World World War 1War 1

1914-1918

Causes of World War 1Causes of World War 1• 1. NationalismNationalism= a devotion to the

interests and culture of one nation• Many feared Germany’s growing

power in Europe• Many nations longed to be

independent• Ethnic groups looked to larger

nations for protection– Ex: Russia was the protector of

Europe’s Slavic peoples. Serbia was an independent nation but millions of ethnic Serbs were under rule of Austria-Hungary

• Result: Russia and Austria-Hungary were rivals over influence in Serbia

2. Imperialism2. Imperialism• ImperialismImperialism= large

empires extending their economic, military or political power over others

• As Germany industrialized, it competed with France and Britain in the contest for colonies (to get raw materials and find market for their goods)

3. Militarism3. Militarism• MilitarismMilitarism= development of

armed forces and their use as a tool of diplomacy

• Each nation wanted a stronger armed forced than those of any potential enemy– In Europe, Germany, had the

strongest military– Britain had the strongest navy in

the world (island nation)• Naval Race: Germany wanted to

be as strong as British with their navy. France, Italy, Japan and the U.S. quickly joined the naval arm race

4. Alliance System4. Alliance System• Alliance SystemAlliance System=

Nations joining together to form a pact to protect and defend each other

• Triple Entente (Allies)= France, Britain and Russia

• Triple Alliance= Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (aka Central Powers)

The SPARK!!!• Where: Balkan Peninsula,

aka “powder keg of Europe”• Why there?

• Russia wanted a route to Mediterranean Sea

• Germany wanted a link to the Ottoman Empire

• Austria-Hungary was angry at Serbia stepping over them and trying to rule Bosnia (which A-H had taken over)

Powder Keg was ready to EXPLODE!

The Assassination that Led to a War

• 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife were shot while visiting Bosnia (Remember: Austria had power over Bosnia, but Serbia was stepping on their toes)

• Who killed him? Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist

• Austria-Hungary declared war with Serbia, but it was expected to be a very short war

The Assassination that Started a War

Great War Begins• Alliance System brought many into the war

• Germany, obligated by a treaty with Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia

• Germany then declares war on Russia’s ally France• After Germany invaded Belgium, Britain declared war

on Germany and Austria-Hungary

How do alliances work?

• Why were so many European nations pulled into the conflict?

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare• Between the trenches= “no

man’s land”• 3 kinds of trenches

– Front line trench– Support trench– Enemy trench

– Dugouts were made as officers’ quarters and command posts

Turn to Page 376

Horrible Histories: Conditions in the Trenches

Downton Abbey: Crossing No Man’s Land

Horrible Histories: No Man’s Land

• Why do you think soldiers were rotated in the trenches (between the different trenches)?

Downton Abbey: Is it accurate???

Americans Question Neutrality• Many Americans say no

reason to join a war that was 3,000 miles away

• War was not a threat to American lives or property

• This didn’t mean that Americans didn’t have their opinions as to who would win the war

American FeelingsAmerican Feelings• Some (socialists) said the war was a

capitalist and imperialist struggle between Germany and England to control markets and colonies

• Pacifists believed the ward was evil and that the U.S. needed to set an example of peace

• Many U.S. citizens followed the war because they had ties to the nations from which they emigrated

• Many Americans sympathized with the British (common ancestry and language)

American FeelingsAmerican Feelings• America was tied more with

the Allies economically than the Central Powers

• Allies ordered many war supplies from Americans.

• U.S. shipped millions of dollars of war supplies to the Allies, but the requests kept coming

• By 1915, the U.S. had a labor shortage

• Why did the United States begin to favor Britain and France?

