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CLASS
IX
CBSE-i
UNIT 3
HISTORY
WORLD WAR
ONE
STUDENTS’ MANUAL
Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India
WORLD WAR 1
WORLD WAR 1
CBSE-i
HISTORY
WORLD WAR 1
STUDENTS’ MANUAL
CLAS S
IX
UNIT-3
Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India
WORLD WAR 1
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WORLD WAR 1
Preface
Education plays the most important role in acquiring professional and social skills and a positive attitude to face thechallenges of
life. Curriculum is a comprehensive plan of any educational programme. It is also one of the means of bringing about qualitative
improvement in an educational system. The Curriculum initiated by Central Board of Secondary Education-International
(CBSE-i) is a progressive step in making the educational content responsive to global needs. It signifies the emergence of a fresh
thought process in imparting a curriculum which would restore the independence of the learner to pursue the learning process
in harmony with the existing personal, social and cultural ethos.
The CBSE introduced the CBSE-i curriculum as a pilot project in few schools situated outside India in 2010 in classes I and IX and
extended the programme to classes II, VI and X in the session 2011-12. It is going to be introduced in classes III, VII and for Senior
Secondary classes with class XI in the session 2012-13.
The Senior Secondary stage of education decides the course of life of any student. At this stage it becomes extremely important
for students to develop the right attitude, a willingness to learn and an understanding of the world around them to be able to
take right decisions for their future. The senior secondary curriculum is expected to provide necessary base for the growth of
knowledge and skills and thereby enhance a student's potential to face the challenges of global competitiveness. The CBSE-i
Senior Secondary Curriculum aims at developing desired professional, managerial and communication skills as per the
requirement of the world of work. CBSE-i is for the current session offering curriculum in ten subjects i.e. Physics Chemistry,
Biology, Accountancy, Business-Studies, Economics, Geography, ICT, English, Mathematics I and Mathematics II. Mathematics
at two levels caters to the differing needs of students of pure sciences or commerce.
The Curriculum has been designed to nurture multiple intelligences like linguistic or verbal intelligence, logical mathematical
intelligence, spatial intelligence, sports intelligence, musical intelligence, inter-personal intelligence and intra-personal
intelligence.
The Core skills are the most significant aspects of a learner's holistic growth and learning curve. The objective of this part of the
core of curriculum is to scaffold the learning experiences and to relate tacit knowledge with formal knowledge. This involves
trans-disciplinary linkages that would form the core of the learning process. Perspectives, SEWA (Social Empowerment through
Work and Action), Life Skills and Research would be the constituents of this 'Core'. The CBSE-i Curriculum evolves by building
on learning experiences inside the classroom over a period of time. The Board while addressing the issues of empowerment with
the help of the schools' administering this system strongly recommends that practicing teachers become skilful and lifelong
learners and also transfer their learning experiences to their peers through the interactive platforms provided by the Board.
The success of this curriculum depends upon its effective implementation and it is expected that the teachers will make efforts to
create better facilities, develop linkages with the world of work and foster conducive environment as per recommendations
made in the curriculum document.
I appreciate the effort of Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Training), CBSE and her team involved in the development of this
document. I specially appreciate the efforts of (Late) Dr. Srijata Das for working tirelessly towards meeting deadlines.
The CBSE-i website enables all stakeholders to participate in this initiative through the discussion forums. Any further
suggestions on improving the portal are always welcome.
Vineet Joshi
Chairman, CBSE
Acknowledgements
WORLD WAR 1
Advisory
Conceptual Framework
Shri Vineet Joshi, Chairman, CBSE
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Academics & Training),
CBSE
Shri G. Balasubramanian, Former Director (Acad), CBSE
Ms. Abha Adams, Consultant, Step-by-Step School,
Noida
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Academics & Training),
CBSE
Ideators
Dr. Anju Srivastava
Ms. Varsha Seth
Ms. Sarita Manuja
Prof. Chand Kiran Saluja
Mr. N. K. Sehgal
Ms. Preeti Hans
Ms. Sunita Tanwar
Dr. Usha Sharma
Dr. Uma Chaudhry
Ms. P Rajeshwary
Ms. S. Radha Mahalakshmi
Ms. Renu Anand
Ms. Anita Sharma
Ms. Suganda Vallli
Ms. Neelima Sharma
Dr. Rajesh Hassija
Mr. Mukesh Kumar
Material Production Groups
English :
Ms. Gayatri Khannaa
Ms. Renu Anand
Ms. P. Rajeshwary
Ms. Sarabjit Kaur
Hindi :
Ms. Sunita Joshi
Ms. Babita Singh
Ms. Veena Sharma
Sh. Akshay Kumar Dixit
Core- SEWA
Ms. Vandna
Ms. Nishtha Bharati
Ms. Seema Bhandari
Ms. Seema Chopra
Ms. Madhuchhanda
Ms. Reema Arora
Ms. Neha Sharma
Chemistry
Ms. Charu Maini
Ms. S. Anjum
Physics:
Ms. Novita Chopra
Ms. Meenambika Menon
Biology :
Ms. Pooja Sareen
Ms. Neeta Rastogi
Core- Prespectives
Ms. Madhuchhanda,
RO(Innovation)
Ms. Varsha Seth,
Consultant
Ms. Neha Sharma
Mathematics :
Dr. K.P. Chinda
Dr. Ram Avtar
Mr. Mahendra Shankar
Mr. J.C. Nijhawan
Ms. Rashmi Kathuria
Ms. Reemu Verma
Ms. Arti
Ms. Himani Ashija
Economics:
Ms. Anubha Malhotra
Ms. Vintee Sharma
Ms. Chaitali Sengupta
Core-Research
Ms. Renu Anand
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
Dr. N. K. Sehgal
Ms. Anita Sharma
Ms. Rashmi Kathuria
Ms. Neha Sharma
Ms. Neeta Rastogi
Ms. Manjushtha Bose
Ms. Varsha Manku
Dr. K. L. Chopra
ICT:
Mr. Yogesh Kumar
Ms. Nancy Sehgal
Ms. Purvi Srivastava
Ms. Babita Mahajan
Ms. Ritu Arora
Ms. Swati Panhani
Ms. Chanchal Chandna
Geography:
Ms. Meena Bharihoke
Ms. Parul Tyagi
Ms. Sudha Tyagi
Ms. Sonia Jarul
Ms. Neena Phogat
Mr. Nisheeth Kumar
History:
Ms. Sajal Chawala
Ms. Jyoti Sharma
Ms. Kamma Khurana
Ms. Shalini Chatarvedi
Mr. Dalia Haldar
Ms. Preeti Gupta
Political Science:
Dr. Sangeetha Mathur
Ms. Ananya Roy
Ms. Sunita Rathee
Ms. Amarjit Kaur
Ms. Nishu Sharma
Ms. Manisha Anthwal
Ms. Mamta Talwar
Chief Co-ordinator : Ms. Kshipra Verma, EO
Coordinators:
(Late) Dr. Srijata Das, EO
Shri R. P. Singh, AEO
Ms. Deepa Shukla
Consultant (Biology)
Ms. S. Radha Mahalakshmi, EO
Ms. Monika Munjal Gandhi
(Co-ordinator)
Ms. Reema Arora
Consultant (Chemistry)
Mr. Navin Maini, RO (Tech)
Sh. R. P. Sharma
Consultant (Science)
Ms. Prabhjot Kaur
Consultant (Social Studies)
Shri Al Hilal Ahmed, AEO
Ms. Neelima Sharma,
Consultant (English)
Mr. Sanjay Sachdeva, DO
WORLD WAR 1
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgement
1. Introduction
2. Why was it called a World War?
1
1-3
3. Factors leading to the war with special reference to immediate cause:
?
Militarism
?
Alliances
4
5-7
?
Imperialism
8
?
Nationalism
9-10
4. Course of the war
A. Western Front
16-17
B. Eastern Front
18
C. War on other fronts
?
The Italian Front
21
?
The Dardanelles
21
?
Eastern Europe
22
5. The different war fare practices during World War I
?
Trench war
22-23
?
War at Sea
24
?
War in the Air
25
6. Withdrawal of Russia
26
7. Entry of USA
?
Mobilization
28
?
Troops in Europe
29
?
The last campaign
8. Effects of the war
29-30
41
A. Economic consequences
32
B. Political consequences
33
C. Social consequences
34
D. Peace Treaties
35
WORLD WAR–I
INTRODUCTION
World War I was a major conflict fought in Europe and around the world between July
28th 1914 and November 11th 1918. Nations across all non-polar continents were
involved, although Russia, Britain, France, Germany and Austria-Hungary dominated,
but much of the war was characterized by stagnant warfare and massive loss of life in
failed attacks.
Map showing the countries of the world involved in the world war.
Why was it called World War?
Until 1939, the war of 1914 – 1918 was called the ‗Great war‘. There had been wars
before, but nothing on the scale of the fighting of 1914 – 1918 and no war that had
affected the civilian populations of so many different countries. It was with some
justification, therefore, that it became known as not just a Great War, but as ‗World
War‘. It caused greater destruction than any other war except for World War II (1939 –
1945) and a system of military alliances (agreements) plunged the main European
powers into the fight. Each side expected quick victory. But the war lasted for four years
and took the lives of nearly 10 million troops.
1
The nature of the warfare changed considerably between 1914 -1918. It was more
focused on wearing down the enemy‘s resources rather than relying on military tactics.
Weapons and armaments developed on a new scale throughout the war. Theorists
rightly argued afterwards that aircraft and tanks were the weapons of the future, and
that war would become more mobile and faster-moving.
However, it was not only military change that made the World War I so distinctive
from wars that had come before. Civilians were involved in this war more than ever
before, both in assisting the war effort and as targets for enemy attacks. Civilians of
enemy origin were often persecuted – a sign that this was a war between peoples as
well as armies. The war undoubtedly had profound consequences in terms of lives lost,
but also in terms of political, territorial, social and economic change.
The casualty rates of the war led to a collective trauma shared by many from all
participating countries. Those who fought in the war were referred to as the Lost
Generation. For years afterwards, the terrible wounds suffered by so many were visible
everywhere, and mental disturbances among survivors, lasted a lifetime.
Timeline prior to World War- I
1871-
A united German Empire was proclaimed after war with France,
Germany takes away Alsace Lorraine from France
1879-
Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungry
1882-
Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungry and Italy
1894-
Franco-Russian Alliance
1904-
Anglo-French colonial entente
1907-
Anglo-Russian Entente
2
1907-
The Triple Entente: an Alliance between France, Britain and Russia.
1912-13
Balkan Crisis
Background
In the late 19th century, rivalry developed among the ‗Great Powers‘ of Europe, which
competed to enhance their empires and expand their colonial possessions. European
states also found themselves in economic competition, battling for control of trade and
markets. This rivalry was fuelled by National insecurities and enmities arising from 19th
century conflicts.
1.
From 1870, an arms race developed which saw most countries increasing their
armies and turning to more sophisticated weapons and tactics. The growth of
Nationalism was accompanied by an upsurge in militarization, as countries
prepared to mobilize for war. Meanwhile, a system of alliances and treaties
evolved, which meant that any conflict was likely to lead to a war throughout
Europe and beyond.
2.
In the early 20th C the break-up of the Ottoman Empire was followed by
upheaval and unrest in the Balkans, as the Great Powers sought to establish their
interests in the region. Tensions were heightened by a series of crises, including
the Balkan Wars of 1912 – 13.
3.
The final trigger for war took place in the Balkans, when the heir to the AustroHungarian Empire was assassinated while on a state visit to Serbia. When
Austria‘s subsequent demands were not fully met by Serbia, Austria declared
war. The international system of alliances meant that Europe and indeed much of
the rest of the world, was soon involved in a full-scale war.
3
Factors leading to the war with special reference to immediate cause
KEY TERMS
Militarism- policy of building up strong military forces to prepare for war.
Alliances- agreements between nations to aid and protect one another.
Imperialism- when one country takes over another country economically
and politically.
Nationalism- pride in or devotion to one‘s country.
Though the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand triggered World War I the
war had its roots in the developments since 1800‘s. The chief causes of World War I
include
A.
Militarism
B.
Alliances
C.
Imperialism
D.
Nationalism
A.
Militarism
A build-up of military might occurred among European countries before World
War I broke out. Nationalism encouraged public support for military build-ups
and for a country‘s use of force to achieve its goals. By the late 1800‘s, Germany
