Unit 6: World War I“The War to End All Wars”

Causes of World War I

• Nationalism: belief that ones’ nation or people are better than others

• Led to rivalries between France, Germany, Austria-Hungry, and Russia

• Several nationalities within Austria-Hungry wanted to form their own nation-states

Causes of WWI

• Imperialism: policy of extending economic and political control over other people/territories

• Competition for territory lead to conflict between nations

• Race to dominate Africa, Asia, and Caribbean widens the conflict

Causes of WWI

• Militarism: policy of building up armed forces is aggressive preparedness for war or their use as a tool in diplomacy

• The military dominated life in Europe• People extoled the virtues of military discipline and

heroism• Generals promoted the idea that it was better to attack

than to wait to be attacked• Troops were often stationed at the border to act as a

deterrent to others

Causes of WWI

• “Entangling Alliances”• Nations in Europe have formed mutual defense

alliances• If one nation is attacked, all others in the alliance

will come to their defense• Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-

Hungry are the Central Powers• Great Britain, France, and Russia are the Allied

Powers; also known as the Triple Entente

Archduke Francis Ferdinand

• There were a great many ethnic rivalries within the Balkans

• Russia wanted to cross the Baltics to get to the Mediterranean Sea

• Germany wanted to cross the Balkans to link their rail system to the Ottoman-Turks Empire

• Austria-Hungry had taken control of Bosnia and accused Serbia of interfering with their rule

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• The Archduke is heir to the Austrian throne• In June of 1914, he visits Sarajevo, the capital of

Bosnia• A Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip,

assassinated the Archduke and his wife, Sofia• Princip was a member of a nationalist group

called the Black Hand• Austria-Hungry declared war on Serbia on July

28th

Who declared WAR on Whom?

• Germany declared war on Serbia and Russia due to their alliance on August 1st

• Germany declared war on Russia’s ally, France on August 3rd

• After Germany invaded Belgium, Great Britain declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungry

• “The Great War” begins!

Allied Powers

• Serbia• Russia• Great Britain• France

Central Powers

• Germany• Austria-Hungry• Ottoman Empire (also know as the Ottoman

Turks)

Predicting the War

• Military leaders on both sides predicted that the war would be over quickly

• To avoid a 2 front war, German war plans called for them to march thru neutral Belgium to take Paris before Russia could enter the war

• Germany was halted before they could get to Paris

Trench Warfare

• To defend their territory, soldiers dug deep fortified trenches

• These ran 100’s of miles along eastern France• They became known as Germany’s “Western

Front”• Trench Warfare was a new type of fighting

Trench Warfare

• The two sides’ trenches were separated from one another by fields filled with:– Barbed Wire– Land Mines– Booby Traps

Trench Warfare

• The fields between the trenches was known as “no man’s land”

• Anyone who climbed out of the trenches faced instant death from machine gun fire

• Many soldiers spent years in the trenches subjected to shelling from artillery fire for hours each day

• Both sides remained stuck in their trenches

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB9G2FFWFvQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB9G2FFWFvQ

New Type of War

• “First Modern War” new weapons, new techniques, wider conflict than in the past

Machine Guns

• Able to fire more rounds per minute with accuracy and speed

Poison Gas

• Germany first used poison gas as a weapon at Apres in April 1915.

• Allied troops used it in retaliation• In 1925, 25 nations signed the Geneva

Protocol to end the use of toxic gas and other biological weapons in warfare

• Gas placed in canisters that were fired like artillery shells

Mustard Gas

• Not actually made w/ mustard, but when mixed is the same color (called sulfur mustard gas, too)

• A blister agent that causes chemical burns at the cellular level

• Only fatal about 5% of the time, but incapacitated soldiers during an attack

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Mustard Gas Symptoms

• Skin irritation: blisters, rash, chemical burns• Eye irritation: redness, swelling, burning • Shortness of breath, inability to breathe• Dizziness• Severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting• Symptoms appear 2-24 hours after exposure

Tanks

• First introduced in WWI• Too primitive to be effective in combat

Airplanes

• Not used in combat at first• Used in spying on enemy lines and carrying

messages• Towards the end of the war, “dog fights”

between pilots and the use of planes to strafe and bomb the enemy will begin

Submarines

• Germans called them “U Boats (underwater boats)• Used to sink larger ships• Germans used them extensively to end blockades,

disrupt trade, and sink military vessels• Could not travel long distances or go to great

depths in the oceans• No sonar or radar available yet• Too small to be used as rescue vessels

