Causes of World War I

Europe at its peak:

25% of worlds population lived in Europe

Modernization led to sense that Europeans

were at the peak of World Civilization

Imperial Tensions-European mations competed for colonies

Militarism-Glorification of war and increase in military spending

Nationalism

Combined with militarism and imperial competition, this increased tensions in Europe

The System of Alliances- web of treaties to protect themselves

World War I -notes

Triple Alliance 1882

Germany

Austria- Hungary

Italy

Triple Entente 1907

France

Russia

Britain

Nationalism-Devotion to the interests or culture of a particular nation.

Imperialism-The policy of extenidng a nations authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and authority over other nations

Military Build-up -Military expenditures jumped 300%between 1870 and 1914

Events leading to WWI

June 28,1914 in Sarajevo, Capital of Bosnia- Archduke Francis Ferdinand, was murdered by 7 assassins from

the “Black Hand” a Serbian nationalist group.

19 year old Gavrillo Princip shot the Archduke + wife

July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

The next day Russia mobilized troops to support Serbia.August 1, 1914 Germany declared War on Russia. A few days later Germany declared war on France.

Gavrilo Princip

Princip (second from right) being taken into custody in Sarajevo

War Breaks Out• European nations are in alliances • Assassination of the Archduke

• Germany gives Austria-Hungary “blank Check” of military support

• Austria- Hungary gives Serbia ULTIMATUM

• Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

• Russia supported Serbia and Germany supported Austria-Hun.

• -Germany declares war on Russia and France

• -Britain declares war on Germany

Fronts of the War

• THE WESTERN FRONT

• Germany tried to take France quickly in the Western front and then turn to fight Russia instead battle lines formed in France and changed little.

• Battle at Verdun-680,000 casualties, Somme- over one million casualties

• THE EASTERN FRONT• Lack of modern technology caused Russia

enormous defeats• Russia fell into a civil war during WWI-signed a

peace treaty with Germany-had to give up 1/4 of their country.

• THE ITALIAN FRONT• The Italians joined the Triple Entente in 1915 and

fought Austria-Hungary

New Weapons used in the War

• THE MACHINE GUN• Modern industry replaced the single fire rifle

• fired 8 rounds per second• ARTILLERY• greater power and could be fired a greater distance• “big Bertha”• 24 million shells used in the Battle of Verdun

Weapons of the Industrial Age

• 75 different types of poison-gas bombs used

• Flame throwers

• Tanks

• Airplanes

Casualties of Modern Weaponry

• Tactics of sending masses of men toward enemy didn’t work against mod. Weapons

• Britain suffered 57,470 casualties on the first day of the battle of the Somme

• Total losses for WWI exceeded 10 million

This type of mask was not effective in filtering out the more deadly

phosgene and diphosgene gases. There was no

mask that could offerprotection from the blistering

mustard gas which attacks all exposed flesh.

Blistering Agent Dichlorethylsulphide: the most dreaded of all chemical weapons in World War I - mustard gas. Unlike the other gases which attack the respiratory system, this gas acts on any exposed, moist skin. This includes, but is not limited to, the eyes, lungs, armpits and groin. A gas mask could offer very little protection. The oily agent would produce large burn-like blisters wherever it came in contact with skin. It also had a nasty way of hanging about in low areas for hours, even days, after being dispersed. A soldier jumping into a shell crater to seek cover could find himself blinded, with skin blistering and lungs bleeding.

In 1918 a German corporal by the name of Adolf Hitler was

temporarily blinded by a British gas attack in Flanders.

Having suffered the agonies of gas first hand, his fear

of the weapon would prevent him from deploying it as

a tactical weapon on the battlefields of the Second World War.

The first army issue gas

masks were

little more than

gauze bandages with ties.

The shells they fired weighed 1,786 pounds and they

could fire one every 6 minutes.

German 42cm "Big Bertha", named for Bertha Krupp

French troops loading a 40cm shell into a railway gun

As prey: a crippled U-boat pursued by British Curtiss

'Large America' flying boats. Painting by C.R. Fleming-Williams

View from the tower as a torpedo hits home on a merchant ship

UC 44 Class U-boat: 1) Aft torpedo tubes 2) Electric motor

3) Main engine 4) Control room 5) Mine tubes

6) Forward torpedo tubes 7) Crew quarters

The Reality of Soldiers’ Lives

• Patriotic Fervor

• Many Europeans looked forward to war at the start

• Attitudes change- Soldiers changes Euro’s optimistic fervor through letters about the horrors of war

• The Return Home- no crowds or heroes’ welcome after the war

Typical British gear inluding rifle, gas mask and helmet.