had the best trained army in the world. It relied on forcible conscription of all ablebodied young men to increase the size and strength of its peacetime army. Other
European countries followed Germany‘s lead and expanded their standing armies.
At first, Britain remained unconcerned about Germany‘s military build-up. Britain
an island country relied on its navy for defence – and it had the world‘s strongest
4
navy. But in 1898, Germany began to develop a naval force big enough to
challenge the British navy. Germany‘s decision to become a major sea power made
it a bitter enemy of Great Britain. In 1906, the British navy launched the
Dreadnought, the first modern battleship. The heavily armed Dreadnought had
greater firepower than any other ship of its time. Germany rushed to construct
ships like it.
Advances in technology, the tools, materials and techniques of industrialization
increased the destructive power of military forces. Machine guns and other new
arms fired more accurately and more rapidly than earlier weapons. Steamships
and railroads could speed up the movement of troops and supplies. By the end of
the 1800‘s technology enabled countries to fight longer wars and bear greater
losses than ever before. Yet military experts insisted that future wars would be
short.
B.
Alliances
World War I was a major war centered in Europe that began on 28th July 1914 and
lasted until 11th November 1918. It involved all the world‘s great powers, which
were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies, also known as Triple
Entente, (consisting of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central
Powers or the Triple Alliance (comprising of Germany, Austria-Hungary and
Italy). These alliances both reorganized and expanded as more nations entered the
war.
Allied (Triple Entente) powers Central (Triple Alliance) Powers
France
Germany
British Empire
Austria-Hungary
Russia (1914 – 1917)
Ottoman Empire(1914)
5
Italy (1915 – 1918)
Bulgaria (1915 – 1918)
U.S.A. (1917 – 1918)
Italy(1915)
Romania (1916 – 1918)
Japan(1914)
Serbia
Belgium
Greece (1917 – 1918)
Portugal (1916 – 1918)
Montenegro (1914 – 1916)
On 28th July, the conflict opened with the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia,
followed by the German invasion of Belgium, Luxemburg and France and a Russian
attack against Germany. After the German march on Paris was brought to a halt, the
western Front settled into a static battle of attrition with a trench line that changed little
until 1917. In the east, the Russian army successfully fought against the AustroHungarian forces but was forced back by the German army. Additional fronts opened
after the Ottoman Empire joined the war in 1914, Italy and Bulgaria in 1915 and
Romania in 1916. The Russian Empire collapsed in March 1917 and Russia left the war
after the October Revolution later that year. After a 1918 German offensive, along the
western front, United States forces entered the trenches and the allies drove back the
German armies in a series of successful offensives. Germany, which had its own trouble
with revolutionaries at this point, agreed to a ceasefire on 11 November 1918, later
known as Armistice Day. The war had ended in victory for the Allies.
6
The Triple Alliance
Germany was at the center of European foreign policy from 1870 until the outbreak of
World War I. Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Germany‘s Prime Minister, formed a series
of alliances to strengthen his country‘s security. He first made an ally of AustriaHungry. In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary agreed to go to war if either country
were attacked by Russia. Italy joined the agreement in 1882, and it became known as the
Triple Alliance. The members of the Triple Alliance agreed to aid one another in the
case of an attack by two or more countries.
Bismarck also brought Austria-Hungary and Germany into an alliance with Russia. The
agreement known as the Three Emperor’s League was formed in 1881. The three
powers agreed to remain neutral if any of them went to war with another country.
Bismarck also persuaded Austria-Hungary and Russia, who were rivals for influence in
the Balkans, to recognize each other‘s zone of authority in the region. He thus reduced
the danger of conflict between two countries.
Germany‘s relations with other European countries deteriorated after Bismarck left
office in 1890. Bismarck had worked to prevent France, Germany‘s neighbour on the
west from forming an alliance with either of Germany‘s two neighbours to the eastRussian and Austria-Hungary. In 1894, France and Russia agreed to mobilize if any
nation in the triple alliance mobilized. France and Russia agreed to help each other if
either were attacked by Germany.
The Triple Entente – During the 1800‘s,
Britain had followed a foreign policy that
became known as “Splendid isolation”. But
Germany‘s naval build-up made Britain feel
the need for allies. The country therefore
ended its isolation. In 1904, Britain, France
settled their past disagreements over colonies
7
and signed the Entente Cordiale. Although the agreement contained no pledges of
military support, the two countries began to discuss joint military plans. In 1907, Russia
joined Entente Cordiale, and it became known as the Triple Entente.
The Triple Entente did not obligate its members to go to war as the Triple alliance did.
But the alliance left Europe divided into two opposing camps.
C.
Imperialism
During the late 1800‘s and early 1900‘s European nations carved nearly all of
Africa and much of Asia into colonies. The race for colonies was fueled by
Europe‘s increasing industrialization. Colonies supplied European nations with
raw materials for factories, markets for manufactured goods and opportunities for
investment. But the competition for colonies strained relations among European
countries. Incidents between rival powers flared up almost every year. Several of
the clashes nearly led to war.
A system of military alliances gave European powers a sense of security before
World War I. A country hoped to discourage an attack from its enemies by
entering into a military agreement with one or more other countries. In case of an
attack, such an agreement guaranteed that other members of the alliance would
come to the country‘s aid or at least remain neutral.
Although military alliances provided protection for a country, the system created
certain dangers. Because of its alliances, a country might take risks in dealings
with other nations that it would hesitate to take alone. If war came, the alliance
system meant that a number of nations would fight not only the two involved in a
dispute. Alliances could force a country to go to war against a nation it had no
quarrel with or over an issue it had no interest in. In addition, the terms of many
8
alliances were kept secret. The secrecy increased the chances that a country might
guess wrong about the consequences of its actions.
D.
Nationalism
Europe had avoided major wars in the past 100 years before World War I began.
Although small wars broke out, they did not involve many countries. During the
1800‘s, a force swept across the continent that helped bring about the Great War.
The force was Nationalism – the belief that loyalty to a person’s nation and its
political and economic goals comes before any other public loyalty. The
exaggerated form of Patriotism increased the possibility of war because a nation‘s
goals inevitably came into conflict with the goals of one or more other nations. In
addition, Nationalistic pride caused nations to magnify small disputes into major
issues. A minor complaint could thus quickly lead to the threat of war.
During the 1800‘s, the spirit of Nationalism spread amongst the people who
shared a common language, history or culture. Such people began to view
themselves as members of a National group or a Nation. Nationalism led to the
creation of two new powers – Italy and Germany, through the unification of many
small states. War played a major role in achieving National Unification in Italy and
Germany.
Nationalist policies gained enthusiastic support as many countries in Western
Europe granted the right to vote to more people. The right to vote gave citizens
greater interest and greater pride in National goals. As a result, Parliamentary
form of Governments grew increasingly powerful.
On the other hand Nationalism weakened the eastern European empires of
Austria-Hungary, Russia and Ottoman Turkey. Those empires ruled many
National groups that clamored for independence. Conflicts among National
groups were especially explosive in the Balkans – the states on the Balkan
Peninsula in southeastern Europe. The peninsula was known as the Powder Keg of
9
Europe because tensions there threatened to ignite a major war. Most of the
Balkans had been part of the Ottoman Empire. First Greece and then Montenegro,
Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania won independence in the period from 1821
to 1913. Each state quarreled with neighbours over boundaries. Austria-Hungary
and Russia also took advantage of the Ottoman Empire‘s weakness to increase
their influence in the Balkans.
Rivalry for control of the Balkans added to the tensions that erupted into World
War I. Serbia led a movement to unite the region‘s Slavs. Russia the most powerful
Slavic country supported Serbia. But Austria-Hungary feared Slavic Nationalism,
which stirred unrest in its empire. Millions of Slavs lived under Austria-Hungary‘s
rule. In 1908, Austria-Hungary greatly angered Serbia by adding the Balkan
territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina to its empire. Serbia wanted control of this area
because many Serbs lived there.
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
28th June 1914
Franz Ferdinand, aged 51, was heir to the Austro-Hungarian
Empire. He was married to Sophie Chotek von Chotvoka and
had three children. Franz Ferdinand was, however, very
unpopular because he had made it clear that once he would
become the Emperor, he will make changes.
This map, of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1914, shows that
Bosnia/Herzegovnia was controlled by Austria. Austria had
annexed (taken by force) Bosnia in 1908, a move that was not
popular with the Bosnian people.
Franz Ferdinand decided to visit Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovnia, to
10
inspect the Austro-Hungarian troops there. The inspection was scheduled for 28th June
1914. It was planned that Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie would be met at the station
and taken by car to the City Hall where they would have lunch before going to inspect the
troops.
A Serbian terrorist group, called The Black Hand, had decided that the Archduke should
be assassinated and the planned visit provided the ideal opportunity. Seven young men
who had been trained in bomb throwing and marksmanship were stationed along the
route that Franz Ferdinand's car would follow from the City Hall to the inspection.
The first two terrorists were unable to throw their grenades because the streets were too
crowded and the car was travelling quite fast. The third terrorist, a young man called
Cabrinovic, threw a grenade which exploded under the car following that of the
Archduke. Although the Archduke and his wife were unhurt, some of his attendants were
injured and had to be taken to hospital.
After lunch at the City Hall, Franz Ferdinand insisted on visiting the
injured attendants in hospital. However, on the way to the hospital
the driver took a wrong turn. Realising his mistake he stopped the
car and began to reverse. Another terrorist, named Gavrilo Princip,
stepped forward and fired two shots. The first hit the pregnant
Sophia in the stomach, she died almost instantly. The second shot
hit the Archduke in the neck. He died after a short while.
The bodies of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.
GavriloPrincip was not executed because he was under 20 years, but
was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He died of TB in 1918.
Immediate causes– World War I began in the Balkans which has for long been a region
of conflicts. In the early 1900‘s, the Balkans states fought the Ottoman Empire in the
11
First Balkan War (1912-1913) and one another in second Balkan War (1913). The major
European powers stayed out of both wars but they did not escape the third Balkan
crisis.
Assassination of an Archduke– Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the throne of
Austria-Hungary, hoped that his sympathy for Slavs would ease tensions between
Austria-Hungary and the Balkans. He arranged a tour to Bosnia-Herzegovina with his
