Download World War I (1914

WORLD WAR I
(1914-1918)
Chapter 18
“Peace remains at the mercy of an
accident.” (German diplomat, 1914)
“This dreadful conflict of the nations came to
most of us as lightning out of a clear sky. The
horror of it kept me awake for weeks, nor has
the awfulness of it all deserted me.”
- Robert Page, South Carolina, letter, Nov 12, 1914
Causes of War
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France & Germany had become bitter enemies
Imperialism fueled rivalries among powerful nations
Militarism, building up strong armed forces to
prepare for war.
Germany vied with Britain for naval dominance
European nations set up rival alliances
France & Germany

In 1870-71 the German army attacked
France. The Germans won this short war.
As a ‘prize’ they took the regions of Alsace
and Lorraine from France. The Germans
claimed that they were rightfully German,
the majority of people living here were
French however. The French were very
upset by this and wanted the land back.
They were also fearful of the Germans
attacking again.
Russia

Russia was encouraging Serbs and other minorities
in the Balkans to revolt against their Austrian rulers.
Their actions fueled the feelings of nationalism
already rising.
Germany & Britain

Both countries wanted naval superiority so they
each built up their navies so they could control the
seas.
British
Dreadnought, a
new battleship that
revolutionized
warfare in WW I.
European Alliances

These alliances
meant that even
a small crisis
could start a
major war!
Central Powers:
Germany, Austria,
Bulgaria, Ottoman
Empire, Italy

Allied Powers:
France, Russia,
Britain
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand was the crown prince of the
Austrian empire. In 1914 he and his wife went
on a visit to Serbia, a country that Austria had
a strong influence over. Several Serbian
nationalists, who wanted independence from
Austria, decided that they would try to kill the
prince. On 28th June 1914 they succeeded. His
death led to the Austrian government making
very strong demands on Serbia. Russia, keen
to gain influence in Serbia, supported the
Serbs. Days later the First World War had
begun.
Ferdinand and his wife were in an
open car on the way to an
engagement at the city hall, when a
young assassin, Nedeljko
Cabrinovic, threw a bomb at the
cavalcade. The bomb bounced off
the couple's car and exploded
behind them injuring those following
the royal car. Cabrinovic swallowed
a cyanide capsule and threw
himself into the river. He was
arrested, however, as the pill had
not killed him and the river had
been almost dry. The royal couple
continued, shaken but unharmed.
After the reception at the town hall, plans to tour other parts of the city were
abandoned and a direct route to the city was decided on. It was along this
route, however, that another assassin, 19-yr-old Gavrilo Princip, waited.
When the car carrying the royal couple was forced to stop, after taking a wrong
turn, Princip stepped forward and fired two shots at close range. Sophie was hit
in the stomach. Ferdinand was hit in the neck. Both died within a few minutes.
The police seized Princip immediately.
Stalemate for 3 years
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From 1914 to 1917, the Allied powers fought each
other, inflicting heavy losses, but neither side able to
overcome the other.
Meanwhile, the U.S. determined to stay neutral
(Isolationism)
By 1917 Britain was purchasing nearly $75 million
worth of war goods from the U.S. each week
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Trench warfare (http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/trenchlife.htm)
Huge battles: in the Battle of Verdun, France, over
800,000 men lost their lives in 10 months
Use of chlorine and mustard gas
British Blockade of German Ports
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The aim of naval actions in World War I was to
destroy the enemy’s ability to wage war by means
of disrupting its commerce.
A nation denied the ability to trade would lose its
ability to feed and defend itself, and descend into
economic chaos.
German’s blockade around Britain
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Germany declared the existence of a war zone
around the British Isles.
All enemy shipping encountered within the area was
subject to attack and no guarantees were to be made
for the safety of the passengers and crews.
President Wilson reacted with a warning to Germany,
informing them that they would be held to "strict
accountability" for the safety of American lives.
President Woodrow Wilson
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Best know for his peacemaking efforts during and
after WW I
This German notice
appeared on May 1,
the same date that the
Lusitania, a British
passenger liner, set
sail from New York to
Liverpool.
German U-boats
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/sub.htm
The Sinking of the Lusitania