Blockades

• British placed a blockade around Germany and Austria-Hungry to starve them into submission

• Russia became cut off from the West and lacked ammunition and supplies

• Each side tried to mobilize all its resources turning the conflict into “total war”

American Intervention

• From the beginning of the war in 1914 until 1917, the U.S. remained neutral

• Wilson campaigned on a policy of neutrality• Most Americans are tired of war and want to

focus on the economy and jobs

American Neutrality Despite European War

• Most Americans traced their ancestry to Britain and share a common language

• The U.S. , France, and Great Britain all have democratic Republics

• 1/3rd of all Americans also have German heritage

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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=YLXRPdBIRZclVM&tbnid=156VqQ_Nv3LziM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.kingsacademy.com/mhodges/03_The-World-since-1900/02_World-War-One/02c_1916.htm&ei=i_eDUty8DKTD2QW8wIG4DQ&bvm=bv.56343320,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNE9R6jTf2gOy3sCgcYB1oAATYY26g&ust=1384466435725692

Trade with Allies

• US is the main supplier for many European countries

• We provided dynamite, cannon powder, submarines, copper wire, armored cars, and FOOD to GB and France

• 50% of all US manufactured goods went to GB and France

• The US did not try to break any of the blockades (neutrality)

U.S. Shocked at Invasion of Belgium

• Belgium was a neutral country, so Americans saw this as an illegal, aggressive act by Germany

• Germany invaded in 1914 as part of the Schlieffen Plan• Germany needed to drive thru Belgium quickly to

attack France• After the Germans defeated France (didn’t happen)

they would turn around and defeat Russia• The Allies were unable to stop the advance into

Belgium, so they retreated to the Marne River in France and dug in

Schlieffen Plan

American reaction to invasion of Belgium

Zimmerman Telegram

• A secret, coded message was sent from the German Foreign Minister to the German Ambassador to Mexico

• In the note, Germany promised that if the US and Germany went to war, they would win and give Mexico the territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona if Mexico helped Germany

• The telegram was intercepted, de-coded, and re-printed in US newspapers

“U” Boat Strengths

• British blockade prevented food and weapons from getting to Germany

• The US supplies arms, food, material to the Allies for the war

• German army is too weak to break thru the blockade• Germany retaliates by sinking merchant ships

heading to GB• U Boats are too small to rescue people from the

ships that are sunk

Sinking of the Lusitania

• The Lusitania is a British passenger ship• In 1915, it left NY to Liverpool, GB• Much of the cargo was munitions • German sub fired on the Lusitania, sunk it,

and killed 1,198 passengers and crew• 128 passengers were US citizens• US public want to retaliate against Germany

Propaganda

Sussex Pledge

• The Sussex was a French ferry ship that took people across the English Chanel between GB and France

• German sub attacked the ship and killed 50 passengers

• Pres. Wilson threatened to cut off diplomatic relations with Germany

• Germany pledges to not sink any more passenger ship without a warning or providing help to the passengers

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

• Germany is suffering from near-starvation due to the blockade

• Germany announces it will sink all ships near the blockade

• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare means that the Germans will give no regard to neutral countries, passenger vessels, or humanitarian ships

US Response

• The US believes that Germany is violating the principle of “freedom of the seas”

• This is the right of neutral nations to ship non-military goods without restriction

• When German ships attack US merchant vessels, Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany

April 2, 1917

• Congress votes to declare war on Germany and the other Central Powers

• Wilson says this will be a war to make “the world safe for democracy”

American Expeditionary Force (AEF)

• Purpose: AEF are the American troops sent to Europe to fight in WWI

• Selective Service was created to conscript or draft men into military service; 24 million men were registered for the draft

• The army went from 200,000 men to 2 million• 13,000 women enlisted into non-combat jobs• Women were also allowed in the Army Nurses Corp• African-Americans were allowed to fight, but only in

segregated units under French commanders

General John J. Pershing

• West Point Grad• Commanded troops against Pancho Villa• Appointed to command the AEF• Insisted that US troops be fully trained before

being sent to Europe• Demanded that US forces serve in their own

separate units and not be used to fill in gaps in French and British lines

Battle of the Argonne Forest

• Location: Northeast France near Belgium border

• Significance: Germany has been dug in here for 4 years; France has been unable to push them out

