1. The Alliance System1. The Alliance System

Triple EntenteTriple Entente::Triple EntenteTriple Entente:: Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::Triple AllianceTriple Alliance::

Two Armed Camps!Two Armed Camps!Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers:: Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

The Major Players: 1914-17

The Major Players: 1914-17

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

Nicholas II Nicholas II [Rus][Rus]

George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]George V [Br]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Pres. Poincare Pres. Poincare [Fr][Fr]

Allied PowersAllied Powers::Allied PowersAllied Powers::

Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]Franz Josef [A-H]

Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]Wilhelm II [Ger]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Victor Emmanuel Victor Emmanuel II [It]II [It]

Central PowersCentral Powers::Central PowersCentral Powers::

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

Enver PashaEnver Pasha[Turkey][Turkey]

Europe in 1914Europe in 1914

The Schlieffen PlanThe Schlieffen Plan

The Western Front:

A “War of

Attrition”

The Western Front:

A “War of

Attrition”

A Multi-Front WarA Multi-Front War

The Western FrontThe Western Front

Stalemate on the Western Front

• Germans go through Belgium towards Paris.

• Belgians put up resistance.

• Schlieffen Plan Failure:– 1. Russia mobilized quicker than expected.– 2. After a few small Russian victories-

German generals shifted forces in the west.

• WWI Firsts

– Sept 1914-1st Battle of Marne-ended Germany’s hopes for quick victory on Western Front.

• Both sides dug deep trenches for protection-led to stalemate-deadlock

• Battle line in France would remain almost unchanged for four years.

WWI Technology

• Many thought that WWI was going to be quick, however, advances in technology and warfare dragged the war out. This in turn led to massive devastation.

U-BoatsU-Boats

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

Allied Ships Sunk by U-Boats

Machine Guns

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

Trench WarfareTrench Warfare

““No Man’s No Man’s Land”Land”

““No Man’s No Man’s Land”Land”

• Trench Warfare

Poison Gas

Poison Gas

Machine Gun

Machine Gun

FlameThrowers

FlameThrowers

GrenadeLaunchersGrenade

Launchers

Krupp’s “Big Bertha” GunKrupp’s “Big Bertha” Gun

French Renault TankFrench Renault Tank

The AirplaneThe Airplane

“Squadron Over the Brenta”

Max Edler von Poosch, 1917

“Squadron Over the Brenta”

Max Edler von Poosch, 1917

The ZeppelinThe Zeppelin

War Is HELL !!War Is HELL !!

Sacrifices in WarSacrifices in War

Russian Losses on Eastern Front

• Aug. 14Russian armies pushed to Eastern Germany.

• At Tannenberg-suffered major defeat-and troops retreated to Russia.

• Poorly equipped to fight modern war-lacked weaponry, ex-rifles.

• Russian commanders continued to send soldiers after crushing defeat.

The War Wages On…

• By 1917-Europeans were strained by war.

• Casualties on the fronts and shortages at home sapped morale.

Economies Committed to War Production….

• All warring nations imposed militarily conscription.

• Germany set up system of forced civilian labor as well.

• Govt. raised taxes and borrowed huge amounts of $ to pay for war.

• They rationed food and other products-boots, gas, meat etc…

• They also set prices and forbid strikes. • TOTAL WAR

Economic Warfare

• Britain’s navy blockaded North Sea to keep ships from carrying supplies in and out of Germany.

• International laws allowed wartime blockade to confiscate contraband.

• Against international law-British blockade stopped both types of goods from reaching Germany—caused starvation.

Germany…in turn

• Germany used U-boats to create own blockade.• 1915-declared it would sink all ships carrying goods to

Britain. • May 1915, German submarine torpedoed British liner

Lusitania off coast of Ireland-Killed 1,198 passenger, 128 were Americans.

• Germany justified attack saying it was carrying weapons.

• In turn, US President Wilson threatened to cut off diplomatic relations with Germany unless it restricted its submarine campaignGermany obliges for a short time.

Propaganda War

• WWI=total war.• Censorship occurred, even in democratic nations, to

keep complete casualty figures and other discouraging news from the public.

• Why?• Propaganda was used-to motivate military mobilization.

– Britain-prior to 1916-to urge people to enlist– France and Germany-urged people to loan money to the govt. – Later, Allies played up brutality of Germany’s invasion of

Belgium.– British and French press circulated tales of atrocities-though

some occurred most were inflated.

