Total War
• Total war – the use of a nation’s entire resources into the war effort
• Modern, mechanized war required the total commitment of the whole society.
Economic Impact
• Both sides set up systems to recruit, train, arm, transport and supply armies in the millions.
• Conscription – “the draft” required all young men to be ready to serve. – Germany even set up forced civilian labor too.
Economic Impact
• Raised taxes and borrowed huge amounts of money
• Rationed food and other consumer goods
• Economic controls– Setting prices– Forbidding strikes
Propaganda War
• Total war meant controlling public opinion– The press was censored– Restricted popular literature– Restricted movies & art
• Kept complete death numbers or discouraging news from the people
• Propaganda – spreading of ideas to promote or to damage an opposing cause.
Propaganda War
• Both sides used tales of atrocities, horrible acts against innocent people– Greatly exaggerated– Completely made up!
Impact on Women
• Women played a critical role in total war. • Took over jobs and kept national economy
going. – War industries, manufacturing, weapons, supplies
• British food shortages – Women’s Land army grew food
• Many served on the front lines as nurses• Support for War effort help them win right to
vote.
Collapsing Morale
• Germany sending 15 year olds to the front• Britain on the verge of bankruptcy• Food shortages, causalities• Stalemate lead soldiers to abandon their post
all over Europe.
Revolution in Russia
• Three years into the War – Russia hit hard• Bread riots in 1917 lead to a revolution that
brought down the Romanov Monarchy– Allies hoped for a new democratic Russia
• Vladimir Lenin came to power and promised to leave the war.
• Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany – ended Russian involvement
The United States Declares War
• Why?– Unrestricted Submarine
warfare– Zimmerman Note– Cultural Ties
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
• Attacks on merchant and passenger ships carrying Americans
• Transporting supplies to the Allies– American was neutral and had a right to safe
travel• Lusitania torpedoed May 1915– 1,200 killed; 128 Americans– Germany claimed in carried weapons (true)
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
• U.S. threatens to cut off relations with Germany– Agree to restrict its submarine warfare– Before attacking- Germany would surface and
allow neutral passengers to board life boats.• December 1916 – Germany resumed
unrestricted warfare
Cultural Ties
• Many Americans supported Allies– British heritage– France another democracy
• Some supported Central Powers– German Americans– Irish Americans – resented British rule of Ireland– Russian Jewish immigrants dislike Czar
• ALLIES OWED U.S. a whole bunch of money!
Declaring War
• April 1917, Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany.
• By 1918, 2 million American soldiers joined the fight
• Boosted morale of Allies and Americans are good fighters
• Financial aid helped them, too.
Fourteen Points
• President Wilson’s plan for resolving this war and all future war
• Some of the Points:– Freedom of the seas– Free trade– Large-scale reduction in weapons– End to secret treaties– Self-determination for all people– Creation of “League of Nations” to keep the peace.
Campaign to Victory
• As Allies forced Germany back across France and Belgium:– German commanders urged Kaiser to step down,
which he did – fleeing to Netherlands– Government of Austria-Hungary collapsed-
splintering the Hapsburg empire.
Armistice
• New German Government sought an armistice – or agreement to end fighting
• The Great War came to an end on the eleventh month, eleventh day at the eleventh hour of 1918