World War I: The Great War
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World War I: The Great War
The War to End all Wars! Casualties in World War I
Germany 1,800,000
Soviet Union 1,700,000
France 1,385,000
Austria 1,200,000
Great Britain 947,000
Japan 800,000
Romania 750,000
Serbia 708,000
Italy 460,000
Turkey 325,000
Belgium 267,000
Greece 230,000
USA 137,000
Portugal 100,000
Canada 69,000
Bulgaria 88,000
Montenegro 50,000
Why?
• What caused WWI?
- Like the USA, Germany
becoming a world power in
1900…wanted to expand.
1) Imperialism: strong countries
dominate the weak. $$$$$
– Kaiser Wilhelm II ruler
Germany- we want “a place in
the sun.”
– If Germany expanded England
& Fr. would lose colonies.
TENSION!
British Empire in 1900 “The sun never sets on the British empire.”
USA, USA, USA •
2) Nationalism: pride in
national identity.
- Many European ethnic
groups wanted their
own countries.
Europe before
WWI
Europe today
Sounds like Teddy? Just get a
bigger stick! 3) Militarism: imperial tensions causes
naval arms race between Britain and
Germany.
- Armies also vastly increased.
- Rest of Europe follows suit.
Welcome to the gun show!
Are you my friend?
4) Alliance system –
alliance - agreement between countries to aid one another if needed. (allies)
By 1914 Europe a tangled web of alliances
Alliances were written that a country MUST go to war if their ally does. No choice!
The two alliances…
Allied Powers – Britain, France, Russia
Central Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman
Empire.
Imperialism
Nationalism
Militarism
Alliance system
The Assassination of
1914
Light a match!
• World War I begins with an assassination…
– Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary is assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
– Killer is Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist. Wanted Serbs in Austria-Hungary reunited with Serbia.
The car and Franz’s uniform
The dominos fall
• Austria-Hungary mobilized to invade Serbia.
• Russia mobilized to defend Serbia
• Germany then activated the Schlieffen plan…
The plan man…
• Schlieffen plan – German war plan to
quickly conquer France then wheel about
against Russia.
– 1.5 million man German army sweep through
Belgium to Paris
– Drawback – attack on Belgium would bring in
G. Britain.
Did I mention this is called
the Great War?
• One week after the war is
started, every major power
in Europe is at war.
• WWI sees more than 65
million men mobilized for
war.
11 Million Germans
12 Million Russians
8.5 Million French
9 Million English
4.5 Million Americans
World War I
*Grinding to a halt*
The war begins
Germans are stopped 30 miles from Paris by Br. and Fr.
Germans retreat 40 miles and dig in – trenches.
Next four years is a stalemate on western front.
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