Download World War I 1914-1918

World War I 1914-1918
 Causes
of the war
 Technology of the war
 Military techniques / Battles
 War at Home “Total War”
 US / Russia and the end of the
war
Long Term Causes: M.A.I.N.
 Militarism Glorifying
Military Power
 Keeping a large standing army
prepared for war
 Arms race for military technology
Long Term Causes
 Alliance
System-
 Designed
to keep peace in Europe,
instead pushed continent towards
war
 Many Alliances are made in secret
Long Term Causes
 Imperialism European
competition for colonies
 Desire for colonies often almost led
to war
 Imperialism led to rivalry and
mistrust amongst European nations
Long Term Causes
 Nationalism Deep
Devotion to One’s Nation
 Competition and Rivalry developed
between European nations for
territory and markets
 (Example France and GermanyAlsace-Lorraine)
The Two Sides
Central Powers
Triple Entente
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire
England
France
Russia
Allied Powers
England, France,
Russia, United
States in 1917
Also Italy, Serbia,

Kaiser Wilhelm II
of Germany in a
French political
cartoon.

How does this
image show
MaIN? (Militarism,
Imperialism, and
Nationalism)
Major Colonies

Triple Entente
France- Vietnam,
Parts of Africa
 England- Africa,
Australia, Hong
Kong, India,
Canada, S. America
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Central Powers
Germany- Africa,
Parts of Asia
 Austria-Hungary’s
Empire included 11
ethnic groups /
future European
countries
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Short-Term Cause
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June 28th 1914 Assassination of AustriaHungary’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Summer of 1914
Triple Entente/Central Powers Actions
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July 23rd Austria Hungary Presents Serbia with
an ultimatum
July 28th Austria-Hungary declares war on
Serbia
July 29th Russia Mobilizes its troops
August 1, 1914 Germany mobilizes troops.
Summer of 1914
Triple Entente/Central Powers Actions
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August 2nd Germany declares war on Russia
Germany invades Poland and Luxemburg,
invasion of France starts
August 3: Germany declares war on France
August 4: Germany declares war on Belgium
and invades it,
August 4:England declares war on Germany
August 5: Austria declares war on Russia and
Great Britain
Who Declared War on Who?
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Austria-Hungary Declares War on Serbia
Russia Declares War on Austria Hungary
Germany Declares War on Russia
Germany Declares War on France
England Declares War on Germany and
Austria Hungary
Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, the
Ottoman Empire
Allies: England, France, Russia, Italy (1915) and US (1917)
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By the end of 1914, not only Europe
was at war, but also all of Europe’s
colonies in Asia, Africa and South
America.

Over 30 countries will fight in WW1
The US is also Neutral
Map 22.1 European Alliances in 1914 (p. 638)
New Technology: The Machine Gun
Trench Warfare

Both sides dug long trenches that faced each
other. The trenches ran for miles.

From time to time, one side would attempt to
cross the “No-Man’s Land” the area in
between the trenches.

Trench warfare made WWI extend from a few
months of fighting to four years of fighting
Technology:
Chemical Weapons
WWI was the first major war to use
chemical weapons
Mustard Gas and Chlorine Gas were
the two most popular weapons: They
caused suffocation, blindness, and
death
Soldiers would protect themselves
using Gas Masks
Why would the British think the Uboat was breaking the rules of War ?
Technology:
The U-boat (Submarine)
 Cowardly
Not Honorable to Sink ships
without warning, crews drown
 Germany needed to prevent supplies
from reaching England
 U-Boats sank over 5,000 ships but the
British kept control over the oceans.
Technology:
Airpower