The War Hits HomeThe War Hits Home• Many Americans favored the

Allies, but that did not mean they wanted to join and fight with them

• America mobilized against the Central Powers because:– 1. ensure Allied repayment of

debts to the United States– 2. Prevent the Germans from

threatening U.S. shipping

British BlockadeBritish Blockade• British blocked the German

coasts from receiving weapons and other military supplies from getting through (eventually included blocking food too)

• Results:• American ships going to Germany

didn’t get there• Without food and fertilizers going to

Germany, Germany experienced a famine (750,000 starved to death)

• Americans were angry that the British were threatening freedom of the seas and not allowing their ships to reach German ports

German U-Boat ResponseGerman U-Boat Response

• German submarines (U-Boats, from the German word Unterseeboot) would counter blockade and sink any British or Allied ships

LusitaniaLusitania• Worst disaster was the sinking of the British liner,

the Lusitania.– 1,198 people died, 128 were Americans– Americans (Wilson) ruled out military response,

Germany did not keep promises to stop sinking ships

• How did the German U-boat campaign How did the German U-boat campaign affect U.S. public opinion?affect U.S. public opinion?

1916 Election• Woodrow Wilson won against Charles Hughes

with the slogan, “He Kept Us Out of War!”

WilsonWilson• Wilson tried to mediate

between the warring alliances, but his attempts failed

• Wilson called for a “league of peace,” but Germany ignored it

• Germany said they would continue to sink all ships in British waters- hostile or neutral- on sight

• Wilson said he would wait for an overt attack before declaring war

Zimmermann NoteZimmermann Note• = a telegram from the

German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico was intercepted by British agents

• Germany promised to Mexico that if the U.S. broke out into the war that Germany would help them recover “lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.”

• Why did the Zimmermann note alarm the U.S. government?

America ActsAmerica Acts• When did America Enter? When did America Enter?

19171917• Hopes of neutrality were overHopes of neutrality were over

“Property can be paid for; the lives of peaceful and innocent people cannot be. The present German submarine warfare against commerce is a warfare against mankind…We are glad…to fight…for the ultimate peace of the world and for the liberation of its peoples…The world must be made safe for democracy…We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities…It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war…But the right is more precious than peace.” -Woodrow Wilson, 1917

Section 2: American Power Tips Section 2: American Power Tips the Balancethe Balance

America America MobilizesMobilizes

• The United States was not prepared for war

• Only 200,000 men were enlisted when war was declared

Raising An ArmyRaising An Army• Selective Service Act= 1917, required men to register with

the government in order to be randomly selected for military service

• By 1918, 24 million had registered• Out of 24 million, 3 million were called up• 2 million sent over, ¾ of those saw combat

Many EnlistMany Enlist• 400,000 African Americans served• Served in segregated units and were excluded

from the navy and marines

TrainingTraining

• 8 month training ( ½ in America, ½ in Europe)

• 17 hours a day on: target practice, bayonet drill, kitchen duty, and cleaning up the grounds

• Real weapons were in short supply- used fake weapons, rocks instead of hand grenades, wooden poles instead of rifles

WW1 Solider Backpack

WomenWomen

• Not allowed to enlist• Army Crops of Nurses (but

denied rank, pay and benefits)• Served as nurses, secretaries

and telephone operators

Mass ProductionMass Production• Transporting men, food and

equipment was hard with German U-boats

• 4 steps:– 1. shipyard workers were exempt

from draft– 2. showed appreciation for

shipyard workers (flags flown over home)

– 3. parts were built elsewhere and then assembled at the yard

– 4. government took over shipyards and converted them for war use

America Turns the TideAmerica Turns the Tide• With U-boat problem, US military leaders

convinced British to try the convey system• = heavy guard of destroyers escorted merchant

ships back and forth across Atlantic• US plants bombs in the ocean in path of U-boats

Fighting in EuropeFighting in Europe

• Allies were tired from war

• Americans gave: fresh blood, freshness, enthusiasm, determination to hit Germans hard

Fighting Fighting ““Over ThereOver There””

• American Expeditionary Force (AEF) -nicknamed doughboys (possibly because of their white belts which they cleaned with pipe clay, or “dough”)

New WeaponsNew Weapons• First large scale use of

weapons– Machine gun– Tanks– Airplane (first used for

scouting, then for early air combats, by the end of the war planes could carry heavy bombs loads)

