Descent into the Abyss: World War I and the Crisis of the European Global Order

Chapter 28

Pages 644 – 671

Images

• 29.1: What the image is…and what is going on with that image…how it relates to the chapter.

MAIN

• Europeans leaders thought their goals could only be achieved by force

• The glorification of armed strength took rise during this time• Otherwise known as militarism

• Mobilization of military was also important

• Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism

The System of Alliances• The Triple Alliance

• Italy

• Germany

• Austria-Hungary

• The Triple Entente• France

• Russia• Also had a secret alliance with Italy

• Great Britain

• Video

The Balkan “Powder Keg”• Provided outlet to the sea

• Russia seeking to improve trade• Fall of Ottoman Empire• Rise of Baltic Nations

• Pan-Slavism• Uniting of all Slavic people under one government• Austria – Hungary was opposed to this

• The arch-duke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was assassinated by a Serbia terrorist• An ultimatum was made by A-HE

• Serbia must suppress all groups that opposed the throne• Serbia must dismiss teachers and destroy books that did not support throne• Serbia must dismiss government officials that did not support throne• Austro-Hungarian officials must be a part of the trial of the assassins• If these demands were not met, military action would be used

– Austria declared war on Serbia in July of 1914

Mobilization of Europe

• Russia supported Serbia• Began to mobilize troops

• Germany told them to stop or face war

• Germany disregarded Belgian neutrality• Marched through Belgium on the way to France

• England declared war later that day

The War Expands

• Japan joined Great Britain and France

• Italy signed secret treaty with Great Britain, France and Russia for share of spoils

• Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined Austria-Hungary and Germany

The Belligerents

• Belligerents or offending nations became known as the Central Powers• Central Powers had more rapid communications and

movement

• Better army

• Allied Powers had more: • Soldiers

• Better industry

• Better navy

Innovations in Warfare

• Machine gun• U-boat

• Submarines – video

• Poison gas • Airplane • Tank• Video • Propaganda

• Selected bits of information to promote cause

Early Years of the War• Fighting on Gallipoli

• Peninsula off of Constantinople

• Naval warfare• French and British ships bombarded Ottoman

Empire

• The British and Germans set up blockades• Germans sank a cruise liner, killing 128 Americans

• Received a stern warning from President Woodrow Wilson

• The stalemate – a war of attrition• Each side was trying to outlast the other

The United States and World War I

• Contraband• America supplied both sides since we were neutral

• Propaganda about German atrocities• Heinous acts against defenseless civilians in Europe

• The German foreign minister sent a secret telegram to Mexico requesting an alliance• Offered to help Mexico regain Texas, New Mexico and Arizona if they

would fight on German side• The British intercepted it, and they published it in American newspapers

• Unrestricted submarine warfare cost many innocent American lives

• Democratic ideals• The Russian people overthrew the Czar and America felt it must defend

democracy and declared war in April of 1917 (video)(video)

Russia in World War I

• Causes of Russian Uprising• Poverty

• Suppression of democracy

• Weak Duma

• Military took the side of the demonstrators

Lenin and the Bolsheviks• Two groups in Russia after revolution

• One that was trying to piece nation back together• Mensheviks• Promised to continue war

• One that was more radical• Bolsheviks • Led by Vladimir Lenin • Slogan was peace, bread, and land• Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies

– Soviet means council

• Appealed to the poor Russian masses• Believed in equality of humans and equality of economics• Formed basis of communism• Overthrew the provisional government in October revolution

– Named their new party the Communist Party (video)

Peace and Civil War• Lenin signed peace treaty with Central

Powers• Gave up some land

• Executed Czar and family

• Communists fought socialist opposition• Led to Civil War

• Reds – Communists

• Whites – counter revolutionary army

• Reds won after three years and named the new nation the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics (USSR)

Defeat of the Central Powers• Russia’s withdrawal allowed the Germans to pull troops out

of the east and put them on the western front• Arrival of American troops greatly aided the allies

• With America’s help the Allies stopped the Germans 37 miles from Paris

• Began to push the Germans back to their own border• Austria-Hungary’s throne was dissolved and the two became

separate nations

• Turks also asked for peace• Kaiser finally gave up his throne and an armistice was

signed to stop the fighting• Between 8 – 10 million people died in the fighting• Total cost of the war was 300 billion dollars

The Paris Peace Conference

• Problems facing the peacemakers• Dominated by the four main Allied Powers

• U.S., France, Great Britain, and Italy

• Some countries were excluded

• Territorial conflicts

• Reparations and peacekeeping• Allies wanted Germany to pay

• League of Nations

What Kind of Peace?

• Paris Peace Conference• Conflicting viewpoints

• Treaty of Versailles

• United States wanted fair settlement

• Many Allies wanted to punish Germany and break it up into regions occupied by Allied forces (video)

The Treaty of Versailles• Individual treaties with each offending

country• No draft• Maximum of 100,000 men• No heavy artillery, military planes, or

submarines• Ally occupation of Rhineland• Reparation were to be paid by Germany at no

determined amount or time period• Poland made independent nation• Alsace Lorraine was returned to France• Video

The Fourteen Points

• When the war ended President Wilson came up with 14 Points to make the world a more just place• Six general points to ensure a just and safer world

• No secret treaties

• Freedom of the seas for all nations

• Removal of all economic barriers – tariffs, etc.

• Adjustment of colonial claims to make them fair to both the imperialist powers and to colonies

• Establishment of a “general association of nations”

• Eight points dealt with specific regions and countries

• The points impressed people throughout the world

• Video

Fates of Former Territories• Ethnic populations

• New territorial lines were not ethnically correct

• Parts of Germany were given to Czechoslovakia

• Parts of Hungary were given to Romania

• Genocide occurred• Systematic killing of a certain ethnic group

– In Turkey Armenians were the victims

• Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia• Bulgaria had to give territory to Greece and lost its outlet to the

seas

• Ottoman Empire was reduced to mostly just Turkey

• Russia• Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania all declared independence and were

recognized by the League of Nations

The League of Nations• Two goals

• Maintain peace• Promote international cooperation

• Organization• Assembly

• Representatives of all member nations

• Council• Consisted of 9 main countries to ensure peace

• Secretariat• World Court

• Now located in The Hague in The Netherlands

• Mandates• Colonies of defeated powers ruled by “advanced” governments

• The start of the League• 42 member nations grew to 59 by the 1940s