General Information… Started on July 28, 1914 Ended on November 11, 1918 Almost 8,000,000 dead. *** Russia the most = 1.7 million Almost 22,000,000 wounded…..

General Information…

• Started on July 28, 1914• Ended on November 11, 1918

• Almost 8,000,000 dead. *** Russia the most = 1.7 million• Almost 22,000,000 wounded…..

• Map of Europe greatly changed.

Reasons for start of war…

• Extreme nationalism – pride in country• Imperialism • Militarism – building up military• Alliance system - <KEY REASON>

– European powers formed rival alliances to protect themselves

– PROBLEM? One event could drag all countries involved into a conflict.

The Black Hand..• The main objective of the

Black Hand was the creation, by means of violence, of a Greater Serbia.

• Its stated aim was: "To realize the national ideal, the unification of all Serbs. This organization prefers terrorist action to cultural activities; it will therefore remain secret."

The spark that lit the fuse….

• The one event that started the Great War happened in the Balkans.

• The Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Austria) was assassinated while visiting Serbia.

• The Black Hand was responsible….

Kaiser Wilhelm II

“You will be home before the leaves have fallen from the trees!!”

Battle of Verdun• the longest and one of the bloodiest engagements

of World War I. February 1916 – December 1916

• Two million men were engaged.

• The intention of the Germans had been a battle of attrition in which they hoped to bleed the French army white.

• In the end, they sustained almost as many casualties as the French; an estimated 328,000 to the French 348,000.

Map 31.1: Major U.S. Operations in France, 1918

Figure 31.1: Approximate Comparative Losses in World War I