wife, Sophie. As the couple rode through Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, an assassin jumped
onto the automobile and fired two shots. Francis Ferdinand and Sophie died instantly.
The murderer Gavrilo Princip, was linked to a Serbian terrorist group called the Black
Hand. The assassination of Francis Ferdinand gave Austria-Hungry an excuse to crush
Serbia, its long time enemy in the Balkans. Austria-Hungry first gained Germany‘s
promise of support for any action it took against Serbia. It, then, sent a list of
humiliating demands to Serbia on July 23. Serbia accepted most of the demands and
offered to have the rest of it settled by an international conference. Austria-Hungry
rejected the offer and declared war on Serbia on July 28. It expected a quick victory.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand with his wife Sophie
12
INTERESTING FACTS AND PICTURES
First World War -Weapons
During WORLD WAR-I, the soldiers in the
trenches used a wide variety of weapons,
these included:
♦ Rifles and pistols
♦ Machine guns
♦ Artillery
♦ Bayonets
♦ Torpedoes
♦ Flame throwers
♦ Mustard and chlorine gases and
♦ Smokeless gunpowder.
As well as using them in the trenches, some of
these weapons were used by tanks, U boats,
Zeppelins and planes. In the trenches, the
weapon carried by all British soldiers was the
bolt-action rifle. It was possible for the soldier to
fire15 rounds per minute and could kill someone
up to 1,400 meters away. French soldiers used
the bayonet. Unlike today, machine guns were
not the main weapons of soldiers. They needed
4-6 men to man them in 1914 and had to be
positioned on a flat surface. They could fire up to
400 rounds per minute and had fire power of 100
guns.
13
ARTILLERY is the word used to describe large
caliber mounted field guns. The caliber is the
diameter of the barrel. The picture to the left is
an example of the heavy artillery that was used
in the trenches. The stalemate meant they
needed long-range weapons that could deliver
devastating blows to the enemy. They needed
crews of up to 12 men to work them; the shells
weighed up to 900lb.
CHEMICAL WEAPONS: This war was also the
first to use chlorine and mustard gas. The
German army was the first to use chlorine in
1915. French soldiers had not come across this
before and assumed that it was a smoke screen.
It has a distinctive smell – a mixture of pepper
and pineapple – and they only realised they
were being gassed when they started to have
chest pains and a burning sensation in their
throats and they died due to suffocation.
The problem with using chlorine is, weather
conditions must be right before it is used.
Afterwards, allied forces discovered that urinesoaked cotton pads neutralized the chlorine.
However, they found it difficult to fight like this.
Mustard gas was the most deadly biological
weapon that was used in the trenches. It was
odourless and took 12 hours to take effect. It was
also very powerful, only small amounts needed
to be added to shells to be effective and it
remained active for several weeks when it
landed in the soil.
The nastiest thing about mustard gas is that it
made the skin blister, the eyes sore and the
victim would start to vomit. It would cause
14
internal and external bleeding, and would target
the lungs. It could take up to 5 weeks to die.
War Machines
The Zeppelin, or blimp as it is also known, is an
airship and it was used during the early part of
the war in bombing raids by the Germans. These
airships weighed twelve tones and contained
over 400,000 cubic feet of hydrogen. They were
propelled along by 2 Daimler engines, which
enabled the craft to travel at speeds of upto
136mph and heights of 4250 meters. They
usually carried machine guns and around
4,400lb of bombs. They carried out many raids
and were eventually abandoned as they were
easy targets for artillery.
Tanks also started to be used in warfare in this
war, since armoured cars could not cope with
the terrain. The first tank was nicknamed ―Little
Willie‖; it had a Daimler engine, a caterpillar
track and needed a crew of three. Its maximum
speed was 3mph and it was unable to cross
trenches. Unsuccessful for the Allies. The more
modern tank was not completed until several
weeks before the end of the War. It was called
the Fiat Typo. It could fit a maximum of ten
men, had the first revolving turret and could
reach the speed of 4mph.
This war also saw the use of planes to deliver
bombs for the first time ever. Planes became
fighter aircraft armed with machine guns, bombs
and even cannons. They were even used for
reconnaissance work. Pilots were even known to
fight enemy aircraft in the air, ―dogfights‖ to
protect the men on the ground.
15
COURSE OF WAR
Within weeks of the Archduke‘s assassination, the chief European powers were drawn
into World War I. A few attempts were made to prevent the war. For e.g. Britain
proposed an international conference to end the crisis. But Germany rejected the idea,
claiming that the dispute involved only Austria-Hungary and Serbia. However,
Germany tried to stop the war from spreading. The German, Kaiser Wilhelm II, urged
Czar Nicholas II of Russia, his cousin, not to mobilize.
Russia had backed down before supporting its ally Serbia. In 1908, Austria-Hungary
had angered Serbia by taking over Bosnia-Herzegovina and Russia had stepped aside.
In 1914, Russia vowed to stand behind Serbia. Russia first gained a promise of support
from France. The czar then approved plans to mobilize along Russia‘s border with
Austria-Hungary. But Russia‘s military leaders persuaded the czar to mobilize along
the German border, too. On July 30, 1914, Russia announced it would mobilize fully.
Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914, in response to Russia‘s
mobilization. Two days later, Germany declared war on France. The German army
swept into Belgium on its way to France. The invasion of Neutral Belgium caused
Britain to declare war on Germany on August 4. By the time the war ended in
November 1918, few areas of the world had remained neutral.
E.
The Western Front
Germany‘s war plan had been prepared in 1905 by Alfred von Schlieffen.
Schlieffen was chief of the German General Staff, the group of officers who
provided advice on military operations. The Schlieffen Plan assumed that
Germany would have to fight both France and Russia. It aimed at a quick defeat of
France while Russia slowly mobilized. After defeating France, Germany would
deal with Russia. The Schlieffen Plan required Germany to strike first if war came.
Once the plan was set in motion, system of military alliances almost assured a
general European war.
16
The Schrieffer Plan called for two wings of
the German army to crush the French army
in a pincers movement. A small left wing
would defend Germany along its frontier
with France. A much larger right wing
would invade France through Belgium;
encircle and capture France‘s capital, Paris;
and then move east. As the right wing
moved in, the French forces would be
trapped between the pincers. The success of Germany‘s assault depended on a
strong right wing. However, Helmut von Molten, who had become chief of the
General Staff in 1906, directed German strategy at the outbreak of World War I.
Moltke changed Schlieffen Plan by reducing number of troops in the right wing.
Belgium‘s army fought bravely but for only a short time. By August 16, 1914, it could
keep the Germans at bay. The right wing of the German army began its pincers motion.
It drove back the French and British forces from southern Belgium and swept into
France. But instead of swinging west around Paris according to the plan, one part of the
right wing pursued retreating French troops east towards the Marne river. This
maneuver left the Germans exposed to attacks from the rear.
Meanwhile, German Joseph Joffre, commander in chief of all the French armies,
stationed his forces near the Marne River east of Paris and prepared the battle, Fierce
fighting, which became known as the First Battle of the Marne, began on September 6.
On September 9, German forces started to withdraw.
The First Battle of the Marne was a key victory for the Allies because it ended
Germany‘s hopes to defeat France quickly. Moltke was replaced as the chief of the
German General Staff by Erich von Falkenhayn.
17
The German army halted its retreat near the Aisne River. From there, the Germans and
the Allies fought the series of battles that became known as the Race to the sea.
Germany sought to seize ports on the English Channel and cut of vital supply lines
between France and Britain. But the Allies stopped the German advance to the sea in
the First Battle of Ypres in Belgium. The battle lasted from mid-October until midNovember.
By late November 1914, the war reached a deadlock along the Western front as neither
side gained much ground. The battlefront extended more than 450 miles (720
kilometers) across Belgium and Northeastern France to the border of Switzerland. The
deadlock on the Western Front lasted nearly three and a half years.
F.
The Eastern Front
Russia‘s mobilization on the eastern front moved faster than Germany expected.
By late August 1914, two Russian armies had thrust deeply into the German
territory of East Prussia. The Germans learnt that the two armies had become
separated, and then they prepared a better plan. By August 31, the Germans had
encircled a part of the Russian army out of East Prussia in the battle of the
Masurian Lakes. The number of Russian casualties (killed, captured, wounded or
missing) totaled about 250,000 in the two battles. These victories made heroes of
the commanders of the German forces in the east Paul von Hindenburg and Erich
Ludendorff.
Austria–Hungary had been less successful than its German ally on the eastern
front. By the end of 1914, Austria–Hungary‘s forces had attacked Serbia three
times and had been beaten back each time. Meanwhile, Russia had captured much
of the Austro–Hungarian province of Garlicia (now part of Poland and Ukraine).
By early October, a humiliated Austro–Hungarian army had retreated into its own
territory.
18
PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION
Battle of the Somme (July-November 1916)
1. General Haig – the man who planned the
Battle of the Somme.
2. The battle line stretched some 25 miles
3. British troops on their way to the Somme.
750,000 men were sent to the Battle of the
Somme.
4. At 7.20 am 40,000 pounds of explosive
was detonated under a German machine gun
position at Beaumont Hamel.
19
5. By the end of the first day 57,000 British
soldiers were casualties – 19,000 dead.
6. The bombing had not destroyed the barbed
wire.
7. Tanks were first used at the Battle of the
Somne.
By the end of the battle the British had advanced
8 km.
During the 1915 and 1916, World War I spread to Italy and throughout the Balkans, and
1
activity increased on other fronts. Some Allied military leaders believed that the 5
creation of new battlefronts would break the deadlock on the Western Front. But the
war‘s expansion had little effect on the deadlock.
20
G.
War on other fronts
The Italian Front
Italy had strayed out of World War during 1914, even though it was a member of
the Triple Alliance with Austria–Hungary and Germany. Italy claimed that it was
under no obligation to honour the agreement because Austria–Hungary had not
gone to war in self–defense. In May 1915, Italy entered World War 1 on the side of
the Allies. In a secret treaty, the Allies promised to give Italy some of the Austria –
Hungary‘s territory after the war. In return, Italy promised to attack Austria–
Hungary.
The Italians, led by General Luigi Cadorna, hammered away at Austria–Hungary
for two years in a series of battles along the Isonzo River in Austria–Hungary. Italy
suffered enormous casualties but gained very little territory. The Allies hoped that
the Italian Front would help Russia by forcing Austria–Hungary to shift some
troops away from the Eastern Front. Such a shift occurred, but it did not help
Russia.
The Dardanelles
After World War 1 began, the Ottoman Empire closed the waterway between the
Aegean Sea and the Black Sea. It thereby blocked the sea route to southern Russia.
French and British warships attacked the Dardanelles, a strait that formed part of
the water-way, in February and March 1915. The Allies hoped to open a supply
route to Russia. However, underwater mines halted the assault.
In April 1915, the Allies landed troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula on the west shore
of the Dardanelles. Troops from Australia and New Zealand played a key role in
the landing. Ottoman and Allied forces soon became locked in trench warfare. A
second invasion in August at Suvla Bay to the north failed to end the standstill. In