On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat off the
southern coast of Ireland fired a torpedo without
warning on the Lusitania, which touched off an
internal explosion and sent the ship beneath the
waves in less than 20 minutes. Nearly 1,200 people
lost their lives, including 128 Americans.
Sussex Pledge
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President Woodrow Wilson threatened to break off
all diplomatic ties to Germany if they continued
sinking passenger ships.
Germany agreed to restrict its campaign so the U.S.
wouldn’t enter the war.
FROM NEUTRALITY TO
WAR
Wilson’s Peace Efforts – “Peace
Without Victory”
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Woodrow Wilson
didn’t want to restrict
Americans travel
abroad
He thought he could
help bring about
peace as a neutral
nation
Won the Presidential
election by a VERY
NARROW margin.
U.S joins the war
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Germany decided to renew submarine warfare, any
neutral ship nearing Britain would be sunk.
Zimmerman telegram – Germany asked Mexico to
join them against U.S.
Revolution in Russia: without the czar, it would be
easier to support the war in the name of
“democracy”
“Make the world safe for
democracy”
Wilson declares war
after Congress approval.
(455 to 56)
APRIL 6, 1917
Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming
Ev'rywhere.
So prepare, say a pray'r,
Send the word, send the word to beware.
We'll be over, we're coming over,
And we won't come back till it's over
Over there.
Selective
Service Act
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Required all men 2130 to register for the
draft.
People from every
ethnic group signed up.
So many recruits
couldn’t read or write
(25%) that education
became more of a
public issue.
Bureaucracy
emerged
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Food
Administration:
victory gardens,
wheatless Mondays,
meatless Tuesdays
Propaganda
Posters
”Gibst du ein Scherflein noch so
klein in Gott soll dir’s gesegnet
sein”
Even if you put a little bit to the
cause, God will bless it
Managing Industry
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War Industries Board controlled what and how
much factories produced
War Labor Board helped union workers and labor
unrest declined
Women stepped into industrial factory jobs
Government sold war bonds to help pay for the
war.
Other developments
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Strong anti-German prejudice
“Liberty cabbage” and “liberty measles”
Great Migration to the north (blacks and Mexican
immigrants)
Opposition to war by pacifists and socialists
Setbacks for the Allies
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Russia withdrew from the war because of the
Bolshevik Revolution
Russia & Germany signed the Treaty of BrestLitovsk
Germans move close to Paris in their “peace
offensive”
German Peace Offensive
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6,000 artillery pieces
“Big Berthas” – massive guns capable of firing a
2,100 lb shell almost 75 miles
By May 1918, Germans had pushed the Allies back
just 70 miles north of Paris
Americans arrive in France
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Over 1 million men
General Pershing
insisted that the
American troops
fight separately as
their own units.
Harlem Hell Fighters
awarded the French
medal of honor
Harlem Hell Fighters
German soldiers in winter
A concrete walled trench
German soldiers pose in an earthen trench.
Alvin York
After his platoon had suffered heavy
casualties and 3 other noncommissioned
officers had become casualties, Cpl.
York assumed command. Fearlessly
leading 7 men, he charged with great
daring a machine gun nest which was
pouring deadly and incessant fire upon
his platoon. In this heroic feat the
machinegun nest was taken, together
with 4 officers and 128 men and
several guns.
--Medal of Honor Citation
Allies win the War
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Battle of Argonne Forest – Germans pushed back
with the Allies suffering heavy losses
Armistice signed Nov. 11, 1918 – the German
emperor forced to resign, Germany became a
republic
American tanks in the Battle of Argonne Forest
Failed Peace
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Wilson’s Peace Plan – “14 Points” was meant to
prevent international problems from causing another
war
Called for League of Nations, self determination
Points were vague, conflicted with reality
Big Four Meet in France
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Woodrow Wilson (U.S.)
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David Lloyd George (Britain)
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Clemenceau (France)
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Vittorio Orlando (Italy)
Treaty of Versailles
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No one liked it
Set extremely harsh terms for Germany: had to
take full blame for the war, had to pay huge
reparations to the Allies, returned Alsace-Lorraine
to France, limited the size of the German military
Several eastern European peoples became
countries again.
Resistance at home
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Most Americans favored the Treaty
A vocal minority wanted to stay out of world
affairs, did not join the League of Nations
Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke
Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles
Impact of World War I
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Combat, disease, and starvation had killed more
than 14 million people
7 million soldiers disabled
Cost more than $280 billion
Overthrow of colonialism
19th Amendment (1919) gave women the right to
vote