WWI Overview

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    The Great War

    WWI:A New Type of War

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    M.A.I.N. Causes

    Militarism

    By the early 1900s, powerful nations in Europe

    had adopted policies of aggressively building

    up armed forces and giving the military more

    authority over government and foreign policy.

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    M.A.I.N. Causes

    Alliances

    In a complicated system of

    alliances, different groups

    of European nations hadpledged to come to one

    anothers aid in the event

    of attack.

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    M.A.I.N. Causes

    Imperialism

    Competition for colonial lands in Africa and

    elsewhere led to conflict among the major

    European powers.

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    M.A.I.N. Causes

    Nationalism

    One type of nationalism inspired the great

    powers of Europe to act in their own interests.

    Another emerged as ethnic minorities within

    larger nations sought self-government.

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    Spark that Ignites WWI

    The immediate cause of the Great War was theassassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand inSarajevo, Bosnia, on June 28, 1914.

    At the time of his assassination, FrancisFerdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had been visiting Bosnia, anew Austro-Hungarian province. He was shot by

    Gavrilo Princip, a 19-year-old Bosnian nationalistwho believed that Austria-Hungary had no rightto rule Bosnia.

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    American Response

    Because many Americans wereEuropean immigrants or the childrenof European immigrants, many feltpersonally involved in the escalatingwar.

    Most Americans supported the Allies.

    Did not approve of one ruler withunlimited power (Germany)

    Anti-German propaganda, orinformation intended to sway publicopinion, turned many Americansagainst the Central Powers.

    To protect American investmentsoverseas , President Wilson officially

    proclaimed the United States aneutral country on August 4, 1914.

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    Stalemate

    By September 1914, the warhad reached a stalemate, asituation in which neither sideis able to gain an advantage.

    When a French and British

    force stopped a Germanadvance near Paris, both sidesholed up in trenches separatedby an empty no mans land.Small gains in land resulted inhuge numbers of human

    casualties. Both sides continued to add

    new allies, hoping to gain anadvantage.

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    Events that Draw the US into WWI

    1. Submarine warfareangered the U.S.German U-Boatstorpedoed American

    ships trading with theAllies.

    2. The Lusitania, a Britishpassenger ship, was

    sunk by the Germans.1200 people were killed,including 128Americans.

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    WWI Weapons

    Machine Guns

    Machine guns needed 4-6 men to

    work them and had to be on a flat

    surface. They had the fire-power of 100

    guns.

    Large field guns had a long range and could deliver devastating blowsto the enemy but needed up to 12 men to work them. They firedshells which exploded on impact.

    Poison Gas

    Chlorine gas causes a burning sensation in the throat and chest pains.Death is painful - you suffocate!

    Mustard gas was the most deadly weapon used. It was fired into thetrenches in shells. It is colorless and takes 12 hours to take effect.Effects include: blistering skin, vomiting, sore eyes, internal andexternal bleeding. Death can take up to 5 weeks.

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    Events that Draw the US into WWI

    3. Zimmerman Note

    Britain intercepted thetelegram. Germany tried toconvince Mexico to declarewar on the U.S. Mexico would

    receive part of the U.S. if theywon the war.

    4. Russian Revolution

    Czar Nicholas II was removedfrom power in Russia. The

    new government promiseddemocratic reforms whichmade it easier for the U.S. tocome into the war on Russiasside.

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    WWI Weapons

    Airplanes

    Planes were also used for the first time. At first

    they were used to deliver bombs and for spying

    work but became fighter aircraft armed withmachine guns, bombs and some times cannons.

    Fights between two planes in the sky became

    known as 'dogfights'

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    WWI Weapons

    Tanks Tanks were used for the first

    time at the Battle of theSomme. They weredeveloped to cope with theconditions on the WesternFront.

    The first tank was called 'LittleWillie' and needed a crew of 3.Its maximum speed was 3mphand it could not crosstrenches.

    The more modern tank wasnot developed until just beforethe end of the war. It couldcarry 10 men, had a revolvingturret and could reach 4mph.

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    WWI Weapons

    Trench Warfare Trenches began as simple

    ditches that were deepenough for men to take coverfrom gunfire, but soon theybecame very complicated.

    Between the two sides, therewas a desolate area called"No-man's Land", because itbelonged to no one. wide. Itwas an area of devastation:with fragments of buildings,

    shattered and burnt downtrees and craters and deepholes in the ground left fromintense shelling, which wereoften filled with water.