Recruitment PostersRecruitment Posters

Recruits of the Central PowersRecruits of the Central Powers

Austro-Austro-HungariansHungarians

Austro-Austro-HungariansHungarians

A German A German Soldier Says Soldier Says

Farewell to His Farewell to His MotherMother

A German A German Soldier Says Soldier Says

Farewell to His Farewell to His MotherMother

New French RecruitsNew French Recruits

A German Boy Pretends to Be a Soldier

A German Boy Pretends to Be a Soldier

American PosterAmerican Poster

Financing the WarFinancing the War

German PosterGerman Poster

Think of Your Children!Think of Your Children!

Soldiers Mobilized

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

France Germany Russia Britain

Mil

lio

ns

Women in the war…

• Women took over men’s jobs while they were at war.

• Many worked in factories-creating weapons and supplies for overseas.

• Others joined women branches-such as nurses in the Red Cross.

• Aided in Women’s Suffrage in Britain, Germany and US

• Had to give up role post WWI.

Financing the WarFinancing the War

For RecruitmentFor Recruitment

Munitions WorkersMunitions Workers

French Women Factory Workers

French Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

German Women Factory Workers

Working in the FieldsWorking in the Fields

A Woman Ambulance Driver

A Woman Ambulance Driver

Red Cross NursesRed Cross Nurses

Women in the Army Auxiliary

Women in the Army Auxiliary

Morale Collapses

• Morale plunged

• Germany was sending 15 year olds to the front line

• Some troops in French units mutinied.

• Italy-many deserted

• Russia-many left to join revolution at home…

Russian Revolution

• Public confidence diminished upon hearing stories of incompetent generals and corruption.

• March 1917-bread riots in St. Petersburg erupted in revolution that brought down the Russian monarchy.

• At 1st-Allies welcomed overthrow of tsar-hoped it would institute democratic govt….

• V.I. Lenin came to power with promise to pull Russian troops out of war.

• 1918-Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany-which ended their participation in the war.– Had an immediate impact– Germany could now concentrate its forces on

Western Front

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

• Germany ceased submarine attacks after the Lusitania in 1915…Feb 1, 1917-desperate to break stalemate-German govt. resumed practice.

Zimmerman Telegram

• Early 1917-British intercepted message from German foreign minister, Arthur Zimmerman, to his ambassador in Mexico.

• Germany offered to help New Mexico “reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, in return for Mexican support against the US.”

• This infuriated Americans.

Wilson Declares War

• April 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany.

• He painted it as “a war to end all wars.” and “to make the world safe for democracy.”

• US needed months to recruit, train, supply, and transport a modern army across the Atlantic.

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Sinking of the Lusitania

The Zimmerman Telegram

The Zimmerman Telegram

US in the War

• By 1918-about 2 million American soldiers had joined the war-weary Allied troops fighting on the Western Front.

• Few actually engaged in combat.

• Gave Allies much needed morale boost.– Also, provided economic aid to Allies.

The YanksAre

Coming!

The YanksAre

Coming!

Victory at Last

• Germany wanted to finish war before American troops arrived in Europe.

• March-Germans launched huge offensive that by July pushed the Allies back 40 miles.

• Efforts exhausted them

• US troops arrived by the thousands

• Allies launched a counterattack, slowly driving German forces back across France and Belgium.

• Sept. German generals told the Kaiser they couldn’t win.

• Uprisings exploded among hungry city dwellers across Germany. German commanders advised Kaiser to step down and William II did so in early Nov. fleeing to the Netherlands.

• By autumn, A-H was collapsing

• Bulgaria and Ottoman empire also asked for peace.

THE END…

• An armistice was signed on November 11, 1918 at 11 am.

• 11 11 11

• Month Day Hour

• The Great War at last came to an end…

• What do we celebrate on 11/11?

Fourteen Points

• Jan 1918-Wilson created a list of his terms for resolving this and future wars.

• Called for freedom of the seas, free trade, large-scale reductions or arms, and an end to secret treaties.

• Border shifts• He favored self-determination for Eastern

Europe• Urged for the creation of a “general

association of nations” aka League of Nations

However…

• While Wilson’s 14 point plan was mild, France and Italy wanted much harsher terms.

• Allies met at Paris Peace Conference-(Central Powers and Russia not allowed)

• Wilson has to compromise but NOT on collective security

• Germany forced to sign Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919

• Germany horrified-sets stage for WWII!