World War I

War Begins•Alliances

▫the Triple Entente with United Kingdom, France & Russia

▫Originally called the Triple Alliance Austria-Hungary, Germany,) Italy, (and then the Ottoman Empire (Turkey))

Causes of World War I

Nationalism

ImperialismAlliances

Militarism

June 1914 Gavrilo Princip (Serbian

nationalist) kills Sophie & Archduke Franz

Ferdinand (heir to Austrian throne)

July 28, 1914: Austria-Hungary declares war

against Serbia

Alliance system kicks in

August 1: Germany declares war on

Russia (to support Austria-Hungary)

August 3: Germany

declares war on Russia’s ally -

France

Germany invades Belgium

which goes against treaty to

not invade Belgium

Britain declares war on Germany and Austria-

Hungary

The Great War has begun

“THE EVENT”

German Attack•Schlieffen Plan• Created in 1905 by Germany’s Army Chief of Staff• Germany would go through Belgium sweeping

around Paris on the west• The other 10% of the army would invade Russia

▫Germany feared a simultaneous attack from G.B., France, & Russia as a result of the Triple Entente

▫Called for quick defeat of France Britain and Russia would be unwilling to carry on

the fight

Schlieffen Plan Cont.•It would take 6 weeks for Russia to

mobilize for an attack on Germany▫Vital that France surrender before Russia was

mobilized•90% of German forces would be needed to

defeat France▫Wanted to avoid French forts on the

German/French border▫Called for an attack through Belgium,

Luxembourg, & Holland▫Remaining forces would be sent east to defend

against a Russian attack

Germany Attacks•August 2, 1914: Germany invades

Belgium▫Schlieffen Plan put into action▫Belgium resists longer than Germany had

anticipated▫Germany surprised by the speed of the

Russian attack on East Prussia and by the quick reaction of the British military

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/20FWW.htm

War Begins•Battle of the Marne (6, September 1914)

▫Allies launch fierce counter-attack against the German Army at the Marne River

▫In meeting the attack the German Army is split▫Germans forced to retreat▫Schlieffen Plan fails, but the German retreat is

successful▫German Army immediately builds trenches

stretching from the North Sea to the Swiss frontier

▫All hopes for a short war are lost

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/20FWW.htm

Warfare Tactics•Trench Warfare

▫Germans had the best ground▫Many allied trenches were in terrain less

than 3 ft. above sea level▫Most frontline trenches were 6-7 ft. deep▫Parapet: front of trench, lined with sand

bags▫Fire steps allowed soldier to see over the

top▫Trenches were built with zig zag patterns.

Parados [par-uh-dos] Fortification. A bank of earth built behind a trench or military emplacement to protect soldiers from a surprise attack from the rear.

Gallipoli•The allies, led by the British, tried to open

a Balkan front southwest of Constantinople in April 1915.

•This led to disaster for the allies and they were forced to

withdraw.

New Technology•Machine Guns•Tanks•Airplanes•Blimps•U-Boats•Improved artillery•Poison gas•Flame thrower

U.S. Involvement• Sinking of the Lusitania, 1915

• The Zimmerman Telegram

• U.S. loans to Allies growing▫In October 1914, President Wilson allowed a $500

million dollar U.S. loan to the Triple Entente. As a neutral nation, the U.S. eventually loaned the Triple Entente $2.3 billion. U.S. loans to the Triple Alliance were only $27 million.

• The Russian Revolution

•World War I was considered total war ▫Involved a complete mobilization of

resources▫People involved, all citizens affected

•Masses of men•Supplies•Increase of government powers

▫Woodrow Wilson▫Espionage and Sedition Acts (1918)

Protestors imprisoned

Outcomes•The two front war combined with the

British naval blockade drained German morale and productivity on the home front.

•Unrestricted U-Boat warfare was adopted by the Germans to starve the British out of the war.

•This led to the sinking of the Lusitania, which spurred the U.S. to enter the war on the side of the Allies

Outcomes•As the U.S. entered the war, the German & Austrian governments had ended hostilities with Russia on the Eastern front.

•Both sides looked for a quick and decisive end to the war in a battle to be fought somewhere on the Western front.

Outcomes, cont.•Initial German successes on the Western front in 1918 were nullified by successful Allied counterattacks as the Americans bolstered the Allied forces.

•German losses coupled with anti-war sentiment led to a German request for armistice. (cease fire)▫11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918.

Impacts of War•Warfare in the industrial age was much

different than previous wars•Many common tactics were outdated•Devastation was unimaginable

▫Physical destruction (no man’s land)▫Massive casualties▫8,500,000 dead▫21,200,000 wounded▫58% of enlistees became casualties