Aim: Could WWI have been avoided?Period 6: 1900 - Present

“The world’s first global conflict, the “Great War” pitted the Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire against the Allied forces of Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan. The introduction of modern technology to warfare resulted in unprecedented carnage and destruction, with more

than 9 million soldiers killed by the end of the war in November 1918.” www.history.com

I Long Term CausesA) July 14, 1870 Otto von Bismarck attempted to push France into a war by having the doctored Ems Telegram released, allegedly from the Kaiser to Bismarck. This led to the Franco-Prussian War (1870 – 1871). France was forced to cede Alsace and Lorraine to Prussia, and pay reparations (equivalent to around $1 billion today). The southern German states agreed to an alliance with the north, resulting in the creation of Bismarck's German Empire (the 2nd Reich).B) Bismarck’s creation of a unified Germany led to the creation of new alliances in Europe. 1. In 1873 Bismarck negotiated the Three Emperors League, which tied Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia to each other's aid in time of war. This only lasted until Russia's withdrawal five years later in 1878, leaving Bismarck with a new Dual Alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879. This latter treaty promised aid to each other in the event of an attack by Russia, or if Russia aided another power at war with either Germany or Austria-Hungary. This alliance, unlike others, endured until war in 1914.

Three Emperors League

On the far left is Kaiser Wilhem. On the right is Otto von Bismarck. In the center is the Czar of Russia, Nicholas II.

Long-Term Causes Continued…2. The Triple Alliance formed in 1881. Under this treaty, Germany and Austria-Hungary promised to assist Italy if she were attacked by France, and vice versa; Italy was bound to lend aid to Germany or Austria-Hungary if France declared war against either. Additionally, should any signatory find itself at war with two powers (or more), the other two were to provide military assistance. Finally, should any of the three determine to launch a 'preventative' war (a euphemism if ever there was one), the others would remain neutral. One of the chief aims of the Triple Alliance was to prevent Italy from declaring war against Austria-Hungary, towards whom the Italians were in dispute over territorial matters.3. The Secret Franco-Italian Alliance: As a “Plan B”, Italy negotiated a secret treaty with France, under which Italy would remain neutral should Germany attack France - which in the event transpired.

Long-Term Causes Continued…4. In 1887 Bismarck agreed to a Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. This document stated that both powers would remain neutral if either were involved in a war with a third (be it offensive or defensive). However, should that third power transpire to be France, Russia would not be obliged to provide assistance to Germany (as was the case of Germany if Russia found itself at war with Austria-Hungary). Bismarck's intention was to avoid the possibility of a two-front war against both France and Russia. Czar Nicholas II, allowed the Reinsurance Treaty to lapse in 1890 (the same year the new German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, brought about the dismissal of his veteran Chancellor, Bismarck).5. The year after the Reinsurance Treaty lapsed Russia allied itself with France. Both powers agreed to consult with the other should either find itself at war with any other nation, or if indeed the stability of Europe was threatened. This rather loosely worded agreement was solidified in 1892 with the Franco-Russian Military Convention, aimed specifically at counteracting the potential threat posed by the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

Long-Term Causes Continued…6. Wilhelm embarked upon a massive shipbuilding exercise intended to produce a naval fleet the equal of Britain's, which at the time was the world's largest. In 1902 Britain agreed to a military alliance with Japan to limit German colonial gains in the east. Britain also responded by commissioning a build-up in her own naval strength; Britain built the enormous Dreadnought battleship, completed in December 1906 (just 14 months!). By the time war was declared in 1914 Germany had 29 battleships, Britain 49. 7. In 1907, Russia formed the Triple Entente by signing an agreement with Britain, the Anglo-Russian Entente. Although the two Entente agreements were not militarily binding in any way, they did place a "moral obligation" upon the signatories to aid each other in time of war. 8. In 1912 Britain and France formed an alliance at the Anglo-French Naval Convention, which promised British protection of France's coastline from German naval attack, and French defense of the Suez Canal.

Long-Term Causes Continued…C) The Russo-Japanese War: (1904 – 1905) Following the Russian rejection of a Japanese plan to divide Manchuria and Korea into spheres of influence, Japan launched a surprise naval attack against Port Arthur, a Russian naval base in China. The Russian fleet was decimated. During the subsequent Russo-Japanese War, Japan won a series of decisive victories over the Russians, who underestimated the military potential of its non-Western opponent. Three major defeats convinced Russia that further resistance against Japan’s imperial designs for East Asia was hopeless, and in August 1905 U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt mediated a peace treaty at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (He was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this achievement.) Japan emerged from the conflict as the first modern non-Western world power and set its sights on greater imperial expansion. However, for Russia, its military’s disastrous performance in the war was one of the immediate causes of the Russian Revolution of 1905.