December, the Allies began to evacuate their troops. They had suffered about
250,000 casualties in the Dardanelle.
21
Eastern Europe
In May 1915, the armies of Germany and Austria – Hungary broke through
Russian lines in Garlicia, the Austro–Hungarian province that Russia had invaded
in 1914. The Russian retreated about 300 miles before they formed a new line of
defence. In spite of the setback, Czar Nicholas II staged two offensives to relieve
the pressure on the Allies on the western front. The first Russian offensive, in
March 1916, failed to pull German troops away from Verdun.
The second Russian offensive began in June 1916 under General Alexei Brusilov‘s
army drove Austria – Hungary‘s forces back about 50 miles. Within a few weeks,
Russia captured about 200,000 prisoners. To halt the assault, Austria-Hungary had
to shift troops from the Italian Front to the Eastern Front. The Russian offensive
nearly knocked Austria–Hungary out of the war. But it also exhausted Russia.
Each side suffered about a million casualties.
Bulgaria entered World War 1 in October 1915 to help Austria–Hungary defeat
Serbia. Bulgaria hoped to recover land it had lost in the Second Balkan War. In an
effort to aid Serbia, the Allies landed troops in Thessaloniki (Salonika), Greece. But
the troops never reached Serbia, and Serbia‘s army had retreated to Albania.
Romania joined the Allies in August 1916. It hoped to gain some of Austria–
Hungary‘s territory if the Allies won the war. By the end of 1916, Romania had lost
most of its army, and Germany controlled the country‘s valuable wheat fields and
oil fields.
THE DIFFERENT WAR FARE PRACTICES DURING WORLD WAR–I
Trench Warfare
By 1915, the opposing sides had dug themselves into a system of trenches that
zigzagged along the Western Front. From the trenches, they defended their positions
and launched attacks. The Western Front remained deadlocked in trench warfare until
1918.
22
The typical front line trench was about 6 to 8 feet deep and wide enough for two men to
pass. Dugouts in the sides of the trenches protected men during enemy fire. Support
trenches ran behind the front line trenches. Off duty soldiers lived in dugouts in the
support trenches. Troops and supplies moved to the battlefront through a network of
communication trenches. Barbed wire helped protect the front line trenches from surprise
attacks. Field artillery was set up behind the support trenches. Behind the enemy lines
lay a stretch of ground called ‗ no man’s land‘ varied from less than 30 yards wide at
some points to more than 1 mile wide at others. In time, artillery fire tore up the earth,
making it very difficult to cross no man‘s land during an attack.
Soldiers generally served at the front line from a few days to a week and then rotated to
the rear for a rest. Life in the trenches was miserable. The smell of dead bodies lingered
in the air, and rats were a constant problem. Soldiers had trouble keeping dry,
especially in water – logged areas of Belgium. Except during an attack, life fell into a
dull routine. Some soldiers stood guard. Others repaired the trenches, kept telephone
lines in order, brought food from behind the battle lines, or did other jobs. At night,
patrols fixed the barbed wire and tried to get information about the enemy.
Enemy artillery and machine guns kept each side pinned in the trenches. Yet the Allies
repeatedly tried to blast a gap in the German lines. Allied offensive followed a pattern.
First, artillery bombarded the enemy front line trenches. The infantry then attacked as
23
commanders shouted, ―Over the top!‖ Soldiers scrambled out of trenches and began the
dash across no man‘s land with fixed bayonets. They hurled grenades into enemy
trenches and struggled through the barbed wire. But the artillery bombardment seldom
wiped out all resistance, and so enemy machine guns slaughtered wave after wave of
advancing infantry. Even if the attackers broke through the front line, they ran into a
second line of defense. Thus, the Allies never cracked the enemy‘s defensive power.
Both the Allies and the Central Powers developed new weapons, which they hoped
would break the deadlock. In April 1915, the Germans first released poison gas over
Allied lines in the Second Battle of Ypres. The fumes caused vomiting and suffocation.
But German commanders had little faith in the gas, and they failed to seize that
opportunity to launch a major attack. The Allies also began to use poison gas soon
thereafter, and gas masks became necessary equipment in the trenches. Another new
weapon was the flame thrower, which shot out a stream of burning fuel.
WAR AT SEA
Great Britain‘s control of the seas during World War I caused serious problems for
Germany. The British navy blockaded German waters, preventing supplies from
reaching German ports. By 1916, Germany suffered a shortage of food and other goods.
Germany combated British sea power with its submarines, called U-boats. In February
1915, Germany declared a submarine blockade of the British Isles and warned that it
would attach any ship that tried to get through the blockade. Thereafter, U-boats
destroyed great amounts of goods headed for Britain.
On May 7th, 1915, a U-boat torpedoed without warning the British passenger liner
Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. Among the 1198 passengers who died were 128
Americans. The sinking of Lusitania led U.S. President Woodrow Wilson towards
Germany to give up unrestricted submarine warfare. In September, Germany agreed
not to attack neutral or passenger ships.
24
The warships that Britain and Germany had raced
to build before World War I remained in home
waters during most of the war. There, they served
to discourage an enemy invasion. The only major
encounter between the two navies was the battle
of Jutland. It was fought off the coast of Denmark
on May 31st and June 1st, 1916. Admiral Sir John
Jellicoe commanded a British fleet of 150 warships.
He faced a German fleet of 99 warships under the
command of Admiral Reinhard Scheer. In spite of
Britain‘s
superior
strength,
Jellicoe
acted
cautiously. He feared that he could lose the entire
war in a day because the destruction of Britain‘s
fleet would give Germany control of the seas. Both
sides claimed victory in the battle of Jutland. All
though Britain lost more ships than Germany, it
still ruled the seas.
WAR IN THE AIR
Great advances in aviation were made by the
Allies and the central powers during World War I.
Each side competed to produce better airplanes
than the other side. Airplanes were used mainly to
observe enemy activities. The pilots carried guns
to shoot down enemy planes. But a pilot risked
shooting himself if a bullet bounced off the
propeller. In 1915, Germany developed a machine
gun timed to fire between an airplane‘s revolving
propeller blades. The invention made air combat
25
more deadly and lead to clashes between enemy
aircraft.
A pilot who shot down five or more enemy planes
was called an ace. Many aces became National
heroes.
Germany‘s
Baron
Manfred
Von
Richthofen, who was known as the Red Baron.
Baron, shot down 80 planes, more than any other
ace.
Aerial bombing remained in its early stages during
World War I. In 1915, Germany began to bomb
London and other British cities from airships
called zeppelins But bombing had little effect on the
war.
THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION and withdrawal of Russia from the war
The Russian people suffered greatly during World War I, by 1917, many of them were
no longer willing to put up with the enormous casualties and severe shortages of food
and fuel. They blamed Czar Nicholas II and his advisors for the country‘s problems.
Early in 1917, an uprising in Petrograd (now St. Petersburgh) forced Nicholas from the
throne. The new government continued the war.
To weaken Russia‘s war effort further, Germany helped V.I. Lenin, a Russian
revolutionary then living in Switzerland, return to his homeland in April 1917. Seven
months later, Lenin led an uprising that gained control of Russia‘s government. Lenin
immediately called for peace talks with Germany. World War I had ended on the
Eastern Front.
26
Germany dictated harsh peace terms to Russia (in peace treaty signed in Brest-Litovosk,
Russia, on March 3rd, 1918). The treaty of Brest-Litovosk was signed between Russia
and Germany on 3rd march, 1918. It forced Russia to give up large amounts of territory,
including Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Bissarabia, and the Baltic States-Estonia, Livonia
(now Latvia), and Lithuania. The end of the fighting on the eastern front freed German
troops for use on the Western Front. The only obstacle to final German victory seemed
to be the entry of the United States into the War.
THE UNITED STATES ENTERS THE WAR
At the start of World War I, President Wilson had declared the neutrality of the United
States. Most American opposed U.S. involvement in a European war. But the sinking of
Lucitania and other German actions against civilians drew American sympathies to the
Allies.
Several events early in 1917 persuaded the United States government to enter World
War I. In February, Germany returned to unrestricted submarine warfare, which it
assumed might bring the United States into the war. But the German military leaders
believed that they could still win the war by cutting off British supplies. They expected
their U-boats to starve Britain into surrendering within a few months, long before the
United States had fully prepared for the war.
Tension between the United States and Germany increased after the British intercepted
and decoded a message from Germany‘s foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann, known
as the ―Zimmermann note‖, revealed a German plot to persuade Mexico to go to war
against the United States. The British gave the message to Wilson, and it was published
in the United States early in March. Americans were further enraged after U-boats sank
several U.S. cargo ships.
On April 2nd, Wilson called for war, stating that ―the world must be safe for democracy‖.
Congress declared war on Germany on April 6th. Few people expected that the United
States would make much of a contribution towards ending the war.
27
Mobilization
The United States entered World War 1 unprepared for battle. Strong anti war feelings
had hampered efforts to prepare for the war. After declaring war, the government
worked to stir up enthusiasm for the war effort. Government propaganda pictured the
war as a battle for liberty and democracy. People who still opposed the war faced
increasingly unfriendly public opinion. They could even be brought to trial under war
time laws forbidding statements that might harm the successful progress of the war.
During World War I, U.S. Government agencies directed the Nation‘s economy toward
the war effort. President Wilson put financier Bernard M. Baruch in charge of the War
Industries Board, which turned factories into producers of war materials. The Food
Administration, headed by businessman Herbert Hoover, controlled the prices,
production and distribution of food. Americans observed ‗meatless‘ and ‗Wheatless‘
days in order that food could be sent to Europe.
Manpower was the chief contribution of the United States to World War I. The country
entered the war with a regular army of only about 128,000 men. It soon organized a
draft requiring all men from 21 to 30 years old to register for military services. The age
range was broadened to 18 to 45 in 1918. A lottery determined who served. Many men
enlisted voluntarily, and women signed up as nurses and office workers. The U.S.
armed forces had almost 5 million men and women by the end of the war. Of that
number, about two and a half million men had been drafted. Few soldiers received
much training before going overseas because the Allies urgently needed them.
Before U.S. help could reach the Western Front, the Allies had to overcome the U-boat
threat in the Atlantic. In May 1917, Britain began to use a convoy system, by which
cargo ships went to sea in large groups escorted by warships. The U-boats proved no
match for the warships, and Allied shipping losses dropped sharply.
28
Americans troops in Europe:
The soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) were sent to Europe. General
John J. Pershing, commander of the AEF, arrived in France in mid-June 1917. The first
troop landed later that month. Pershing told U.S. military authorities that he needed 3
million American troops, a third of them within the next year. The American officials
were shocked they had planned to send only 650,000 troops in that time. In the end,
about 2 million Americans served in Europe.
