodrow Wilson urged Congress to
declare war against Germany in order to
“make the world safe for democracy”
• The U.S. backs the Allies- NOT the Central
Powers
• Allies: (Great Britain, Russia, France)
• Central Powers: (Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire)
• Decision making process…
• The U.S. and Great Britain shared similar
values, customs, and language
• The U.S. recognized the support of France
during the American Revolution
• Both the U.S. and France were democratic
nations, where as their enemies were ruled by
monarchs
• The U.S. maintained trade with Britain including
millions of dollars of war materials
• The U.S. was fearful of German economic
power. If Germany were to gain control of the
Atlantic, U.S. trade with other nations would be
stymied
• U.S. public opinion was influenced by British
and French propaganda against Germany
Focus Question
What impact did World War I
have on the U.S. socially,
politically, and
economically?
• How did the war affect Americans at home?
• The Selective Service Act of 1917 authorized
a military draft of young men. It was opposed
by Pacifists, Socialists, Anarchists and
some Progressives.
• With the help of the government, the economy
shifted from a peacetime economy to a
wartime economy.
• What does this mean?
• Women worked at jobs vacated by men who
had gone to fight
• The Espionage Act 1917 and Sedition Act of
1918 restricted freedom of speech
• If you were caught speaking out against the war
effort imprisonment was the often result
• Mutiny
• Eugene V. Debs was convicted under the Sedition
Act of 1918 for making an antiwar speech. While in
prison, he ran for president of the Socialist Party ticket
and received over 900,000 votes
And….
• Schenck vs The United States- The Supreme Court
upheld the constitutionality of The Espionage Act
under which Charles Schenck was convicted of
distributing anti-draft leaflets through the mail
• Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Homes
said that the right to Free Speech was not
absolute
• In comparison…
• Should the U.S. Government restrict the rights
of students to express their political opinions
about the War Against Terror on their
Facebook pages??
What were the major effects on the lives of
women and minorities during World War I?
• As America went to war, minorities and women
were able to assume jobs previously held by
white men in factories and shipyards
• Mexicans immigrated to the South West (CA,
AZ, NM) to work agricultural jobs
• More than 260,000 African American Men
joined the armed forces
• Who do you suppose received priority when
returning American soldiers at the end of
the war were in need of jobs?
• White veterans wished to return to their normal jobs
• Black veterans expected to find better jobs after their
military service
• Women and Mexicans hoped to continue working in
their respected industries
• The Spanish Flu pandemic spread across the
world largely due to World War I soldiers
returning home from war
– Unusually severe/deadly
• Shell shock often experienced
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRv56gsqk
zs
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) a
long term effect
• America brings a “Breath of Fresh Air”
•
• America brought numbers (about 2 million troops),
financial aid to the Allies, and most importantly they
brought a much-needed morality boost.
• The Convoy system
• The Great Migration
• War Bonds
• Alvin York- America’s greatest WWI hero
– Carried small revolver and knife
– Captured 125 prisoners with 6 other soldiers
– Killed 25 Germans with limited resources
• War Industries Board (WIB)
– Established in 1917
– Encouraged companies to use mass-production to
increase efficiency
– Fuel Administration promoted “gasless Sundays”
and “lightless nights”
– Introduced Daylight Savings time (first proposed
by Ben Franklin in the 1770’s as a way to take
advantage of the longer days of summer)
• Replaces artificial lighting in an effort to conserve fuel for
the war
• Food Administration
– Established to help produce and conserve food
– Herbert Hoover was the leader
– Advocated “meatless Mondays”
– Homeowners were urged to plant “victory
gardens”
– American food shipments to the Allies tripled
Focus Question:
What were President Wilson’s 14
Points and what was he trying to
achieve with his plan?
• In anticipation of the Allies winning the war
over Germany, why did Woodrow Wilson
believe that a “peace without victory” would
help avoid future wars?