Both sides used aircraft for observation,
limited bombing, and air battles

Airplanes were slow, clumsy, and unreliable,
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The most famous German pilot was Baron von
Richthofen (The Red Baron)
Dogfights:
Battles to keep
control of the air
and learn about
enemy troops
Technology:
Tanks
Technology:
Tanks
Technology:
Flame Throwers
Russia Exits the War
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In March 1917, Nicholas II abdicates his
throne,
the Russian Duma (Parliament) continues
to fight.
1917 The Russian Revolution
In October 1917: Lenin and the Bolsheviks
take command: The Soviet Union is created.
March 1918: Soviets and Germans sign the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ending the war in
the East.
US claims Neutrality
I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier
I brought him up to be my pride and joy
Who dares to place a musket on his
shoulder,
To shoot some other mother’s darling boy?
US Neutrality (on neither side)
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In the early days of the war, as Britain and France struggled
against Germany, American leaders decided it was in the
national interest to continue trade with all sides as before. A
neutral nation cannot impose an embargo (block ships) on
one side and continue trade with the other. US merchants
and manufacturers feared that a boycott would cripple the
American economy. Great Britain, with its powerful navy
blockaded (stopped all shipping) to Germany. American
trade with the Central Powers simply could not be permitted.
The results of the blockade were astonishing. Trade with
England and France more than tripled between 1914 and
1916, while trade with Germany was cut by over ninety
percent. It was this situation that prompted submarine
warfare by the Germans against Americans at sea. After two
and a half years of isolationism, America entered the Great
War.
US Road to War : Economic Growth
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British Blockade: no ships to Germany or
Central Powers so no American trade
The US is NEUTRAL (not taking sides) but
trade is possible ONLY with England,
France, and Italy. So banks only loan $ to
them (BILLIONS by 1917)
The US economy grew rapidly supplying
food, raw materials, and war supplies to
the Allies. However, German U-Boats sink
ships headed to England threatens the US
economy.
US Road to War
May 7th 1915 Sinking of the Lusitania
Luxury ship with American passengers and WAR
SUPPLIES. President Wilson demands Germany
stop its submarine warfare and they agree to keep
the US out of the war.
1916 Presidential Election
And the Winner is…
Woodrow Wilson
Because
“he kept us out
of the war”
(the US remains
neutral)
US Road To War: Unrestricted
Submarine Warfare
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After the Lusitania was sunk in 1915, the
Germans stopped their submarine
warfare.
Slowly starving due to the British
blockade, Germany starts using U-Boats
again to cut off England and France.
Using U-Boats again harmed US sales of
war goods to England and turned the US
against Germany.
US Road to War: The Last Straw
Zimmerman Telegram: Germany offering
its support to Mexico to attack the US
and regain its land
US Declares War
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The US declares was in April, 1917
Wilson’s reasoning for War
make the world “Safe for Democracy”
Make this the war “The War to End All Wars”
War on the Homefront
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World War I as a Total War
Government took over factories to make Military
goods
Women took place of men in factories
Propaganda- one-sided information to persuade
Americans to support the war
Patriotism: buy war bonds to support the war or
neighbors might report on you
Espionage Act – heavy fines and imprisonment for
any anti-war activities (fear and persecution of
German-Americans)
Sedition Act, 1918: made it against the law to
criticize the war effort (limits freedom of speech)
Propaganda
US
Propaganda
Germany
Ending the War 1917-1918
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US Enters the War in April of 1917
March 1918 Russia and Germany sign the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Germans now use all resources on
Western Front
March of 1918 Germany begins a massive
attack on France
Ending the War (1918)
The Tide Turns
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Germany, France, and England have no
more men to serve in their exhausted armies
US sends over 1 million “fresh” troops and
provides an endless number of weapons
Central Powers Crumble in 1918
Revolutions in Austria Hungary
Ottoman Empire surrenders
German soldiers mutiny, public turns against
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Ending the War (1918)
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Kaiser Wilhelm abdicates on November 9th
1918
11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month
in 1918 Germany agrees to an
Armistice, a cease-fire
8.5 million soldiers dead
21 million soldiers wounded
Cost of $338 billion
Approximate Comparative Losses in World War I
Ending the War
The Paris Peace Conference
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Meeting of the “Big Four” at the Paris
Peace Conference
Wilson Proposes his “14 points”
“Big Four” create Treaty of Versailles
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War Guilt Clause – Germany’s fault
Break up of German, Austrian, Russian and
Ottoman Empire
Reparations – Germany must pay for the cost
and damages of the war
Legacy of bitterness and betrayal
Effects of World War I
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Before World War I feeling of optimism and
progress of Human Kind
After the War feelings of pessimism
New forms of Art, Literature, Philosophy and
Science
Wilson’s 14 Points
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To “make the world safe
for democracy”
#1-5 - international law
recommendations
#6-13 - European
boundaries – new
countries
#14 – create a League
of Nations to settle
conflicts between
countries (prevent wars)
Before WW1
New Countries from the Treaty of Versailles
Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Yugoslavia.