Britain, France, and Italy knew well how desperately they needed U.S. manpower by
the fall of 1917. In November, the Allies formed the Supreme War Council to plan
strategy. They decided to make their strategy defensive until U.S. troops reached the
Western Front. The Allies wanted Americans to serve as replacements and fill out their
battered ranks. But Pershing was convinced that the AEF would make a greater
contribution by fighting as an independent unit. This argument was the major wartime
dispute between the Europeans and their American ally. Pershing generally held firm,
though at times he lent troops to France and Britain.
The last Campaign
The end of the war on the Eastern Front boosted German hopes for victory. By early
1918, German forces out numbered the Allies on the Western Front. In spring, Germany
staged three offensives. Ludendorff counted on delivering a crushing blow to the Allies
before large numbers of American troops reached the front. He relied on speed and
surprise.
Germany first struck near St.Quentin, a city in the Somme River Valley, on March 21 st,
1918. By March 26th, British troops had retreated about 30 miles. In late March, the
Germans began to bombard Paris with ―Big Berthas‖. The enormous guns hurled shells
up to one line 75 miles. After the disaster at St.Quentin, Allied leaders met to plan a
united defense. In April, they appointed General Ferdinand Foch of France to be the
supreme commander of the Allied forces on the Western Front.
29
A second German offensive began on April 9 along the Lys River in Belgium. British
troops fought stubbornly, and Lundendorff called off the attack on April 30. The Allies
suffered heavy losses in both assaults, but German casualties were nearly as great.
Germany attacked a third time on May 27th near the Aisne River. By May 30th, German
troops had reached the Marne River. American soldiers helped France stop the German
advance at the town of Chateau-Thierry, less than 50 miles northeast of Paris. During
June, U.S. Troops drove the Germans out of Belleau Wood, a forested area near the
Marne. Germans out of Belleau Wood, forested area near the Marne. German forces
crossed the Marne on July 15th. Foch ordered a counter attack near the town of Soissons
on July 18th.
The Second Battle of the Marne was fought from July 15 through Aug.6, 1918. It marked
the turning point of World War I. After winning the battle, the Allies advanced steadily.
On August 8, Britain and France attacked the Germans near Amiens. By early
September, Germany had lost all the territory it had gained since spring. In midSeptember, Pershing led U.S. forces to easy victory at St. Mihiel.
The last offensive of World War I began on Sept. 26th, 1918. About 900,000 U.S. troops
participated in heavy fighting between the Argonne Forest and the Meuse River.
Ludendorff realized that Germany could no longer overcome the superior strength of
the Allies.
The Fighting ends
The Allies won victories on all fronts in the fall of 1918. Bulgaria surrendered on
September 29th. British forces under the command of General Edmund Allenby
triumphed over the Ottoman army in Palestine and Syria. On October 30 th, Ottoman
Empire signed an armistice. The last major battle between Italy and Austria-Hungary
began in late October in Italy. Italy, with support from France and Great Britain,
defeated Austria-Hungary near the town of Vittorio Veneto. Austria-Hungary signed
an armistice on November 3rd.
30
Germany teetered on the edge of collapse as the war continued through October.
Britain‘s naval blockade had nearly starved the German people, and widespread
discontent led to riots and rising demands for peace. Kaiser Wilhelm gave up his throne
on November 9th and fled to the Netherlands. An Allied delegation headed by Foch met
with German representatives in a railroad car in the Compiegne Forest in northern
France.
In the early morning on Nov. 11th, 1918, the Germans accepted the armistice terms
demanded by the Allies. Germany agreed to evacuate the terrorities it had taken during
the war; to surrender large numbers of arms, ships, and other war materials; and to
allow the Allied powers to occupy Germany territory along the Rhine River. Foch
ordered the fighting to stop on the Western Front at 11 a.m. World War I was over.
EFFECTS OF THE WAR
World War I caused immeasurable destruction. Nearly 10 million soldiers died as a
result of the war-fare, the number was more than any of the wars during the previous
100 years. About 21 million men were wounded. The enormously high casualties
resulted partly from the destructive power of new weapons, especially the machine
guns. Military leaders contributed to the slaughter by failing to adjust to the changed
conditions of warfare. In staging offensives, they ordered soldiers armed with bayonets
into machine-gun fire. Only in the last year of the war, did the generals successfully use
tanks and new tactics.
Germany and Russia each suffered about 1.75 million battle deaths during World War I
– more than any other country. France had the highest percentage of battle deaths in
relation to its total number of servicemen. It lost about 1.3 million soldiers, or 16 percent
of those mobilized. No one knows how many civilians died of disease, starvation, and
other war related causes. Some historians believe as many civilians died as soldiers.
Property damage in World War I was greatest in France and Belgium. Armies
destroyed farms and villages as they passed through them or, even worse, dug in for
31
battle. The fighting wrecked factories, bridges, and railroad tracks. Artillery shells,
trenches, and chemicals made barren, the land along the Western Front.
Economic consequences
World War I cost the fighting nations a total of about $337 billion dollars. By 1918, the
war was costing about $10 million an hour. Nations raised part of the money to pay for
the war through income taxes and other taxes. But most of the money came from
borrowing, which created huge debts. Government borrowed from citizens by selling
32
war bonds. The Allies also borrowed heavily from the United States. In addition, most
governments printed extra money to meet their needs. But the increase money supply
caused severe inflation after the war.
The problem of war debts lingered after World War I ended. The Allies tried to reduce
their debts by demanding reparations (payments for war damages) from the Central
Powers, especially Germany. Reparations worsened the economic problems of the
defeated countries and did not solve the problems of the victors.
World War I seriously disrupted economies. Some businesses shut down after workers
left for military service. Other firms shifted to the production of war materials. To direct
production toward the war effort, governments took greater over the economy than
ever before. Most people wanted a return to private enterprise after the war. But some
people expected government to continue to solve economic problems.
The countries of Europe had poured their resources into World War I, and they came
out of the war exhausted. France, for example, had lost nearly one-tenth of its work
force. In most European countries, many returning soldiers could not find jobs. In
addition, Europe lost many of the markets for its exports while producing war goods.
The United States and other countries that had played a smaller role in the war emerged
with increased economic power.
Political consequences
World War I shook the foundations of several governments. Democratic governments
in Britain and France withstood the stress of the war. But four monarchies toppled. The
first monarch to fall in war was Czar Nicholas II of Russia in 1917. Kaiser Wilhelm II of
Germany and Emperor Charles of Austria-Hungary left their thrones in 1918. The
Ottoman sultan, Muhammad VI, fell in 1922.
The collapse of old empires led to the creation of new countries in the years after World
War I. The pre-war territory of Austria-Hungary formed the independent Republics of
33
Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, as well as parts of Italy, Poland, Romania, and
Yugoslavia. Russia and Germany also gave up territory to Poland. Finland and the
Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – gained independence from Russia. Most
Arab lands in the Ottoman Empire were placed under the control of France and Britain.
The rest of the Ottoman Empire became Turkey. European leaders took National
groups into account in redrawing the map of Europe and thus strengthened the cause of
Nationalism.
World War I gave the Communists a chance to seize power in Russia. Some people
expected Communist revolutions to break out elsewhere in Europe. Revolutionary
moments gained strength after the war, but communist governments did not take hold.
Social consequences
World War I brought enormous changes in society. The death of so many young men
affected France more than other countries. During the 1920s, France‘s population
dropped because of a low birth rate. Millions of people were uprooted by the war. Some
fled war-torn areas and later found their houses, farms, or villages destroyed. Others
became refugees as a result of changes in governments and National borders, especially
in central and Eastern Europe.
Many people chose not to resume their old way of life after World War I. Urban areas
grew as peasants settled in cities instead of returning to farms. Women filled jobs in
offices and factories after men went to war, and they were reluctant to give up their
new independence. Many countries granted women the vote after the war.
The distinction between social classes began to blur as a result of World War, and
society became more democratic. The upper classes, which had traditionally governed,
lost some of their power and privilege after having led the world into an agonizing war.
Men of all classes had faced the same danger and horror in the trenches. Those who had
bled and suffered for their country came to demand a say in running it.
34
Finally, World War I transformed attitudes. Middle and upper-class Europeans lost the
confidence and optimism they had felt before the war. Many people began to question
long-held ideas. For example, few Europeans before the war had doubled their right to
force European culture on the rest of the world. But the destruction and bloodshed of
the war shattered the believe in the superiority of European civilization.
THE PEACE SETTLEMENT
The Fourteen Points
In January 1918, 10 months before World War I ended, President Woodrow Wilson of
the United States proposed a set of war aims called the Fourteen Points. Wilson
believed that the Fourteen Points would bring about a just peace settlement, which he
termed ‗peace without victory‖. In November 1918, Germany agreed to an armistice.
Germany expected that the peace settlement would be based on the Fourteen Points.
Eight of Wilson‘s Fourteen Points dealt with specific political and territorial settlements.
The rest of them set forth general principles aimed at preventing future wars. The last
point proposed the establishment of an international association later called the League
of Nations to maintain the peace.
The Paris Peace Conference
In January 1919, representatives of the victorious powers gathered in Paris to draw up
the peace settlement. They came from 32 nations. Committees worked out specific
proposals at the Paris Peace Conference. But the decisions were made by four heads of
government called the Big Four. The Big Four consisted of Wilson, Britain‘s Prime
Minister David Lloyd George, France‘s Premier Georges Clemenceau, and Italy‘s
Premier Vittorio Orlando.
In May 1919, the peace conference approved the treaty and presented it to Germany.
Germany agreed to it only after the Allies threatened to invade. With grave doubts,
German representatives signed the treaty in the Palace of Versailles near Paris on June
35
28, 1919. The date was the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Francis
Ferdinand. In addition to the Treaty of Versailles with Germany, the peacemakers
drew up separate treaties with other Central Powers too.
Treaty of Versailles officially ended World War I and stripped the Central Powers of
territory, arms and required them to pay reparations. Germany was punished severely.
One clause in the Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to accept responsibility for
causing the war. It imposed harsher terms than Germany had expected. The
responsibility of having accepted those terms had weakened Germany‘s government
and in 1930‘s, a strong Nationalist movement led by Adolf Hitler gained power in
Germany which gave way to World War II.
The so-called ‗war to end all wars‘ did not live up to its name. it ushered in a new era of