The Russo-Japanese War 1904 - 1905

Long-Term Causes Continued…D) The Arms Race: As one country increased its armies, so all the others felt obliged to increase their armed forces to keep the ‘balance of power’.Germany: 2,200,000 soldiers, 97 warships Austria-Hungary: 810,000 soldiers, 28 warships. Italy: 750,000 soldiers, 36 warships France: 1,125,000 soldiers, 62 warships Russia: 1,200,000 soldiers, 30 warships Great Britain: 711,000 soldiers, 185 warships

1910-1914 Increase in Defense Expenditures

France 10%Britain 13%Russia 39%

Germany 73%

Long-Term Causes Continued…E) Nationalism made the ethnic groups ruled by the Ottoman Empire (such as the Romanians and the Bulgarians) and by Austria-Hungary (such as the Serbs) want to be sovereign. 1. In the Balkans this was called ‘Panslavism’ as the people who wanted to be free were all Slavic. 2. Serbia had became an independent country in 1878, but in 1900 many Serbs were still ruled by the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary. This led to a destabilized Balkan peninsula.

Modern Serbians Playing Traditional Folk Music

II The Keg BlowsA) “The Archduke Francis Ferdinand traveled to Sarajevo in June 1914 to inspect the imperial armed forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Ottoman territories in the Balkan region that were annexed by Austria-Hungary in 1908 to the indignation of Serbian nationalists, who believed they should become part of the newly independent and ambitious Serbian nation… On June 28, 1914, then, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were touring Sarajevo in an open car, with surprisingly little security, when Serbian nationalist Nedjelko Cabrinovic threw a bomb at their car; it rolled off the back of the vehicle and wounded an officer and some bystanders. Later that day, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip fired into the car, shooting Franz Ferdinand and Sophie at point-blank range. Princip then turned the gun on himself, but was prevented from shooting it by a bystander who threw himself upon the young assassin. A mob attacked Princip, who was subsequently taken by the police. Meanwhile, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie both died within the hour. The assassination of Franz-Ferdinand and Sophie set off a rapid chain of events…

The Keg Blows Continued……Austria-Hungary blamed the Serbian government for the attack. As Russia supported Serbia, an Austro-Hungarian declaration of war was delayed until its leaders received assurances from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm that Germany would support their cause in the event of a Russian intervention–which would likely involve Russia's ally, France, and possibly Britain as well. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I had begun.” –www.history.com

The Keg Blows Continued…"As the car quickly reversed, a thin stream of blood spurted from His Highness's mouth onto my right check. As I was pulling out my handkerchief to wipe the blood away from his mouth, the Duchess cried out to him, 'In Heaven's name, what has happened to you?' At that she slid off the seat and lay on the floor of the car, with her face between his knees.” Count Franz von Harrach rode on the running board of the royal car serving as a bodyguard for the Archduke.

Archduke Francis Ferdinand and His Family

III A New Kind of WarA) New technologies were used1. Machine guns2. Tanks3. Flame throwers4. Depth-charge (deep water) torpedoes5. Barbed wire6. Airplanes and air traffic control7. Poison Gas8. Air craft carriers

B) Trench Warfare was used on an unprecedented scale. Opposing armies conduct battle, at relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. It becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other.

IV The US Entered the WarA) At the start of WWI, US president Woodrow Wilson pledged neutrality.B) Tensions arose when Germany tried to quarantine Britain, an American ally. C) 1915 Germany announced unrestricted warfare against all ships (even neutral ones) near Britain. On May 7, 1915 the British-owned Lusitania was torpedoed without warning off the coast of Ireland. Of the nearly 2,000 passengers aboard, 1,201 were killed, including 128 Americans. D) April 6, 1917 the US formally entered the war.E) As there were only approximately 100,000 American soldiers ready, the US adopted a policy of conscription (a draft).

US Entered the War Continued…

Russian Poster to Buy War Bonds

V Women and WWIA) After the US entered the war in 1917, women supported the war effort in numerous ways; such as by selling war bonds. B) During the war, women also entered the workforce in new ways. Women served in the navy and marines, and thousands served as nurses. On the home front, women worked in factories and in the government.C) WWI led to several important advances for women. It increased support for women’s suffrage (the right to vote) and contributed to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. In addition, during the war, the Department of Labor created the Women in Industry Service. After the war, the Women in Industry Service became the Women’s Bureau. http://www.nwhm.org

VI The End of WWI?A) After the surrender of Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, Germany was forced to seek an armistice with the Allies on November 11, 1918.B) The Paris Peace Conference began on January 18, 1919 to debate the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty. Germany was not invited. The “Big Three” who were the most influential in the debates were Prime Minister David Lloyd George of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau of France, and President Woodrow Wilson of the United States. The terms of the Versailles Treaty were so hostile to Germany that German Chancellor Philipp Scheidemann resigned rather than sign it. However, Germany realized they had to sign it for they no longer had any military power left to resist. C) On June 28, 1919, Germany's representatives signed the Versailles Treaty.

