Chapter 29 Section 1

The Stage is Set for War!

Objectives:

Identify the major causes of unrest in Europe.

Discuss the results of the strategy that was used during the early fighting of the war.

Explain why the war settled into a stalemate.

Causes:

4 MAIN CausesMilitarismAlliances ImperialismNationalism

Imperialism

Quest for colonial empires. Caused tension and conflict between

nations competing for colonies in the world.

Caused by industrialization and the need for raw materials and markets to sell goods.

Militarism

Nations built huge militaries to defend and gain colonies.

Developed larger, more powerful weapons.

Arms race. Developed the desire to use these

militaries

Alliances

Feeling of militarism led European nations to sign secret treaties with each other pledging assistance if the other was attacked.

Created a system of alliances putting one nation against another.

The Alliances:

Germany Pledged to help Austria Hungary if attacked.

A year later added Italy, known as the Triple Alliance.

France pledged to help Russia if attacked Russia pledged to help Serbia if they were

attacked Britain pledged to help Belgium if attacked

and was in a loose alliance with France/ Russia. Called the Triple Entente

Alliances created a fragile balance of power.

Nationalism

Intense national pride. Strong in Central European region of

the Balkans. Area was unstable politically Known as “the powder keg of Europe” Ottoman Empire had ruled the area

from 1400s to1800s.

Ottoman rule 1900s

After war between Ottoman Empire and Russia, Serbia (Slavs) claimed independence.

Also claimed the Slavic area of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west.

Bosnia- Herzegovina was occupied by Austria- Hungary, annexed land in 1908

Serbia grew in strength and threatened Austria- Hungary’s control of territory.

Bosnian Slavs wanted to become part of Serbia and an intense feeling of nation pride began.

Spark

June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand- heir to the Austro- Hungarian throne- and wife Sophie visits Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia.

They are assassinated by Gavrilo Princip- a Serbian

Member of the Black Hand

Assassination marks the immediate cause of the war

War Begins

After the assassination Austria- Hungary sends Serbia an ultimatum- demands.

Serbia agrees to all but two of the demands- 1 was the placement of Austro- Hungarian troops in Serbia.

Serbia turns to Russia for support. Austria- Hungary, afraid Russia will

attack, looks for support from Germany.

Germany gives them “Carte Blanche” blank check- would back Austria- Hungary with whatever happened.

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia-July 28

Sets of a long chain reaction of alliances. Russia begins mobilizing- preparing its troops

for war. Germany told Russia to stop. Russia refused. Germany declares war on Russia 1 August

1914.

System of alliances turned a local conflict into a World War.

Opening Phase Germany’s military

strategy “Schlieffen Plan” called for massive strike against France to knock it out of the war, then go east and fight Russia

Germany attacks France through Belgium on 3-4 August 1914

Invasion of Belgium brings Great Britain into the war.

Belgian troops put up stiff resistance. Gives time to British and French to gather

forces in front of Germans.

Alliances

Battle lines are clearly drawn: Austria-Hungary and Germany (Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire later join) called Central Powers because of central location

On the other side, France, Russia, Great Britain called Allies

Italy will break alliances with central powers over Belgium invasion, and join allies

Stalemate.

Germany is able to force Allies to the Marne River.

First Battle of the Marne, Allies hold and are able to push Germans back 40 miles.

After fighting for 4 days, German generals gave orders of retreat

War then becomes stabilized, neither side able to dislodge the other.

By the end of 1914 leaders realize the war will not be over quick.

The first Battle of Marne was perhaps the single most important event of the war

Why? The defeat of the Germans left the Schlieffen

plan in ruins

Powers.

Allied Powers- France, Russia, Great Britain.

Central Powers- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria.

New Weapons.

World War I was fought with a variety of new weapons unseen on any battlefield.

Included: Machine Gun

Tank

Airplanes- 1st used as reconnaissance and then armed to attack other reconnaissance planes/ troops.

Planes fought in aerial combat known as “Dogfights”.

Submarines

Poison gas, could be released as a cloud or from an exploding shell.

Most feared weapon.

New weapons contribute to the stalemate.

Trench Warfare.

By 1915 both sides occupy trenches- long ditches dug into the earth for protection- along the front.

Stretch from the North Sea to Switzerland.

Trenches are separated by thin strips of bombed out land filled with barbed wire and landmines known as “No man’s land.”

A new type of warfare known as “Trench warfare” began.

Battles began with massive artillery barrages Soldiers went “over the top” of the trenches

and charged into no man’s land and were killed by machine gun fire.

Both sides used 19th century tactics with 20th Century weapons.

Life in the Trenches.

Soldiers were plagued by rats and lice. Rain flooded trenches. Dead left unburied for days. Unsanitary. Just as many died from disease in the

trenches as from battle .

Battle of Verdun.

1916 Germany designed a new offensive to cause as much damage to the French as possible.

Launched in February 1916. Aimed at the French city of Verdun-

knew French would defend. Battle started with 21 hours of artillery

barrage.

1 million shells fired.Germany attacked with 1 million

soldiers against 200,000 French.Battle swayed back and forth until

July 19162 million dead.

Battle of the Somme.

To relieve pressure at Verdun, Allies attacked along northern front near the Somme River.

Had same objective as Germans at Verdun- exhaust the enemy.

British suffered 60,000 dead in one day. Battle lasted 4 months and resulted in

another stalemate. 1st use of the tank. 1 million dead.

Eastern Front

The Eastern Front

The Eastern Front was the battlefield along the German and Russian border.

At the end of August 1914, Germany counterattacked the Russians near the town of Tannenberg.

During the 4 day battle , the Germans crushed the Russian army and drove them into retreat.

Germany regained East Prussia and seized numerous guns and horses from the enemy.More than 30,00 Russian soldiers were killed.

Limanowa

In a 17 day battle near Limanowa, Austria defeated the Russians and drove them eastward.

Two weeks later, the Austrian army pushed the Russians out of Austria-Hungary.

Russian Industrialization

Russia had yet to become industrialized. As a result, Russian army was continually short on

food, guns, ammunition, clothes, boots, and blankets. The Allies were unable to ship supplies to Russia’s

ports. In the North Germans blocked the Baltic Sea. In the South the Ottomans controlled the

Mediterranean Sea. The only asset Russia had were its numbers.

Russia Valuable

Throughout the war, More than 2 million Russian soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured in 1915.

The army was still able to rebuild ranks. For more than 3 years, the Russian army

managed keep hundred of thousands of German troops in the east.

Thus, German could not hurl its full fighting force at the West.

Assessment:

What were major causes of unrest in Europe? Militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism What were the results of the strategy that was

used during the early fighting of the war? Stalemate, trench warfare. Why did the war settle into a stalemate? Because of the new weapons used What was Russia’s advantage? Population