• Wilson develops The 14 Points
• Former President Theodore Roosevelt was a
critic of Wilson claiming that peace must “be
obtained by machine guns and not typewriters”
Wilson’s 14 Points
• Called for…
– An end to secret alliances #1-5
– Restoration of freedom in the seas #1-5
– Reduction of arms #1-5
– Self Determination #6-13
– European colonial powers to respect the native
people #6-13
– Boundary changes to allow different ethnic groups
to create nations #6-13
– **Nations to join into an organization to secure
world peace (League of Nations)** #14
• German officials agreed to surrender, believing
that Wilson’s Fourteen Points would be the
blueprint for the negotiation to be held in Paris
• However…
• The terms specified in the Fourteen Points
didn’t directly outline what would be spelled out
in the Treaty of Versailles- document that
would officially end the war
• The Collapse of Germany
– German troops were exhausted and starving
– November 3, 1918- Austria-Hungary surrendered to
the Allies; that same day, German sailors mutinied
against government authority. The mutiny spread
quickly.
– At the 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month
of 1918, Germany agreed to a cease-fire and
signed the Armistice, or truce, that officially ended
the war.
• Notes of interest
• November 11 becomes U.S. national holiday
(WWI Veterans Day- later just Veterans Day)
• Peace symbol is represented as two guns
resting against a tree
The Paris Peace Conference
Objective: Determine a Peace agreement that
would end WWI
• France sends invitations to countries that could
be considered on the Allied side to participate in
the conference
• The allies were angered by Germany and
wanted them to pay
• Representatives from over 30 nations came to
Paris- all expected to participate…
• For the most part, however, matters were
decided by the BIG FOUR
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President Woodrow Wilson- US
Premier Georges Clemenceau- France
Prime Minister David Lloyd George- GB
Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando- Italy
THE BIG FOUR:
• Why did Germany and Russia not
participate in the conference?
• French anger and resentment over its war loses
kept Germany out of the discussions
• All BIG FOUR members feared and distrusted
Vladamir Lenin’s new Russian Bolshevik
government and kept it away from Paris
Peace Conference Outcome:
• Wilson’s hope that his 14 Points would be
turned into reality was shot down
– The German’s were also hoping this would become
reality
– Remember why they surrendered?
• “Peace without victory” was not shared by the
other committee members
• The Treaty of Versailles was written
Focus Question
How did the Treaty of
Versailles set the stage for
World War II?
• The Treaty of Versailles – How it lead us into a war that was
even worse, WWII
– Barred Germany from maintaining an army
– Required Germany to return the Alsace-Lorraine region to
France (rich agricultural area)
– Forced Germany to pay over $33 billion in reparations to the
Allies
• Impossible for Germany to repay
– War Guilt Clause: Forced Germany to admit sole
responsibility for starting WWI
– The only one of Wilson’s 14 Points that was adopted was his
idea for the League of Nations
– Hitler’s Feelings
• Division of Land
• Russia and Germany lost land and colonies and
new nations were created
– Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia
• Austria and Hungary were divided into two nations
• Ottoman Empire was divided into 5 areas that were
given to France and Britain
• Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq
German Reaction to treaty:
• They were shocked when they saw that the terms
contained few of Wilson’s original 14 points.
• Feelings of betrayal set in
• Hesitated to sign the treaty
• In the end, the Allies threatened to resume the war if
they failed to comply
• Problems/short comings of the Treaty…
o Russia was dealing with a civil war and was not
present
• Land was taken from them to create new nations
• They lost more land than Germany
o Germany was humiliated
• Anger started building up and erupted later in WWII
o The peace treaty for “the war to end all wars”
ignited another world war that started building in the
1930s
o Many political figures upset with the treaty’s foreign
policy entanglements and feared that it would take from
Congress the power to declare war
o Some felt the League of Nations would compromise the
sovereignty of the U.S.& entangle us into foreign
conflicts (ARTICLE X)
o Senator Henry Cabot Lodge- R/MA
o June 28, 1919- Treaty of Versailles was signed
o United States did NOT ratify the treaty
Focus Question
How did Europe change
politically and
geographically between
1914 and 1919?