Download Europe 1914 - Northern Highlands

Europe 1914
The First World War:

Why?
Long term –
1. The European experience
2. Alliance system
3. Imperialist Competition
4. Stockpiling of Weapons
The ‘isms’
1. Nationalism
2. Imperialism
3. Militarism
Short term - Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
Treaty of Frankfurt , 1871
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Ended the Franco Prussian War
Defined border between Germany/France
Alsace-Lorraine
The First World War:

Who?
Central Powers:
Allies:
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
Bulgaria
Russia
France
Great Britain
---------------------------Italy
Japan
United States (1917)
Who?
Central Powers

Central Powers (Triple Alliance)
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Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ottoman Empire –
later Bulgaria & Italy (briefly)
Kaiser Wilhelm II, Mehmed V, & Franz Joseph
Who?
Triple Entente

Triple Entente or Allied Powers

Loose alignment between the United Kingdom,
France, and Russia
Leaders
•England – King George V - Prime Minister
Herbert Henry Asquith, then David Lloyd
George
•France – George Clemenceau
•Russia – Tsar Nicholas II
The First World War:
The Crisis 1.
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28 June 1914
Heir to Austrian throne
Franz Ferdinand visits
Sarajevo.
Austria seizing Bosnia.
Hotbed of Slav
nationalism
Seal of the
Black Hand
group
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
• June 28, 1914 Franz
Ferdinand of Austria
toured Sarajevo
• Gavrilo Principe
shot/killed the
Archduke
• Austrians blame Serbia
for supporting
terrorists.
Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and
his Wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg one
hour before their deaths, June 28, 1914
• The assassination
sparked the First
World War
The Path to War

Germany supports Austria
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Russia mobilizes in support of
Serbia
Germany demands that Russia
stands her armies down.


Habsburgs (WHO?) send an
ultimatum to Serbia
Austro-Hungarian Empire
declares war on Serbia on July
28th
Russia refuses
Germany declares war on
Russia on August 1, 1914
The Path to War

(August 2) Germany
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declared war on France
demanded Belgium give access to German troops
Belgium denies
(August 4) Great Britain declared war on
Germany

for violating Belgian neutrality
Perceptions about World War I (at the time) 
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Excitement – “defend against aggressors”
Modern warfare would be quick (“Home by Christmas”
War a glorious adventure
Which side should the US pick?
US proclaims Neutrality
Allies:
Central Powers:
•11 million GermanAmericans
•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:
Nations
Britain
France
Germany
1914
1915
1916
$594,271,863 $911,794,954 $1,526,685,102
$159,818,924 $364,397,170 $628,851,988
$344,794,276 $28,863,354
$288,899
WAR – Schlieffen Plan

Schlieffen Plan – Germany’s military plan to
avoid a two front war
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Invade France through Belgium (“Knock out blow”)
Defeat France, then concentrate on Eastern Front
Does not account for British mobilizing quickly.
The Battle of the Marne
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the Marne dictates the rest of
the war
Sept 5-12, 1914
Ends the German offensive
into France

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French stopped the Germans
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outskirts of Paris.
could not push back
Stalemate
Soldiers dug trenches for
shelter

Begins four years of trench
warfare on the Western Front