WWI A Local Conflict Goes Global
Jan 02, 2016
Militarism: Glorification of War & Military
Build up of large reserve armiesMobilization - organize resources for
combat (triggers other nations mobilizing)
Naval Expansion - William II (GR) fires Bismarck and expands navy wants to be equal to G.B. (most
powerful) G.B. feels threatens, expands, develops
new battleship - Dreadnought
Alliances - Defense Agreements Among Nations
Three Emperors’ League: (1881) Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary - doesn’t last b/c of A-H rivalry with Russia in Balkans
Triple Alliance - (1882) Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary - attempt to isolate France
Triple Entente - (1907) France, Russia, G.B. Entente: Friendly understanding between nations
Nationalism - Extreme Pride in One’s Nation or Desire to Form a Nation
French Nationalists sought revenge against Germany for loss of Alsace-Lorraine
Slavic Nationalism - Pan-Slavism: Unify all Slavic people under one empire
Imperialism - domination of one country by another
Germany and France came close to war over control of Morocco
Germany wanted to create Berlin to Baghdad Railway - caused resentment among British and Russians British feared interference with India and reduce traffic thru Suez Canal
Anarchy
International AnarchyNations of Europe pursue
policies without regard for the wishes of their neighbors
Crisis - No international organization to monitor
Immediate Causes of WWI
Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of A-H (June 28, 1914) by Gavrilo Princip - member of Serbian nationalist group “Black Hand”
Why the Assassination?
Ferdinand planned to give Slavs of Bosnia-Herzegovina a voice in the gov’t equal to that of Austro-Hungarians
This threatened the movement for a separate Slavic state
What Happens Next?
A-H hold Serbians responsibleA-H seeks assurance (backup)
from Germany in event of warGermany issues “Blank
Check” to A-H Willhelm II gives full support to
any actions A-H might take against Serbia
A-H issues ultimatum (set of final conditions that must be accepted to avoid severe consequences) to Serbia
Demands that Serbia allow A-H officials into country to suppress all subversive movements & conduct investigation
Gives Serbia 48 hours to agree or face warSerbia does not agree to all parts
A-H declares war on Serbia! (July 28, 1914)
Tensions Build!!
Other Countries Get Involved
Russia (friend of the Serbs) mobilizes troops along borders of Germany & A-H
Germany warns Russia to stop - they don’t!
Germany issues ultimatum to France – 18 hours to decide if it would support Russia – France said it would support Russia
Declarations of War
Germany declares war on Russia (Aug 1, 1914)
Germany declares war on France (Aug 3, 1914)
Great Britain still hoped to remain neutral and not go to war, but…
Germany demands passage across Belgium to fight France (*Part of Schlieffen Plan)
British protest demand made by Germany upon neutral nation of Belgium 1839 Treaty signed by G.B., Russia,
France & Germany guaranteed Belgium’s neutrality
Germany Invades Belgium!
Germany invades Belgium
G.B. demands they withdraw
Germany responds calling treaty,
“a scrap of paper”G.B. declares
war on Germany (Aug 4, 1914)
*The Schlieffen Plan
Germany’s invasion of Belgium was part of this plan
Germany had enemies to East & West & did not want to fight a war on both fronts at the same time
Believed Russia would be slow to mobilize and that they could fight & defeat France (W. Front) first in 6 weeks & then fight Russia on Eastern Front
Expectations
Both sides thought the war would be a quick ordeal…
Kaiser told his soldiers, “you’ll be home before the leaves have fallen from the trees.”
They underestimated the role industrialization would play in this war.
French troops marched off
shouting, “We’ll be home by
Christmas”
The British government wanted to encourage men to enlist for war.
They said the war would be safe, hardly any fighting, a good lark and over by Christmas.
They used advertising posters to encourage this idea!
A picture of soldiers going ‘Over the Top’
Soldiers were expected to carry all of their equipment with them at all times.
They were supposed to keep it clean and in good condition – they were British after all.
Posters always showed men ready and willing to fight.
They never showed the boredom of the trenches or actual fighting taking place.
Why do you think the government showed no fighting?
No smiling and relaxed faces…
No clean uniforms…
Their equipment is scattered everywhere…
Boredom and sleep are obvious…
The soldiers had very little decent food, and what food they had was often attacked by rats.
These rats were the size of small rabbits and badgers because they had fed on the decomposing bodies of dead soldiers.
U.S. Position at Beginning of War
U.S. neutral – war is a “European affair”U.S. strongest, neutral industrialized
nationMajor supplier of food, raw materials &
munitions to belligerent (warring) nations
Insists on free trade and free travel
What changes to draw the U.S. into war???
Financial Interests at Stake!