violence that continued after 1939, after what seems in retrospect more like an extended
20-years truce. The scale of the war was so massive that it had widespread
consequences, but the obvious one to shock the world into never fighting a world war
again–was short-lived. The pacifist writings and organizations, the influential anti-war
poems, books and films were less durable than the desire for revenge, the intense
Nationalism and militarism, and the belief that National power and racial utopias were
worth risking war again.
Timeline for the Word War–I
Date
Events
1914, 28th June
A Serb, GavriloPrincip, assassinates Archduke Franz Fardinand in
Sarajevo.
1914, 28th July-3rd
Austria declares war on Serbia. Germany declares war on Russia,
August
and then on France.
1914, 4th August
German armies march through Belgium to France. Britain declares
war on Germany. World War-I begins.
36
1914, 26th Aug
Germany defeats Russian forces at the battle of Dannenberg.
1914, September
At the battle of Marne the allies halt the German advance on Paris.
1914, November
At the end of the battle of Ypres German forces are prevented from
reaching the Channel.
1915, April-May
Germany uses poison gas for the first time at second battle of Years.
1915, 22 May
Italy joins the Allies.
1916, February
Start of battle for Verdun, France, lasting for five months.
1917, April 6th
The U.S.A joins the war on allied side.
1917, July
Third battle of Years
1918, 3 March
Cease-fire between Russia and Germany.
1918, November
Armistice is signed on 11th November at 11 o‘clock. World War ends.
FAMOUS PERSONALITIES OF WORD WAR–I
Sir Douglas Haig (1861-1928):
A cavalry officer who took over the command of British
forces in France in 1915 from Sir John French, Haig was a
well-educated
but
withdrawn
commander.
He
was
responsible for the major attacks of the Somme (1916) and
Passchendaele (1917), for which he has been seen as a
‗butcher‘, careless of casualties. Haig also commanded
victorious forces in 1918 and rallied his men after the German
attacks in March of that year. He founded the Royal British
Legion after the war, which continues to look after the
welfare of former soldiers.
37
Wiston Churchill, 1918:
In 1911, Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty. In this
position, he worked to strengthen the British navy. He was
pushed out of office after the disastrous 1915 Gallipoli
campaign, in modern-day Turkey, which resulted in more
than 250,000 Allied casualties.
Georges Clemenceau:
As Prime Minister of France from 1917 to 1920, Clemenceau
worked to restore French morale and concentrate Allied
military forces under Ferdinand Foch. He led the French
delegation to the peace talks ending World War I, during
which he insisted on harsh reparation payments and German
disarmament.
Kaiser Wilhelm II:
A fierce militarist, Wilhelm II encouraged aggressive AustroHungarian diplomatic policies following the assassination of
Franz Ferdinand. The Kaiser was nominally in charge of the
German army, but the real power play with his generals. As
World War I drew to a close, he was forced to abdicate in 1918.
Ferdinand Foch:
Ferdinand Foch was involved in many early battles,
including Nancy and Marne. He had many successes and
was placed in charge of the French Northern Army. He held
his position until Robert Nivelle replaced Joseph Joffre as
Commander-in-Chief, when he was recalled to Army
Headquarters. In 1918 he was promoted to Allied Supreme
38
Commander. He was very successful and received credit for
masterminding the victory over Germany. He played
important roles at the Paris Peace Conference and in the
Creation of the Armistice. He wanted to make the recovery of
Germany's army impossible. Foch died in 1929.
Vladimir Llyich Lenin (1870-1924):
After the Bolsheviks seized power during the Russian
Revolution of 1917, Lenin negotiated the Treaty of BrestLitovsk. The treaty ended Russia's involvement in World
War I, but on humiliating terms: Russia lost territory and
nearly one-quarter of its population to the Central Powers.
Tsar Nicholas II:
When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia's
alliance with its Balkan neighbor forced it to enter the war
against the Central Powers. The tsar assumed control of the
Russian army, with disastrous results. In 1917, he was forced
to abdicate and he and his family were executed in 1918
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924):
Wilson was a former professor who was elected US President
in 1912. A democrat, he was re-elected in 1916 after the
success of his progressive domestic policy and because he
had kept the US out of the war. However, he felt obliged to
declare war in 1917 because he wanted to ensure that a
lasting peace built on a new international morality and cooperation resulted. He suggested peace terms in 1918 and
worked towards a fair settlement at Versailles. He was forced
39
to compromise, and the US Congress did not approve the
peace treaty or agree to the USA‘s membership of the
League.
Joseph Joffre:
In 1911 Joseph Joffre was appointed chief of staff. In 1913 he
carried out his Plan 17 and invaded Lorraine and Aedennes
in Germany. At the outbreak of World War I he took
command of the French Army. Blamed for losses at the
Western Front and Verdun he was replaced by Robert
Nivelle in 1916. He was then promoted to Marshall of France,
and died in 1931.
Sir John French:
Sir John French joined the navy in 1866, and was transferred
to the army in 1874. He served in the Sudan and Boer Wars
in the late 1800s. In 1911 he was appointed Chief of Staff of
the British Army, and in 1914 became commander of the
British Expeditionary Force. His sister was ironically one of
the leading anti-war campaigners in Britain. After the Battle
of Mons he became negative about the war's outcome. He
was persuaded to take part in the Marne offensive, but
resigned in 1915. Sir Douglas Haig replaced him. French had
to deal with the Easter Rising in 1916 as the commander of
the British home forces. He was granted 50,000 pounds from
the British government when he retired, and he died in 1925.
40
Robert Nivelle:
Robert Nivelle was an artillery colonel in August 1914, and
was known for his recapture of Fort Douaumont in 1916. He
thought he could win the war with his creeping barrage
techniques. The French Prime Minister, Aritide Briand, liked
his ideas, and replaced Joseph Joffre, the Commander-inChief, with him. The Nivelle Offensive in 1917 was a failure,
but he continued with his strategy until his army began to
fall apart. He was replaced by Henri-Philippe Petain in May
1917 and spent the rest of his career in North Africa. He died
in 1924.
John J. Pershing:
By 1917 John Joseph Pershing was well experienced in combat.
In 1917 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the
American Expeditionary Force in Europe. His belief that he
could break through the deadlock on the Western Front had to
be revised when it didn't work. He did however; win praise for
his excellent victory at St Mihiel in September 1918. After the
war he was highly critical of the Treaty of Versallies, and
became the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in 1921.
Henri-Philippe Petain:
Henri-Philippe Petain joined the French Army in 1876. At
the outbreak of World War I he was scheduled to retire.
Instead he took part in the Artois Offensive. Joseph Joffre
sent Petain to command the French troops at Verdun in 1915.
He was praised for his defensive tactics. After the failure of
the Nivelle Offensive in 1917, Petain replaced Robert Nivelle
as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Petain cared
41
more for the lives of his soldiers. He was promoted to Field
Marshall two weeks after the Armistice, and he served as
War Minister in 1934. In 1940 Petain agreed to head the
Vichy government. After the Normandy landings he fled to
Switzerland, but returned in 1945. He was then arrested for
treason. He served the rest of his life in prison, where he died
in 1951.
CENTRAL POWERS
Paul von Hindenburg:
Paul von Hindenburg fought in the Battle of Koniggratz
and the Franco-Prussian War in the 1800s. He retired from
the German Army in 1911, but was called back at the
outbreak of World War I. He became Chief of Staff in
August 1916. Hindenburg and Erich von Ludendorff
formed Third Supreme Command. They held power until
defeat was inevitable in 1918. He retired from the army in
October 1918 and in 1925 he replaced Friedrich Albert as
Germany's President. He did not oppose Adolf Hitler, and
he even appointed Hitler Chancellor. Hitler was unable to
overthrow him because of his popularity with Germany's
people, until his death in 1934.
Erich von Ludendorff:
Erich von Ludendorff was a German Army staff-officer
from 1904 to 1913, until the outbreak of World War I. He
was then appointed Chief of Staff in East Prussia. He
worked with Paul von Hindenburg often and won many
decisive victories over the Russians. Hindenburg became
42
Chief of Staff of the German Army in 1916 and appointed
Ludendorff as his quartermaster general. Shortly after
they became the leaders of their own dictatorship, the
Third Supreme Command, Ludendorff took control of
Germany in 1917 after Theobald Bethmann Hollweg's
resignation.
When the failure of the Spring Offensive, Ludendorff realized that Germany would lose
the war. The Third Supreme Command transferred power to Max von Baden in 1918.
Baden's government was so powerful that it forced Ludendorff's resignation by October
1918. After the Armistice he fled to Sweden to write about the war. He returned to
Germany and participated in Kapp Putsch and the Munich Putsch. He was one of the first
Nazi members in 1924. He ran for president in 1925, but received less than one percent of
the votes. He died in 1937.
43
GLOSSARY
Abdicate. To renounce a throne or high office.
Alliance. An association to further certain common interests of the members.
Alsace-Lorraine. Two provinces between France and Germany, which fall under France
or Germany according to the fortunes of war.
Armistice (military). Temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement between
warring opponents.
Bismarck, Otto von (1815-1898). Prussian political figure who oversaw the unification
of Germany in the late 19th century.
Blockade (military). The isolation of an enemy's ports by means of warships to prevent
passage of persons or supplies.
Bolshevik (Russian). A member of the extreme wing of the Russian Social Democratic
Party that seized power in Russian in 1917.
Casualty. A military person lost through death, wounds, capture, or missing in action.
Colony. A body of people in a territory with ties to a parental state.
Communism. An ideology which advocates the holding of goods in common, available
to all as needed. Originating in the French Revolution, communism was defined by Karl
Marx and Frederic Engels in the 19th century, specifically in "The Communist
Manifesto" (1848).
Consolidate. To join together into one whole.
Convoy. A group of ships organized for protection in movement.
Czar. The absolute ruler of Russia before the revolution of 1917. Derived from the Latin
word "Caesar."
44
Demilitarize. To do away with the military organization and potential of.
Expansionism. A policy of territorial expansion by a nation.
Fascism. A political movement that exalts nation and race above the individual and that
stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader.
Feint. A mock blow.
Feudal. Related to the system of political organization prevailing in Europe from the
9th to the 15th centuries having as its basis the relation of lord to vassal.
Ferdinand, Archduke Francis. Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne in the early 20th
century.
Front (military). A zone of conflict between armies.
German General Staff. Organization founded after the Napoleonic Wars of the early
1800s to plan and control Germany's overall military strategy.
Hapsburg Dynasty. The reigning German family in Austria from 1278 to 1918.
Hitler, Adolf (1889-1945). A corporal in World War I, Hitler rose to power in the 1930s
as the head of the Nazi Party in Germany, leading Germany into World War II.
Imperialism. The policy of extending the power and dominion of a nation by direct
territorial acquisition or indirect control of the political or economic life of other areas.
Derived from "empire."
Impetus. A driving force.
Inequity. An instance of injustice or unfairness.
Inveterate. Firmly established by long persistence.
Islamic Empire of the Arabs. The empire founded by Muhammad in the 700's. By the
Middle Ages it extended from southern Spain in the west, along northern Africa, and