The End of WWI Continued…

The “Big Three” and the Signing of the Treaty of Versailles

Georges ClemenceauDavid Lloyd George Woodrow Wilson

The Treaty of Versailles ExcerptsARTICLE 160. By a date which must not be later than March 31, 1920, the German Army must not comprise more than seven divisions of infantry and three divisions of cavalry… The total effective strength of officers, including the personnel of staffs… must not exceed four thousand.ARTICLE 198. The armed forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces.ARTICLE 231. The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.ARTICLE 232. The Allied and Associated Governments recognize that the resources of Germany are not adequate… to make complete reparation for all such loss and damage. The Allied and Associated Governments, however, require, and Germany undertakes, that she will make compensation for all damage done to the civilian population of the Allied and Associated Powers and to their property…

VI The League of Nations

A) In front of the U.S. Congress on January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson, in the last of his Fourteen Points, called for a “general association of nations…formed on the basis of covenants designed to create mutual guarantees of the political independence and territorial integrity of States, large and small equally.”B) Wilson used his influence to attach the charter of the League of Nations to the Treaty of Versailles. C) Due to concerns that the League would commit the United States to an organization that would reduce the United States’ ability to defend its own interests, the Senate voted to not join. 9 months later Warren Harding won the presidential election on the platform of opposing the League.

Wilson’s 14 PointsWoodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points were first outlined in a speech Wilson gave to the American Congress in January 1918. 1. No more secret agreements2. Free navigation of all seas3. An end to all economic barriers between countries4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. 7. Belgium should be independent like before the war.8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace-Lorraine9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's borders are to be "along clearly recognizable lines of nationality."10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-Hungary.11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be allowed for the Balkan states.12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government. Non-Turks in the old Turkish Empire should govern themselves.13. An independent Poland should be created which should have access to the sea.14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political and territorial independence of all states.

The League of Nations Continued…“Mr. President: …We would have our country strong to resist a peril from the West, as she has flung back the German menace from the East. We would not have our politics distracted and embittered by the dissensions of other lands. We would not have our country's vigor exhausted or her moral force abated, by everlasting meddling and muddling in every quarrel, great and small, which afflicts the world...” - speech given by Cabot Lodge in Washington D.C. on 12 August 1919 in opposition to Wilson’s proposed League of Nations

During mid-1918, Europe was hit by Spanish flu and an estimated 25 million people died.

****Germany finished paying its reparations Oct 3, 2010.

VII Costs of the War

Costs of the War Continued…“Before WWI Germany was a prosperous country, with a gold-backed currency, expanding industry, and world leadership in optics, chemicals, and machinery… That was in 1914. In 1923, at the most fevered moment of the German hyperinflation, the exchange rate between the dollar and the Mark was one trillion Marks to one dollar, and a wheelbarrow full of money would not even buy a newspaper.” - George J.W. Goodman, 1923

“ The Treaty of Versailles is worthless. 60 million German hearts and minds are on fire with anger and shame. They will cry out “We want war!” –Adolf Hitler, Mein Kamph 1924

HW Questions

1. Fill in your Period 6 Chart for WWI.2. Could WWI have been avoided?3. How was WWI different from previous wars? Does WWI deserve to

be called the “Great War”?4. If you were the US president, would you have signed the Treaty of

Versailles as it was written? Why or why not?5. Do you think that the Treaty of Versailles, Wilson’s 14 Points and the

League of Nations were truly intended to prevent future world wars? Was it possible to predict WWII?

Key VocabularyAnglo-Russian Entente14 Points19th AmendmentAnglo-French Naval ConventionArchduke Francis FerdinandArms RaceBalkansBig ThreeConscriptionCzar Nicholas IIDavid Lloyd GeorgeDual AllianceFranco-Italian AllianceFranco-Prussian WarFranco-Russian Military ConventionGavrilo PrincipGeorges ClemenceauKaiser WilhemLeague of Nations

Lusitania

Nationalism

Nedjelko Cabrinovic

Otto von Bismarck

Pan-Slavicism

Paris Peace Conference

Reinsurance Treaty

Russo-Japanese War

Serbia

Suez Canal.

Suffrage

Three Emperors League

Treaty of Versailles

Trench Warfare

Triple Alliance

Triple Entente

Woodrow Wilson

WWI