U.S. private banks/corporations lent money to both sides until…
U.S. begins to trade more & more with Great Britain because of blockade of Germany
Many goods bought on credit – wanted to insure repayment
Sinking of the Lusitania – May 1915
Germans sink British passenger ship off coast of Ireland
128 Americans killedU.S. warns Germany
to back offGermany temporarily
ends unrestricted submarine warfare
British Propaganda
Most news about the war came from Great Britain
Exaggerated German atrocities against defenseless citizens
“It should be America’s duty to help us subdue the mad dog of Europe”
Zimmerman Telegram March 1917Message from
German foreign minister to German ambassador to Mexico
Promised Mexico the return of New Mexico, Texas & Arizona in exchange for support in war
German Submarines
Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare – hopes U.S. won’t enter or that they’ll defeat G.B. first
German subs attacked any naval vessel, enemy or neutral, found in what Germany determined was a “war zone”
Germans sink 4 American merchant ships
“The world must be made safe for democracy”
April 2, 1917 – Pres Woodrow Wilson asks Congress for a declaration of war
April 6, 1917 – Congress votes to enter war on side of Allies
1st Russian Revolution March 1917
Russian czar overthrownLeaders of revolution promised to
establish a constitutional gov’tAll allies now had democratic
govt’sWWI became a war between
democratic and non-democratic nations
Russia Before World War I
1905 Russo-Japanese War ends; Russia defeated and economy strained
Czar Nicholas II calls for election of a national Duma – legislature Had little power
Russia During WWI
Russia was cut off from supplies/allies because Turkey (Central Power) controlled the Dardanelles Strait which gave access to the Med. Sea
However, Russia helped the war effort by diverting German troops from attack against the French and British
Russia During WWI
Russia was cut off from supplies/allies because Turkey (Central Power) controlled the Dardanelles Strait which gave access to the Med. Sea
However, Russia helped the war effort by diverting German troops from attack against the French and British
Provisional Government
Temporary gov’t – constitutional assembly
Kerensky – prov gov’t prime ministerRival for power – Soviets (council of
workers)Soviets – socialists - called for
immediate peace, transfer of land to peasants & control of factories by workers
Gov’t lost its support
Opens the Door for Revolution: Socialism Enters
Revolutionary groups tried to fill the role of gov’t
Mensheviks (Kerensky) believed a socialist revolution would be the work of masses
Bolsheviks – more radical – wanted to introduce a socialist society by force
Lenin & The Bolsheviks
Lenin – Leader of Bolsheviks
Returned from exile – aided by Germany to get Russia out of war
Organized BolsheviksUsed slogan: “Peace,
Land & Bread”
2nd Russian Revolution
Nov 1917 – Bolsheviks staged a coup d’etat in Petrograd
Established socialist stateEnded private ownership of propertyDistributed land among peasantsMade Peace! March 1918 –
withdraws from WWISigned Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with
GermanyLost much of western territory – 1/3
of pop
Russian Civil War
Communists (Bolsheviks) = Reds
Royalists, liberal democrats, moderate socialists = Whites
Whites promise to defeat Reds and re-enter WWI
Communists defeat White forces
Photograph of Red Army
soldier about to be
executed by members of the White
Army.
German Surrender
On the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month the war comes to an end (November 11, 1918), as Germany accepts an armistice.
Allies meet to discuss a treaty.
David Lloyd George-Great Britain
Prime minister who wanted to expand Britain's Colonial Empire, preserve its naval and industrial supremacy and make Germany pay for the war.
Georges ClemenceauFrench PremierWanted to ensure
security against future German invasion
Weaken Germany by imposing military limitations, financial payments, and territorial losses.
Vittorio OrlandoVittorio Orlando Premier of ItalySought to enlarge
Italy's territory in Europe and expand its empire overseas
Woodrow WilsonPresident of the
United StatesSought to provide
a just and lasting peace and create a better world by implementing the Fourteen Points*
*Fourteen Points-Wilson’s Plan for a Lasting Peace
1. Open covenants (treaties) of peace openly arrived at.
2. Freedom of the seas3. Removal of international trade
barriers (such as tariffs).4. Reduction of armaments5. Impartial adjustment of colonial
claims with regard for the interests of native peoples
Fourteen Points Cont.
6-13. Adjustment of European boundaries in accordance with the principle of nationality, that is, the right of any national group to self-determination regarding its own government and independent state.
14. Establishment of a League of Nations to handle international disputes.
European nations approved of the 14 Points only sparingly because of their nations interests.
Treaty of Versailles
Of Wilson’s Fourteen Points, only a few were taken seriously. One of them was the League of Nations, What were the others?
Differing Views of the Treaty
Arguments Against: a harsh treaty that planted the seeds of WWII- The treaty transferred German-inhabited territory, seized all colonies of Germany, and compelled Germany to accept sole war guilt. It forced Germany to be unarmed while other nations remained armed, and it wounded German pride. By attacking the treaty the Nazi party gained support of the German people, achieved power, and bought on WWII.
Arguments For: A fair treaty that was not enforced
The treaty transferred German territory chiefly on the basis of nationality, assigned German colonies as League of Nations mandates with the objective of eventual disarmament, and provided a League of Nations. The treaty alone cannot be blamed for the German people’s support of Nazism. Furthermore, if the military provisions of the treaty had been enforced, Nazi Germany would not have been able to wage war
Results of WWI-Social
A. almost 10 million soldiers were killed and over 20 million soldiers were wounded
B. Millions of civilians died as a result of the hostilities, famine and disease.
C. The world was left aflame with hatred, intolerance, and extreme nationalism.
D. debt and economic dislocation caused the depression of 1929.
Political
A. The U.S. emerged as a leading world powerB. 3 major European powers dethroned-
Germans, Austria-Hungary, and RussiaC. New national states arose…Poland and
CzechoslovakiaD. League of Nations established to solve
international problems Many European nations turned to dictatorship
because of economic and political discontent– Russia, Italy, Germany.