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    Effects of Trench Warfare

    Many people lost their lives trying to cross barbed wire. Also trench walls were sometimes unstable,

    but trench walls usually only collapsed under heavy shelling, the force of which would kill a soldier,

    before he had time to worry about being buried alive under a collapsed wall.

    Diseases killed many soldiers in trench warfare and thousands of soldiers died unnecessarily of their

    wounds. Standing in cold water for hours on end ruined soldiers feet and lack of

    proper toilets, opportunities to wash and sewage removal, allowed typhus

    and skin diseases to thrive.

    Lice and rats spread fatal diseases, but lice and rats themselves were not

    killers.

    Trench warfare cost so many lives in WWI

    due to the plan of a war of attrition and

    because of poor living conditions.

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    WWI Death Tolls by Country

    Country Mobilized Killed Wounded Total Casualties

    USA 4,272,500 117,000 204,000 321,000 8%

    Germany 11,000,000 1,718,000 4,234,000 5,952,000 54%

    Great Britain 5,397,000 703,000 1,663,000 2,367,000 44%

    Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 6,650,000 55%

    Austria-

    Hungary6,500,000 1,200,000 3,620,000 4,820,000 74%

    French Empire 7,500,000 1,385,000 4,266,000 5,651,000 75%

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    African Americans and Women of

    WWI

    African Americans fought in WWI but served

    in segregated troop.

    Many did not see combat.

    Women contributed to the war but nursing

    was almost the only area where females

    experienced the war or front line.

    Women were called on, by necessity, to do work

    and to take on roles that were outside their

    traditional gender expectations.

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    Working Towards Peace

    President Wilson developed a program for peace around the world

    known as the Fourteen Points, named for the number of provisions

    it contained.

    Some of Wilsons Fourteen Points called for:

    an end to entangling alliances

    reduction of military forces

    the right of Austria-Hungarys ethnic groups to self-determination, or

    the power to make decisions about their own future.

    Although both Wilson and the German government assumed thatthe Fourteen Points would form the basis of peace negotiations,

    the Allies disagreed. During peace negotiations, Wilsons Fourteen

    Points were discarded one by one.

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    Wilson Forced to Compromise

    Although Wilson claimedthat he was notinterested in the spoils, orrewards, of war, his Alliedcolleagues wereinterested in making theCentral Powers pay forwar damages.

    Wilson was forced to

    compromise on his views,especially concerning self-determination for formerGerman colonies.

    The League of Nations

    One of Wilsons ideas, the

    formation of a League of Nations,

    was agreed upon at the Paris Peace

    Conference. The League of Nations

    was designed to bring the nationsof the world together to ensure

    peace and security.

    Republicans in Congress, however,

    were concerned about Article 10 of

    the Leagues charter, whichcontained a provision that they

    claimed might draw the United

    States into unpopular foreign wars.

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    Versailles Treaty

    The treaty which was

    negotiated at the Paris Peace

    Conference redrew the map of

    Europe to the Allies advantage.

    Nine new nations were createdfrom territory taken from

    Austria-Hungary, Russia, and

    Germany. Although most

    borders were drawn with the

    division of ethnic minorities inmind, the redivisions created

    new ethnic minorities in several

    countries.

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    Versailles Treaty

    France insisted that Germany be humiliated andfinancially crippled. The peace treaty requiredGermany to pay billions of dollars in reparations,

    or payment for economic injury suffered duringthe war. Wilson, however, opposed this plan,claiming that these demands would lead tofuture wars.

    On June 28, 1919, the peace treaty, which cameto be known as the Versailles Treaty, was signedat Versailles, outside of Paris.

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    Aftermath of WWI

    Congress and the Treaty ofVersailles

    Despite Wilsons intensivecampaign in favor of theVersailles Treaty, Congress

    voted against ratifying it inNovember 1919.

    The United States declared thewar officially over on May 20,1920. It ratified separatepeace treaties with Germany,

    Austria, and Hungary.However, the United Statesdid not join the newly formedLeague of Nations.

    Difficult Postwar Adjustments The war had given a large boost to

    the American economy, making theUnited States the worlds largestcreditor nation.

    Soldiers returned home to a heros

    welcome but found that jobs werescarce.

    African American soldiers, despitetheir service to their country,returned to find continueddiscrimination.

    Women began fighting for the right

    to vote. Many American artists entered the

    postwar years with a sense of gloomand disillusionment.