The Argonne

• Conditions:– Steep terrain– Heavily forested– Miles of German trenches and barbed wire– Tank traps– Machine gun nests everywhere

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The Argonne

• General Pershing lead 600,000 men armed with 40,000 artillery pieces into the forest

• In 1 month, the US shattered German defenses; German lines are breached

• This is the final and most important battle of the US in WWI

• 117,000 Americans are killed/wounded

Soldiers’ Recognitions

• One of the oldest medal given to combat soldiers is the Purple Heart- given to those wounded in combat

• During the Civil War, the Congressional Medal of Honor was created

• This award is granted only to “those who most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action”.

• More than 3,400 have been given this award from 1861-2013

Alvin York

• One of the most decorated US soldiers of all time• He was a very religious Quaker who opposed war• He almost avoided serving by registering as a

conscientious objector• He was drafted at age 29• He was from a very poor Tennessee mountain

family• He had little formal education; learned only to

read the bible

Alvin York• In the Battle of the Argonne, armed with only a bolt-

action rifle, he killed 25 Germans and captured 132 prisoners

• Pershing said he was “the outstanding soldier of the war”• He was promoted to Sergeant• He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor• The French awarded him the Cross de Guerre• The British awarded him the DSA (their highest honor)• He returned home as a celebrity, but chose to go back to

his farm and marry his sweetheart

The Homefront

• Selective Service: agency responsible for draft• 2,000,000 Americans were sent to Europe to

fight• War cost about $30 billion• Was paid for by higher income taxes and the

sale of war bonds

Propaganda

• The use of language to persuade people to your point of view

Espionage Act of 1917

• Made it a crime to criticize the war effort

Schenck v. U.S. 1919

• Schenck was a socialist who opposed the draft• He handed out leaflets telling men to resist• He was arrested under the Espionage Act• He was convicted and appealed to the

Supreme Court• His conviction was upheld• His speech created “a clear and present

danger”

Wilson’s Fourteen Points• Speech delivered by Pres. Wilson Jan 1918• Listed the broad goals of the war• Every European nationality should have their own country (like

Poland)• Austria-Hungry and Ottoman Empire divided up• A-L region returned to France• Freedom of the Seas• Arms reduction• Removal of trade barriers• End of secret diplomacy• Creation of the League of Nations

Ending the War

• War ends with Armistice on 11/11/1918 at 11:00 AM

• Germans surrendered• Wilson’s Fourteen Points was the basis for

peace talks

War Casualties

U.S. Deaths/Wounded320,000+ killed in action225,000+ wounded3,304 missing/prisoners

Treaty of Versailles

• Peace Treaty ending WWI• Germany:– Lost territory to Poland and France– Gave up all overseas territories– Lost its navy– Army reduced to size of police force– Had to accept total blame for war (War Guilt

Clause)– Had to pay huge reparations(damages) to Allies

Treaty of Versailles

• Austria-Hungry:– Divided into 9 new nations

• Czechoslovakia• Yugoslavia• Austria• Hungry• Estonia• Latvia• Prussia• Finland• Lithuania

Treaty of Versailles

• Ottoman/Turks– Lost empire in middle East– Nations became independent • Syria• Lebanon• Trans-Jordan• Palestine• Iraq

Treaty of Versailles

• League of Nations– Created as an organization pledged to defend one

another against aggressors– Weakened when US and Russia didn’t join

Henry Cabot Lodge/League of Nations

• U.S. Senator that argued against ratification of the Treaty of Versailles (didn’t like League of Nations)

• Thought the League of Nations would restrict the U.S. And prevent our freedom to act around the world

• Wilson went on a national speaking tour to get Americans on his side

• Wilson suffers a serious stroke while on tour• The U.S. ratified the Treaty, but deleted the portion

dealing with the League of Nations

Isolationism

• By 1919, most Americans are disillusioned with world affairs

• World War I had ended with terrible loss of life and cost a great deal of $

• Attention turns inward to our own issues• America returns to Isolationism (separation

from world affairs)