through the Middle East. It was eventually superseded by the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
45
Kaiser. The Emperor of the German people from 1871 to 1918. Derived from the Latin
"Caesar."
Lenin, Vladimir (1870-1924). Activist heir of Marx and founder of the USSR.
Machination. A scheming or crafty action.
Mandate. A commission granted by the League of Nations to a member nation for the
establishment of a responsible government over a conquered territory.
Mobilize (military). To assemble and make ready for war duty.
Nationalism. A sense of National consciousness exalting one nation above all others
and placing primary emphasis on its culture and interests as opposed to those of other
nations.
Neutral (diplomatic). Not aligned with a political or ideological grouping.
Outflank (military). To get around the flank (side) of an opposing force.
Paris. Capital city of France since the Middle Ages; located on the Seine River.
Parliamentary. Of or related to rule by a parliament or assembly as the supreme
legislative body.
Pershing, John (1860-1948). General in charge of American troops in World War I.
Precipitate. To bring about abruptly.
Preponderance. A superiority in weight, power or importance.
Pretext. A purpose or motive alleged in order to cloak the real intention.
Principality. A domain ruled by a prince.
Prussia. Historical region of northern Germany bordering on the Baltic Sea, known for
its severe militaristic and feudal character.
46
Putsch (German). A secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a
government.
Quell. To thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission.
Reparation. Compensation payable by a defeated nation for damages sustained by
another nation as a result of hostilities.
Reserve (military). A military force withheld from action for later decisive use.
Saber-Rattler. One who ostentatiously displays military power.
Slavic. Related to the Slav peoples of eastern Europe and Russia.
Socialism. Political theory advocating collective or governmental ownership of the
means of production and distribution of goods.
Stalemate. A deadlock. From chess, where it leads to a draw.
Submarine (military). A warship designed for undersea operations.
Theater (military). The entire land, sea, and air area that is or may become involved in
war operations.
Trotsky, Leon (1879-1940). Russian communist leader associated with Lenin. After
Lenin's death in 1924, Trotsky stood for world revolution while Stalin opted on a focus
of the revolution on a single nation, the USSR and a full commitment to the
"dictatorship of the proletariet."
Versailles. A suburb north of Paris containing the traditional palace of the royalty.
Wilhelm II (1859-1941). Emperor (Kaiser) of Germany and King of Prussia. (1888-1918).
Wilson, Woodrow (1856-1924). 28th President of the United States. (1913-1921)
Window of Opportunity. An interval of time during which an action can be successful.
This use of the term "window" originated with the launch time of rockets or spacecraft.
47
WORKSHEETS
WORKSHEET NO–1
Q1. Select the correct option for the following questions:
1.
Which country made the first declaration of war?
(A) Germany
(B) Serbia
(C) Russia
(D) Austria-Hungary
2.
At the beginning of World War I, Bosnia-Herzegovina was part of
(A) Austria-Hungary
(B) Yugoslavia
(C) Serbia
(D) Croatia
3.
To which other prominent leader was Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany related?
(A) Woodrow Wilson of the United States
(B) Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary
(C) Nicholas II of Russia
(D) Winston Churchill of Britain
4.
Which event prompted the Ottoman Empire to enter the war?
(A) The British attack on the Dardanelles
(B) The German attack on Russia
(C) The Russian attack on Austria
(D) The British attack on Gallipoli
48
5.
Which country joined the war on the side of the Allied Powers in 1916?
(A) Bulgaria
(B) Greece
(C) Serbia
(D) Romania
Q2. EUROPEAN ALLIANCES WORD SEARCH
W
E
F
T
R
E
S
K
A
I
S
E
R
J
E
T
K
V
D
V
U
C
W
U
V
B
V
V
B
N
R
G
N
C
C
G
D
Q
S
F
P
B
X
C
T
I
H
E
F
X
H
G
A
T
E
B
N
K
I
E
P
X
H
R
H
I
B
P
R
R
R
G
V
A
N
L
C
K
A
M
T
Y
O
I
K
I
B
C
Q
T
E
V
I
N
Y
A
H
I
A
I
T
N
I
X
E
E
M
L
C
K
L
N
J
H
O
A
H
S
A
C
E
N
O
E
I
Y
N
Y
U
P
I
D
U
U
O
N
E
M
P
E
R
O
R
N
M
N
A
K
J
R
T
I
P
K
A
E
J
H
G
N
I
S
T
M
D
E
U
W
P
Q
D
K
T
A
X
K
W
Y
L
I
N
Y
R
U
S
S
I
A
R
Z
Y
E
R
O
A
T
T
R
O
I
X
I
R
Y
V
H
Q
F
P
L
T
R
I
P
L
E
A
L
L
I
A
N
C
E
E
49
Twelve clues are given, students have to find out the hidden words and complete this
exercise.
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
FRANCE
BRITAIN
GERMANY
EMPEROR
KAISER
TRIPLE ENTENTE
ENTENTE CORDIALE
AUSTRIA HUNGARY
RUSSIA
SERBIA
ITALY
Q.3 Name the countries that formed the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.4 What are the other terms used for these Alliances?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.5 Match the following dates given in the column A with the events in column B.
Column A
a) 1914, 28 June
Column B
1. At the end of the battle of Ypres German forces are
prevented from reaching the Channel.
50
b) 1914,26 August
2. At the battle of Marne the allies halt the German
advance on Paris.
c) 1914, 4August
3. Germany defeats Russian forces at the battle of
Tannenberg
d) 1914, September
4. German armies march through Belgium to France.
Britain declares war on Germany. World War I begins.
e) 1914, 28 July
5. Austria declares war on Serbia. Germany declares war
on Russia, and then on France.
f) 1914, November
6. A Serb, GavriloPrincip, assassinates Archduke Franz
Ferdinand in Sarajevo,
Q.6 Analyse the political condition of the Balkan region during 1912 – 1913.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
51
WORKSHEET NO–2
Q1. Choose the correct option:
1.
Which of the following is the best explanation of why the events of 1900-1914
led to war?
2.
a)
They increased international tension
b)
They made war more likely.
c)
They were all humiliations for Germany.
d)
There was some economic crisis.
When did the Balkan Wars upset the stability of international relations in
Europe?
3.
4.
a)
1899-1902
b)
1900-1914
c)
1912-1913
d)
1901-1905
When was the first Moroccan crisis?
a)
1906
b)
1911
c)
1912-13
d)
1904-1905
Which crisis happened in 1908?
a)
Boer War
b)
Balkan Wars
52
c)
Bosnia
d)
Ypre war
Q2. State the alliances and ententes signed between 1871 – 1914.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q3. Map work
53
a)
On the physical map of Europe, colour the Triple Alliances and the Triple
Entente with different colours and also shade the areas which remained
neutral during the World War I.
b)
Prepare a list of all the countries involved in these categories.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Q.4 Which country was the 'War Guilt Clause' put on? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.5 Which royal house Franz Ferdinand was heir to?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
54
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.6 Which was the first country to declare war on another in World War I and when?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.7 Where is Versailles, the place where the peace treaty was signed in 1919?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
55
Q.8 What can be the other major cause of World War I besides assassination?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.9 What ignited the "powder keg in Europe" and thus triggered World War I?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
56
WORKSHEET NO–3
Q1. Choose the correct option:
1.
2.
In which city was Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated?
a)
Zagreb
b)
Sarajevo
c)
Belgrade
d)
Vienna
Germany‘s attack upon which one of these countries directly provoked
Britain to go for war?
3.
a)
France
b)
Russia
c)
Belgium
d)
Holland
Which of these best describes Austria-Hungary‘s progress in the early stages
of war?
4.
a)
Defeat by Russia; defeat by Serbia
b)
Victory over Russia; defeat by Serbia
c)
Defeat by Russia; victory over Serbia
d)
Victory over Russia; victory over Serbia
Italy‘s action in the war was primarily against
a)
Germany
b)
Greece
c)
Austria-Hungary
d)
France
57
Q2. This cross word puzzle is based on the cause of the World War–I.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Across
3
British battleship introduced in 1906 (11)
7
A crisis in this country in 1904 nearly led to war (7)
8
This congress had led to Germany and Italy being divided (6)
9
When a country takes over new lands or countries (11)
10
German plan to invade France through Belgium (10,4)
11
Agreement between Britain, Russia and France (6,7)
Down
1
Being a strong supporter of the rights of one's country (11)
58
2
His assassination triggered World War 1 (5,9)
4
Agreement between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy (6,8)
5
When the army is given a high profile by a Government (10)
6
Austria-Hungary took over this Balkan state in 1908 (6)
Q3. Discuss any three causes of the World War I.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q4. Describe the immediate cause responsible for the outbreak of the World War I.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
59
WORKSHEET NO–4
Q 1. Choose the correct option:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Germany‘s plan for fighting France and Russia was called
a)
The Hindenburg Plan
b)
The Schlieffen Plan
c)
Operation Barbarossa
d)
Sturm und Drang
Which early battle marked the first major German defeat?
a)
Tannenberg
b)
The Marne
c)
Mons
d)
Masurian Lakes
The Battle of the Falkland Islands resulted in
a)
Victory for Britain
b)
Victory for Argentina
c)
Victory for Germany
d)
Victory for Turkey
Which is generally not true of sea warfare during World War I?
a)
Submarines and mines were a cheap and effective way to threaten
battleships.
60
b)
Convoys eventually proved to be the most effective defense against
submarines.
c)
The British navy dominated the world‘s oceans through its aggressive
use of submarine warfare.
d)
Great sea battles between surface ships were relatively rare during the
war.
Q.2 Read the following passage carefully, there are some words missing. Fill in the
missing words using the ones in the box.
Murder at Sarajevo
28th June _______ was a warm and sunny day. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of
Austria-Hungary was on an official visit to the town of ____________ in the South
East of his country. Franz Ferdinand was heir to the _____________throne, which
means that if Emperor Franz Joseph died, then he would be the new Emperor.
Sarajevo was in a part of Austria-Hungary where ________ people lived. A lot of
them did not like Austria-Hungary; they would rather form a country of their own
- like Serbia. Some of these people (called ______________) wanted to harm the
Archduke to show how much they hated Austria-Hungary. One nationalist threw
a bomb at the Archduke's car. It did not kill _____ _________ but it made him very
angry. He wanted to leave Sarajevo straight away. On the way to the station the
Archduke's car stopped when another nationalist was walking by. His name was
Gavrilo ________ and he had a gun. He fired at the royal couple and killed them
both. This murder (or ___________) started a chain of events that led to The Great
War.
1914
Slav
Sarajevo
Princip
Nationalists
Austro-Hungarian
Franz Ferdinand
Assassination
61
Q3. In which region of France is the Somme battlefield located?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q4. The Somme offensive was specifically planned partly with the intention of
drawing German troops away from which other battle front? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
62
WORKSHEET NO–5
Q1. Choose the correct option:
1.
How is the western front in World War I best characterized?
a)
A stagnant war fought from trenches, with neither side gaining or losing
much ground, in spite of huge casualties
b)
One of the most dynamic front lines of the twentieth century
c)
The first war front in history dominated by air power
d)
A mostly inactive front, along which both sides took a primarily
defensive stance, resulting in relatively few casualties
2.
A war of attrition is defined as
a)
A war in which both sides periodically exchange prisoners and then
continuefighting
b)
A war that is ended by a single crushing strike
c)
A war that is won by cutting off the enemy‘s supply line
d)
A war in which victory is determined not by which side seizes the most
territory but by which side loses the most men
3.
4.
Why did Britain need control of the Dardanelles?
a)
To open shipping routes with Russia
b)
To gain access to the Persian Gulf
c)
To cut off German naval bases in the Black Sea
d)
To prevent Russian ships from entering the Baltic Sea
