The Great War

Observations• What do you see here?

• What do the different colors on the map represent?

• Who is allied to whom?• Why might these

countries make alliances? • Which countries might

have the greatest or least need to join an alliance?

• What are the advantages of joining alliances?

• Disadvantages?

1914• Western European nation-states were the most

technologically advanced and wealthiest societies on earth.

• The Industrial Revolution helped European nation-states build enormous industrial sectors which dominated the world economy.

• Daily life in Europe was affected by modernization: transportation, medicine, food production, education, housing and heating all saw rapid growth and sophisticated improvements.

• Europeans made-up 25% of the world’s population - highest percentage of Europeans of any time in history.

• Modernization created a feeling of superiority.

European Superiority• Industrial Revolution at its peak• Imperialism -To maintain strong

industrial economies, European nations competed for colonies.

• Overseas colonies served as sources of inexpensive raw materials, cheap labor, and outlets for finished products.

• European nations made large fortunes at the expense of American, African, and Asian cultures and environments

Militarism• 1800’s: European nations adopted a militaristic stance to

acquire and protect colonies• Militarism: A fashionable political theory at the turn of 20th

century that glorified armed strength and the ideals of war. It led to large, sophisticated armies and navies in an attempt to keep up with other nations.

• “Two-power rule”: To protect and manage its colonial empire (140 times larger than itself), Britain believed they needed to keep their navy as big as the two largest navies from other countries combined.

Competition at its Finest• 1890’s: Britain felt threatened when Germany started to

increase the size of their navy, starting a race for naval superiority.

• 1906: British invented the first dreadnought (battleship with cannons and protective armor). The Germans quickly followed with production of their own dreadnoughts.

• Russia mobilized over six million troops.• 1892-1913: Germany countered Russia by doubling the size of

its army between.

Nationalism• Nationalism: in this context is the

devotion to the interests of one’s nation.

• European populations supported their nations’ militarism

• Great feelings of national pride in Germany and Italy formed from recent unification and independence. Italy in 1870 and Germany 1871.

• Nationalism: strongly connected to militarism and imperialism. Because of that, military figures were highly regarded.

Nationalism • Nationalism contributed to

tensions in prewar Europe.

• Many countries were torn apart by ethnic differences within their borders.

• Austria-Hungary: had serious problem with nationalism because of ethnicities: Serbs, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, and Croats.

• Russia: had problems arise from its harsh treatment of ethnic minorities: Poles, Ukrainians, Jews, and Finns

Bulgarian Russian Jews

Turks and Armenians

Alliances• Imperialism, militarism, and nationalism all

contributed to a sense that war was an inevitable end to European competition.

• No European power wanted to fight alone, so a web of interlocking treaties (system of alliances) was formed.

• 1861-1890: Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany had two political goals: 1. Keep Germany out of a two front war2. Diplomatically isolate France. Bismarck maintained good relations with Britain in hopes of preventing a Anglo-French treaty, and created the Three Emperors League (Russia, Austria-Hungary and Germany).

• Competition over the Balkans between Russia and Austria-Hungary caused alliance to fail.

• Triple Alliance: Bismarck constructed an Alliance with Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Alliances • Emperor Wilhelm II: succeeded his

grandfather. Fired Bismarck to employ more aggressive foreign policy.

• Russia alienated. Signed a mutual-defense treaty with France.

• Wilhelm II reversed his policy towards Britain.

• Triple Entente: Threatened by Germany’s growing navy, Britain signed alliance with France and Russia.

• Not a formal treaty, but it defined the two rival sides in European politics.

What do you see here? How are people dressed? Why are some people saluting? Who might the couple in large hats be? How do they seem to feel? Do they look like popular leaders? Who might not support them? Why?

War Breaks Out

Nationalism in the Balkans• Balkans had people with diverse religions, ethnic

backgrounds and languages• As Ottoman Empire receded, new nations were born• Russia and Austria competed for control of new nations• Austria-Hungary annexes Bosnia in 1908 and Serbia

resents this

The Assassination of the Archduke• Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria visited

Bosnian capital on June 28, 1914• 7 assassins from the Black Hand, a Serbian

nationalist group, plotted against him• 19-year-old Serbian Gavrilo Princip shot the

Archduke and his wife

Alliances Lead to War• Austria was outraged by these murders and

presented Serbia with an ultimatum.• The Austrian government given “blank check”

from Germany, giving Austria their support.• Serbia agreed to the first two demands but with

Russia’s full support refused the third.• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July

28,1914• Russia supported Serbia: feared Austria would

gain control of the Balkans.• Russia moved troops toward German and

Austrian frontiers. Germany took this as an act of war and issued two ultimatums: 1) Russia to demobilize 2) France to declare neutrality.

• Russia refused and France chose to honor 1892 treaty with Russia

• Germany declared war on Russia and France.

Alliances Lead to War• Germany attacked France through Belgium, and since Prussia

and Britain had signed the Treaty of London 1839 guaranteeing Belgian neutrality, Britain entered the war.

• World War I: fought between two sides:

Triple Entente: Britain, France, and Russia.

The Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Germany, Austria Hungary, and Italy.

The FrontlinesThe Western Front

• Long, bloody battles: Verdun-680,000; Somme-over one million casualtiesThe Eastern Front

• Lack of modern technology caused Russia enormous defeats• Treaty signed with revolutionary government in Russia – lost one-fourth of

its land and population

Balkan Front

• Allies abandoned attempts to land in Balkans after losing at Gallipoli

Italian Front

• Italians joined the Triple Entante in 1915 and fought Austria-Hungary

The War Ends

• Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire were the first Central Powers to be defeated

• Revolts inside Austria-Hungary and Germany helped end the war quickly

The Camera in No-Man's Land• Deadly modern weaponry clashed with outdated battle tactics. The result:

carnage on an unprecedented scale. • Mud and apocalyptic landscape was common in the trenches. • Pictures that depicted the intense hardship of soldiers would be released

only after the war had ended. • Modern weapons used during the WWI: Chlorine and mustard gas. Effects

were horrendous: chlorine caused the lungs to fill with liquid and the victims would drown to death. Soldiers were blinded.

• Trench warfare: developed out of the modern weaponry and outdated tactics. Machine guns made massive offensive charges obsolete. Soldiers lived and died on the frontlines. When it rained the trenches flooded and became a quagmire -trench foot.

Casualties of Modern Weaponry

• Tactics of sending masses of men toward enemy didn’t work against modern weapons

• Britain suffered 57,470 casualties the first day of the Battle of the Somme

• Total losses for World War I exceeded 10,000,000

War on the Home Front: Women • Worked in jobs traditionally held only by men at the fronts• Number in paid employment rose by over one million• Worked in paramilitary organizations to support soldiers at front• Paid less than men for same work• Industrial and civil work provided better pay and working hours

than traditional jobs

Peace???• Leaders of Allied and Central powers met at the Palace

of Versailles • President Wilson’s 14 Points supported self-

determination for all nations and a just peace• Italy and Britain wanted territory• Italy and United States left, leaving peace settlement to

France and British

France and Britain created a severe treaty that punished Germany

Germany had to:

1. Return Alsac-Lorraine region to France

2. Keep area near France, called Rhineland, demilitarized

3. Pay war reparations of 32 billion dollars

4. Agree to war guilt clause

The New Europe• Treaties similar to Germany’s signed with other Central Powers• Many countries experienced a change in their borders• Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia lost territory• Many new countries were created