The Great War

1914-1918

M

A

I

N

Militarism

Alliances

Imperialism

Nationalism

European European nations had nations had engagedengaged in in

these these behaviors for behaviors for

decadesdecades – – creating creating tensiontension between between various various

countries as countries as they they

competedcompeted for for powerpower in the in the

world.world.

The War Begins….• A Serbian Nationalist assassinated Austria-

Hungary’s Archduke Francis Ferdinand.

• Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

• All alliances are drawn into the warex: Germany declares war on Russia

(because of alliance with Austria-Hungary)

• Central Powers v. Allies

Allies/Triple Entente

• France

• Russia

• Great Britain

• Serbia

Central Powers/Triple Alliance

• Austria-Hungary

• Germany

• Ottoman Empire

• Italy switched sides to the Allies

•United States joined the allies in 1917 (could no longer remain neutral)

• Russia drops out of war in 1917 when their revolution began

The Western Front…The Western Front…

Germany versus France, Britain, and Belgium 475 miles

(same distance as Danville to San Diego)

TRENCH WAR!TRENCH WAR!

By early 1915, both sides had built miles of

parallel trenches to

protect themselves from enemy

fire.

•Stalemate (deadlock) – neither side was able to gain significant territory in western Europe

•High casualties

•Many new weapons were developed

• War was fought on four fronts

Eastern FrontEastern Front

Italian FrontItalian Front

Balkan FrontBalkan Front

Total War = a war where everyone contributes

• Governments took control of economies (controlled production & enforced rationing)

• Many countries instituted a draft

• Women expected to fulfill new roles (as men are off fighting)

• Government’s use propaganda & censorship to encourage “total war”

The Fighting Continues• Western Front

- Stalemate continues

• Eastern Front- For 2 years Russia able to defend itself from Germans- In 1916 Russia started to struggle because they had not industrialized

• Ottoman Empire (Middle East)- Allies aided Arab nations in fighting off Ottoman rule (Example: Palestine)

• In the Colonies (Africa & Asia)- Allies attacked German Colonies - Allies recruited soldiers from colonies to help them fight

• Officially Neutral

• war was far away and did not threaten us

• some American questioned the motives of the Allies

•Investments:

• American business loaned 2.25 billion dollars to the Allies

• Allies lose = loss of money

• U.S. also sold weapons to the Allies

• Unrestricted Submarine Warfare:

• Germans used u-boats in Atlantic Ocean to disrupt trade routes

• Many neutral ships were sunk by u-boats

Russia Exits the War

• After three years of WWI, Russia is in economic and political turmoil

• Riots in March 1917 led to the collapse of the Russian Monarchy

• January 1918 the new Russian Leader, Lenin, signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany

• Russia is no longer involved in WWI

United States Enters the War

U.S. ends neutrality after two significant events:

1. SINKING OF LUSITANIA, 1915

• German’s engaged in unrestricted submarine warfare

• Germans torpedoed a British cruise ship called the Lusitania, killing 128 Americans

• 5 American ships attacked from 1915 - 1917

2. ZIMMERMAN TELEGRAM, 1917

• British intercepted & decoded a secret message from Germany to Mexico.

• Telegram promised land to Mexico, if they supported the German war effort.

These 2 events turn Americans against the Germans!

• April 2, 1917 U.S. Congress declares war on Germany

• June 26, 1917 first American troops arrive in Europe

• Liberty Bonds:

• bonds sold to the public to finance the war – raised over $20 billion

• Economic Control:

• President Wilson created agencies to oversee production of all goods to aid war effort

• ways to preserve energy were also instituted (beginning of daylight savings)

• Enforcing Loyalty:

• fear of spies, specifically Germans – limited immigration

• rise of discrimination & nativism

• laws to enforce loyalty - Espionage Act & Sedition Act – (violated free speech rights)

• Women and Minorities:

• war had limited labor pool by ending immigration and sending white males to the war (5 million served; 2.8 million drafted)

• led to the “Great Migration”

• new jobs for minorities (African & Mexican Americans, & women)

End of the War• AmericanAmerican Troops arrived and provided a Troops arrived and provided a moralemorale boost to war weary European soldiers boost to war weary European soldiers

• By March 1918, By March 1918, AlliedAllied troops were pushing the troops were pushing the GermansGermans back across France and back across France and BelgiumBelgium..

• German German uprisingsuprisings forced Kaiser forced Kaiser William IIWilliam II to to flee to flee to exileexile in the Netherlands in the Netherlands

• By Fall of 1918 By Fall of 1918 Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary also beginning also beginning to collapseto collapse

• At 11am on At 11am on November 11, 1918November 11, 1918 the new the new German government signed a German government signed a peacepeace treaty. treaty.

• AmericanAmerican Troops arrived and provided a Troops arrived and provided a moralemorale boost to war weary European soldiers boost to war weary European soldiers

• By March 1918, By March 1918, AlliedAllied troops were pushing the troops were pushing the GermansGermans back across France and back across France and BelgiumBelgium..

• German German uprisingsuprisings forced Kaiser forced Kaiser William IIWilliam II to to flee to flee to exileexile in the Netherlands in the Netherlands

• By Fall of 1918 By Fall of 1918 Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary also beginning also beginning to collapseto collapse

• At 11am on At 11am on November 11, 1918November 11, 1918 the new the new German government signed a German government signed a peacepeace treaty. treaty.

Attempts at Peace, January 1918

• American President Wilson proposed a peace plan called “The Fourteen Points”– Included an end to secret treaties (alliances)– Free trade (alliances/imperialism)– Arms reduction (militarism)– Self-determination (nationalism/imperialism)– Fair treatment of colonial people (imperialism)– League of Nations (international peace-keeping

organization that solves problems through diplomacy not war)

David Lloyd-George, Vittorio Orlando, Georges Clemenceau, Woodrow Wilson

Paris Peace Conference• Goals of World Leaders:

– Woodrow Wilson* (U.S.)• Wanted the 14 points to outline peace

– David Lloyd George* (Britain)• Wanted to punish the Germans

– Georges Clemenceau* (France)• Wanted to weaken Germany so it would never be a

threat to France again

– Vittorio Orlando (Italy)• Wanted the Allies to give them land once ruled by the

Ottoman Empire

* = main member of the Paris Peace Conference

(The Big Three)