What was the political result of Britain‘s invasion of Gallipoli?
a)
Winston Churchill was elected Prime Minister.
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b)
The Royal Air Force was formally established.
c)
Australia and New Zealand refused any further participation in the war.
d)
A major shakeup in the leadership of the Royal Navy ensued.
Q2. Which was the First European country to use poison gas and tanks in World War I?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.3 Name the heads of the Government who made up the ‗Big four‘?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________
Q.4 How did Germany combat British Naval power during World War I?
_________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
64
WORKSHEET NO–6
Q.1 Choose the correct option
1.
Which battle was fought for ten months, the longest of the war?
(A) Battle of the Somme
(B) Battle of Messines Ridge
(C) Battle of Verdun
(D) Battle of Passchendaele
2.
What major change in German policy contributed to the United States
entering the war?
(A) An end to diplomatic relations with the United States
(B) The declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare
(C) Economic sanctions against the United States
(D) An anti-British propaganda campaign in the American media, paid for
by the German embassy
3.
The Zimmermann telegram urged which country to attack the United States?
(A) Mexico
(B) Cuba
(C) Panama
(D) Canada
4.
What country first intercepted the Zimmermann telegram?
(A) The United States
(B) Canada
(C) France
(D) Great Britain
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5.
What was the name of the first U.S. civilian ship to be sunk by a German
submarine?
(A) Lusitania
(B) Housatonic
(C) Titanic
(D) Maine
O
P
K
L
B
C
H
L
O
R
I
N
E
X
C
B
V
V
M
A
Z
C
P
S
Z
R
A
S
C
F
G
X
C
T
O
R
P
E
D
O
E
S
D
B
D
Z
Z
X
H
F
L
N
O
G
E
F
U
F
A
S
R
E
Z
G
R
A
R
T
I
L
L
E
R
Y
A
T
O
P
F
L
L
D
L
N
D
W
J
T
O
Q
Y
P
R
P
G
J
V
N
B
T
S
R
Y
N
E
U
K
E
A
E
N
G
I
O
G
W
I
U
E
S
I
L
T
S
J
L
Y
T
C
P
Q
F
I
T
O
O
G
A
S
K
T
I
A
D
P
A
L
O
M
L
K
I
Q
W
L
Y
U
N
S
I
X
E
P
P
D
L
U
W
E
O
E
I
K
A
U
V
S
W
O
I
A
Y
R
R
P
M
U
S
T
A
R
D
S
I
E
Q
T
E
T
T
R
A
U
W
I
B
T
A
Y
R
M
A
C
H
I
N
E
G
U
N
S
G
V
U
Y
66
ZEPPELIN
BAYONET
TANKS
CHLORINE
PLANES
MUSTARD
TORPEDOES GAS
RIFLES
SOLDIER
WEAPON
Q.2 Locate the weapons hidden in the box that were used in World War I.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.3 What do you understand by the term artillery?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.4 What is a Zeppelin?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.5 Why were tanks an unsuccessful war machine in World War I ?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q.6 How did this war change the way men fought in battle?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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WORKSHEET NO–7
Q.1 Choose the correct option
1.
2.
3.
On what date did the United States declare war on Germany?
a)
December 7, 1914
b)
April 6, 1917
c)
January 29, 1918
d)
November 4, 1917
Who was the commander of U.S. forces in Europe?
a)
Eddie Rickenbacker
b)
Dwight D. Eisenhower
c)
Theodore Roosevelt
d)
John J. Pershing
Following the declaration of war, U.S. forces
a)
Immediately attacked Germany.
b)
Mobilized and deployed to Europe but did not enter combat for many
months.
4.
c)
Concentrated on defending the U.S. mainland.
d)
Went on alert but did not mobilize.
What did Germany do in 1917 to hasten Russia‘s exit from the war?
a)
Hired mercenaries to assassinate the tsar.
b)
Bombed food warehouses in major Russian cities.
69
c)
Helped Russian revolutionaries in exile to get back to Russia.
d)
Revealed that the tsar‘s German-born wife was spying for the Kaiser.
Picture Analysis
Q.2 Study this picture carefully and answer questions that follow:
This is a picture by Louis Raemaekers.
The artist writes: "The harvest is plentiful, but the
labourers are few": here is only one, but he is quite
sufficient—"the reaper whose name is Death," a
skeleton over whose bones the peasant's dress—a
shirt and a pair of ragged trousers—hangs loose.
The shirt-sleeves of the skeleton are turned well
up, as if for more active exertion, as he grasps the
two holds of the huge scythe with which he is
sweeping down the harvest.
This is not war of the old type, with its
opportunities for chivalry, its glories, and its pride
of manly strength. The German development of
war has made it into a mere exercise in killing, a
business of slaughter. Which side can kill most,
and itself outlast the other? When one reads the
calculations
by
which
careful
statisticians
demonstrate that in the first seventeen months of
the war Germany alone lost over a million of men
killed in battle, one feels that this picture is not
exaggerated. It is the baretruth.
70
a)
Suggest a picture caption or title.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b)
Which period of history does it signify?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c)
Name the country, the writer is talking about.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
d)
Find the words or phrases in the paragraph that appear to be the most
significant? Why do you think so?
Q.3 What, if any, are the connections between the causes of the war in 1914 and the reasons
that the war was still going on in 1918?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
71
WORKSHEET NO–8
Q.1 Choose the correct option:
1.
Which of the following best describes Lenin‘s role in the February
Revolution?
2.
3.
a)
He was not involved.
b)
As a member of the Duma, he put pressure on the tsar to abdicate.
c)
He supplied arms to the demonstrators.
d)
He planned the revolt.
What was Lenin‘s first decree after the Bolshevik Revolution?
a)
An order that the Russian army surrender to Germany.
b)
A request to the Central Powers to begin armistice negotiations.
c)
A proclamation that Germany must be defeated at all costs.
d)
A declaration of peace.
Which best describes the outcome of Russia‘s peace negotiations?
a)
Russia gained territory.
b)
Russia lost territory.
c)
Russia neither gained nor lost territory.
d)
Russian soldiers would have to serve in the German army on the
western front.
4.
How did Russia‘s withdrawal affect the Allied forces?
a)
Allied troops were soon to be outnumbered by the Germans.
72
b)
With Russia out of the picture, peace negotiations would become easier.
c)
Without Russian help, Serbia fell to Austria-Hungary.
d)
France withdrew from Alsace-Lorraine.
Q2. What plan did the Germans use when invading Belgium in August, 1914?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q3. The French, as well as other Allies, held off the Germans from getting to Paris.
What kind of warfare was the result of neither side being able to defeat the
opposing side?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q4. What is widely regarded as the key incident that swung public opinion in America
against Germany in WWI?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q5. Which country committed genocide during WWI?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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WORKSHEET NO–9
Q.1 Choose the correct option
1.
2.
After declaring war, the United States was
a)
Officially part of the Central Powers.
b)
At war only with Germany, not with Austria-Hungary.
c)
Officially part of the Allied forces.
d)
At war only with Austria-Hungary, not with Germany.
Which of the following was a point of contention between the United States
and the French and British?
a)
U.S. commanders refused to allow American troops to serve in French or
British regiments.
b)
The U.S. did not send any troops to Europe.
c)
There were many unpleasant incidents between U.S. soldiers and local
civilians.
d)
U.S. commanders refused to coordinate their actions with Allied
commanders.
3.
What pandemic disease threatened soldiers and civilians on all sides during
the late stages of the war?
a)
Dysentery
b)
Measles
c)
Influenza
d)
Cholera
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4.
Which battle was the first major victory for American troops?
a)
Cantigny
b)
Lys
c)
Moreuil Wood
d)
Passchendaele
Q.2 Study the picture, and answer the following questions.
Source: The Peace Treaty Signed after the World War I, 1999
a)
Name the treaty which ended the First World War?
_____________________________________________________________________
76
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b)
Which international association was recommended by President Wilson?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c)
What was the main clause of this treaty?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
77
WORKSHEET NO–10
Q.1 Choose the correct options
1.
2.
3.
What country was the first of the Central Powers to surrender?
a)
Italy
b)
Austria-Hungary
c)
Greece
d)
Bulgaria
Which new country was created as a ―South Slavic state‖?
a)
Czechoslovakia
b)
Bosnia-Herzegovina
c)
Montenegro
d)
Yugoslavia
What immediate condition was required of the Ottoman Empire in order to
make peace?
4.
a)
Constantinople had to be given back to Greece.
b)
All troops had to be withdrawn from Gallipoli.
c)
Free shipping had be reopened through the Dardanelles.
d)
The ships Goeben and Breslau had to be returned to Germany.
Austria-Hungary made its armistice
a)
Jointly with Germany.
b)
After negotiations with Russia held in Yalta.
78
5.
c)
After negotiations held in Italy.
d)
At a formal ceremony at the White House.
The formal peace treaty with Germany
a)
Was signed under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
b)
Was signed on a ship sailing in neutral waters.
c)
Stipulated that Germany must give up its entire northern coastline.
d)
Was signed at Versailles.
Q2. What was the outcomes of the withdrawal of Russia from the WWI.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q3. Discuss in detail the attempts made by Germans to acquire Paris.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
79
Q4. What steps were taken by the Germans to check the advancement of the ships in
the Atlantic Ocean?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Q5. Students need to refer and research from the reference books and websites to fill in
the details of the important battles of World War I.
80
IMPORTANT BATTLES OF WW–I
VERDUN
SOMME
Date and Year
Geographical
Location
Causalities - in
terms of lives,
money and
Territories.
Importance in
history
Countries
Involved
81
GALLIPOLI
YPRES
WORKSHEET NO–11
TOPICS FOR THE POWER POINT PROJECT ON WORLD WAR – I
CAUSES OF WWI
Alliance System
Assassination in Sarajevo
Sinking of the Luisitania
MAJOR BATTLES
WAR AT SEA
Royal Navy
German Navy
French Navy
WEAPONS
Anti-submarine weapons
Rifles and Pistols
Machine guns
Armored vehicles
Artillery
Tanks
Poison Gas
Bayonet
Smokeless gunpowder
Flame-throwers
Hand grenade
LIFE IN THE TRENCHES
Western Front Warfare
No Man's Land
Diseases
Shell-fire
Food
Living conditions
Entertainment
PEOPLE
1. ALLIED POWERS
Political leaders:
Woodrow Wilson
Nicholas II
David Lloyd Geroge
Georges Clemeneau
Winston Churchill
2. CENTRAL POWERS
Political leaders:
Otto von Bismarck
Kaiser William II
Arthur Zimmerman
UNIFORMS OF WW I
British
American
French
German
Russian
WAR MEDICINE
Diseases
Field Hospitals
Red Cross
Surgeries/Amputations
"Shell Shock"
Stretcher-bearers
PEACE TREATIES
Fourteen Point plan
COMMUNICATIONS
Field Communications
Letters from home
Telegraph
Morse Code
Telephones
Radio
WOMEN DURING THE WAR
CHRISTMAS TRUCE 1914
82
MILITARY LEADERS:
Alfred von Schlieffen
Paul von Hindenberg
Prince Wihelm
Alfred von Tirpitz
Liman von Sanders
Helmuth von Moltke
WAR IN THE AIR
Aircraft (in general)
Zeppelins (in general)
Zeppelins & air raids
Air Balloons
Flying Circus
Parachutes
Dogfighting
Bombing raids on Britain
Pusher Aircraft
HOMEFRONTS
Great Britain
USA
France
Germany
Music
Art
Propaganda
Antiwar arguments
Mobilization
Influenza Pandemic
Espionage Act 1917
Sedition Amendment 1918
Selective Service System
TACTICS
Schlieffen Plan
Gas attack
REFERENCES AND WEB LINKS

Encyclopedia

World book series

Encyclopedia

Short History of The world by H.G.Wells

Great Battles of The World by John Macdonald

NCERT of IX and X

http://www.google.com

http://www.slideshare.net

http://www.funtrivia.com

http://www.historyonthenet.com

http://www.schoolhistory.co.ukl

http://www.school.nycenet.edu

http://www.kidspast.com

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools

http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/trenches.htm)

worksheets should preferably be topic specific
83
CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EDUCATION
Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110 092 India