Each soldier was expected to carry this 70 pounds of

equipment into battle

German infantry in the 1914 uniforms near the start of the war.

Trench Warfare• The Race to the Sea• 475 miles of trenches were dug across N. France• British troops used over 10 million shovels• LIFE IN THE TRENCHES-• charging over the top-crossing NO MANS

LAND to reach enemy trenches• Boring, terrifying, and caused shell shock• Horrible living conditions

These vast German trenches near Bullecourt are part of the

heavily fortified Hindenburg Line

Effect of the War on the Home Front

• Mobilizations for Total War• Civilians back home made huge sacrifices• Gov’ts controlled industries, rationing• New Jobs for Women- took jobs men traditionally

held.• Number in paid employment rose by over one

million• Discovered autonomy and greater mobility• Women won the right to vote throughout Europe

British newspaper announces the first Zeppelin

raid on London, 31-May-1915.

All in all, the German Naval Airship Service made a total of 159 sorties

over Britain killing 557 people and inflicting $7,500,000

in property damage.In the end, it hardly seemed worth the effort.

Poster and Diagram Project• Draw a “PROPAGANDA POSTER”. You

may choose either side to show your support. (Either the Alliance or Entente) Choose a topic or event which will stir emotions in your chosen country. Be sure it causes some kind of negative or positive emotions. The poster must then influence the peoples ideas about another country, and the event that took place.

Diagram• Create a diagram of “TRENCH

WARFARE”. You must show in detail the trenches, what they include, outside of the trenches, and weapons used. ( Be sure to include any other useful information) Then include a detailed description of life in the trenches.

The Russian Revolution• 1914- Russian Army poorly organized and

equipped.

• Czar Nicholas II goes to the front to rally the troops.

• 1917- March Revolution- people unhappy-

• Defeats in the war, striking workers, discontent.

• Soldiers ordered to shoot- join rioters

• Czar -train is stopped, abdicates power

United States Involvement in WWI

• 1914-Since the start of the war the US declared neutrality.

• France and Britain spread propaganda in the US claiming how Germans were evil and cruel

1915

• Germans begin sinking cargo & merchant ships

• German U-Boats sink the passenger ship Lusitania- 128 Americans killed

• U.S. upset- hatred of Germany begins

• American banks loaned 1.5 billion to allied gov’ts to buy needed supplies from the U.S.

1917

• Zimmerman telegram intercepted- Germany proposes an alliance with Mexico

• April 1917 U.S. Declares war on Germany

1918

• Russia Withdraws from the war

• Victory seems easy for Germans until the Americans arrive

• America’s major contribution is in supplies

• Allies halt the Germans at the battle of the Marne, becomes the decisive turning point of the war

Peace of Vengeance

• France and Britain created a severe treaty that punished Germany

• Germany had to:

• Return Alscace-Lorrain region to France

• Keep area near France, called Rhineland, demilitarized

• Pay war reparations of 32 billion dollars

• Agree to war guilt clause

Woodrow Wilson tried to unite many countries in the League of Nations - for all

practical purposes, it failed.

President Wilson’s Fourteen Points

• No secret treaties

• Peace without Victory

• Free and open trade

• Fair treatment of colonial people

• League of Nations

• ONLY League of Nations was passed-and our congress didn’t approve it

The Paris Peace Conference

• Wilson Wanted a “peace of Justice”

• Treaty of Versailles-became the first steps to WWII.

• TEST FRIDAY STUDY!!!

http://sduhsd.k12.ca.us/ click on teachers pages- Cassaw-WWI notes

HOW DO I STUDY?

• CH. 8 begins on 272 in your text. Look back at the section review questions -especially the Define and Identify vocab.

• Review the notes on powerpoint

• Study the WWI Packet of hand outs and your answers to the questions.

• (the first page of the hand out is titled “Europe before World War I”