– Poison gas & gas masks

– Observation balloons

Poison Gas Clip

War Introduces New War Introduces New HazardsHazards

• Men surrounded by filth, lice, rats and polluted water that caused dysentery (disease of intestines)

• Inhaled poison gas and smelled decaying bodies

• Lack of sleep• “Shell Shock”• Trench Mouth (infection of

gums and throat)

Shell Shock Clips

War Introduces New Hazards War Introduces New Hazards (cont.)(cont.)• Trench foot- caused by

standing in wet trenches for long periods of time– Toes turn red or blue– Then, they become numb– Start to rot

– Solution: Amputate the toes and sometimes the entire foot

American Troops Go on the OffensiveAmerican Troops Go on the Offensive

• Russia pulled out of war in 1917, and Germans now concentrated on the western front

• Americans arrived just in time to help French when Germans were invading

• Americans began mounting offensive attacks

American War HeroAmerican War Hero• Alvin York

– Tennessee blacksmith and mountaineer

– Sought exemption as “conscientious objector”- a person who opposes warfare on moral grounds

– Decided later to fight if the war was for just cause

– Killed 25 Germans, captured 132 prisoners

– Became a celebrity when he came home

Alvin York Clip

The Collapse of GermanyThe Collapse of Germany

• November of 1918, Austria-Hungary surrendered to the Allies

• Groups of Germans revolted against German government, exhausting Germans from continuing to fight

• In the 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month of 1918, Germany signed a truce (armistice) that ended the war

Final TollFinal Toll• WW1 was the bloodiest

war up to that time• Death total: 22 million

(more than ½ were civilians)

• Wounded: 20 million• Became Refugees: 10

million• Cost of War: $338

Million

WW1 Death (By alliance)

• Allies Death Toll

Central Powers Death Total

U.S. LossesU.S. Losses

• Deaths to Combat: Deaths to Combat: 48,00048,000

• Deaths to Disease: Deaths to Disease: 62,00062,000

• Wounded: 200,000Wounded: 200,000

Activity: Patriotic Song• Listen to the song and

underline 5 parts you like.

• Write on the worksheet the reason why you believe this song was motivating to the soldiers in WW1. (3-4 sentences)

Section 3: The War at HomeSection 3: The War at Home

Congress Gives Power to WilsonCongress Gives Power to Wilson• Entire economy switch

from commercial to warfare products

• Congress gave power to Wilson to: – directly control much of

economy, including fixing prices and to regulate certain war-related industries

President Wilson in 1 Minute

When a leader takes over…

War Industries BoardWar Industries Board• WIB• Leader: Bernard M. Baruch• What it did?

– Encouraged companies to use mass-production technique to increase efficiency

– Set production quotas and allocated materials

• Railroad Administration controlled railroads

• Fuel Administration controlled coal, gas, and heating oil

• Daylight-saving time- first proposed by Benjamin Franklin, but introduced by Fuel Adm.

War EconomyWar Economy

• Wages increased• Rising food prices and

housing costs• National War Labor Board:

settle disputes between management and labor– Motto for obeying Board:

“Work or Fight”

The US During WW1

Food Food AdministrationAdministration

• = help produce and conserve food

• Instead of rationing food, people had…– “meatless” once a week– “sweetless” once a week– “wheatless” twice a week– “porkless” once a week

– Homeowners planted “victory gardens”

– School children planted after school hours

Modern Day Rationing: 2012

Selling the WarSelling the War

• After fixing the economy, there were 2 major tasks:– 1. Raising $$$ for the war– 2. Convincing the public

to support the war

1. War Financing1. War Financing

• 1/3 of all money raised came from taxes (income, tobacco, liquor, and luxury goods)

• Total Spent by U.S. 35.5 billion on war effort

2. Committee on Public Information2. Committee on Public Information

• =nation’s first propaganda agency• Biased communication designed to

influence people’s opinions• Leader (George Creel) was a

muckracker• Spread new by: newspapers,

pamphlets, speakers

• Other became outraged by this? Who do you think this is?

While some were claiming patriotism, it angered others who were seeking civil liberties of other ethnic groups and opponents of the war

Attacks of Civil Liberties IncreaseAttacks of Civil Liberties Increase• Anti-Immigrant Hysteria• Attacks on recent immigrants,

especially those from Germany and Austria-Hungary– Many with German names lost their

jobs– Orchestras refused to play the music of

Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms– Towns with German titles changed

name– Schools stop teaching German– German books removed from libraries– Physically attacked or lynched– Changed name of food (ie:

Hamburger “liberty sandwich,” sauerkraut “liberty cabbage”)

Espionage and Espionage and Sedition ActsSedition Acts

• =person could be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to 20 years in jail for interfering with the war effort or for saying anything disloyal about government

• These laws violated the First Amendment

Espionage & Sedition Acts

War Encourages Social ChangeWar Encourages Social Change• African Americans

and the War• Black opinion was

split about the war– Do Not Support: Not

our war, why should we?

– Support: Our Support with help strengthen calls for racial justice

Great MigrationGreat Migration• =large scale movement of

hundreds of thousands of Southern blacks to cities in the North

• Started during Jim Crow laws but now increased dramatically

• Where? Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia

• Why Move North?– Escape racial discrimination– Jobs!

– There was still discrimination in the North, and this migration intensified racial tensions.

Women at WarWomen at War• Women moved into jobs previously only held by men• Ie: railroad workers, cooks, dockworkers, and

bricklayers• Didn’t help with equal wages between men and

women, but it did help bolster public support for women suffrage (19th Amendment in 1920)

Flu EpidemicFlu Epidemic

• International flu epidemic hits! (1918)

• Affected ¼ of population of U.S.

• Possibly spread by the soldiers to others they were fighting

• Total Americans killed: 500,000

• Total (World) Killed: 30 Million

1918 Flu

““War to End all War to End all WarsWars””

• 4 years• Flu Epidemic• Wilson traveled to

Europe to work out terms of peace

Section 4: Wilson Fights for PeaceSection 4: Wilson Fights for Peace

WilsonWilson’’s Plans Plan• 14 Points• First 5: deal with issues to prevent

another war (no secret treaties, freedom of seas, free trade among nations, arms reduced…)

• Next 8: dealt with boundary changes (ethnic groups were to receive their own nation-state or decide who they would belong to)

• 14th Point: creation of international organization to address diplomatic crisis (League of Nations)

Allies Reject WilsonAllies Reject Wilson’’s Plans Plan• French wanted to prevent

further invasions of Germany

• British wanted to “make Germany pay”

• Italy wanted to control of the Austria-held territory

• “Big Four”: leaders from all these countries

• Wilson settled for most of his points to get his League of Nations

Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles

• Big Four gathered to sign peace treaty (1919)

• Results:– 9 new nations formed:

Poland, Yugoslavia, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia

– Germany could no longer have an army

– Germany had to pay reparations (war damages)…about 33 billion to Allies

TreatyTreaty’’s Weaknessess Weaknesses• 1. Couldn’t provide lasting

peace for Europe• 2. Germany was humiliated

– Treaty included a “War-Guilt Clause” which forced Germany to admit full responsibility for starting WW1

– Germany was stripped of its colonies and in no way could pay back reparations without them

• 3. Russians left out– Fought with allies, lost more

territory then Germany, left out of Conference

Opposition to the TreatyOpposition to the Treaty

• Many Americans thought the Treaty was too harsh

• Many said we were just switching one imperialistic nation for another

• Many didn’t like the new borders

Debate Over the League of NationsDebate Over the League of Nations• Many thought it threatened the

U.S. foreign policy of isolationism

• Many did not want to enter, and in the end, and with Wilson’s failing health, the U.S. did not enter the League of Nations, but maintained an unofficial observer at League meetings

President Wilson’s Accomplishments

Legacy of WarLegacy of War

• In US:– War strengthened the US military– Social changes had occurred (African Americans and women)– Discrimination (against ethnic groups)

• In Europe:– political and social changes– devastated by war– rebuilding

WW1 Recap: Beginning, Middle, End