WW1

CAUSES OF THE WAR

M- militarism 

A- alliances 

I- imperialism 

N- nationalism

Explain how the alliance system makes this a World War

The alliance system created a web of obligations between countries, meaning that if one nation went to war, allied nations were bound to support them. This led to a domino effect, quickly escalating a regional conflict into a full-scale global war.

 How does assassination spark the war?

The assasionation sparks the war because Austria-Hungary blames Serbia on the killing and declares war.

What was the Schlieffen Plan? Why did it ultimately collapse? 

The Schlieffen Plan was Germany's military strategy to quickly defeat France by invading Belgium, before turning east to fight Russia. It collapsed due to unexpected resistance in Belgium, delayed troop movements, and rapid mobilization of Russian forces.

Explain trench warfare and its impact on the war and soldiers

It created a brutal four year war causing massive casualties, filth, disease

(Ex: trench foot), and psychological trauma

Describe the new technology/weapons and its impact on the war?

The introduction of machine guns and heavy artillery led to a defensive stalemate and the creation of trench warfare, while new technologies like poison gas, tanks, and airplanes were developed to break the deadlock and cross "No Man's Land." Additionally, German U-boats expanded the conflict into the sea, eventually drawing the United States into the war.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of machine Guns

Advantages, Fired hundreds of bullets per minute, Extremely effective for defending trenches, Few soldiers needed to operate, Disadvantages, Heavy and difficult to move, Required large amounts of ammunition, Could overheat during long firing.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of U Boats

Advantages, Could attack ships without warning, Hard to detect underwater, Effective at disrupting enemy supply lines, Disadvantages, Limited communication and visibility, Vulnerable when surfacing, Limited fuel and supplies.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Trench Mortar

Advantages, Fired shells into enemy trenches, Effective at short distances, Relatively simple to operate, Disadvantages, Short range, Less accurate than artillery, Slow rate of fire

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Airplanes

Advantages, Used for reconnaissance and scouting, Could attack ground targets, Introduced air combat (dogfights), Disadvantages, Early aircraft were fragile, Limited weapons and protection, Dangerous for pilots

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Howizer

Advantages, Fired large shells at high angles, Could hit enemies behind cover, Caused powerful explosions, Disadvantages, Very heavy and hard to move, Required large crews, Slow firing rate

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Poison Gas

Advantages, Could disable or kill many soldiers, Spread across trenches quickly, Created fear and confusion, Disadvantages, Wind could blow gas back toward attackers, Gas masks reduced effectiveness, Hard to control

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Zeppelins

 Advantages, Could fly long distances, Carried large bomb loads & poison gas, Disadvantages Slow and vulnerable to aircraft, Filled with flammable hydrogen, Large and easy targets

Battle of Marne

Purpose: Germany tried to quickly capture Paris to knock France out of the war early. Outcome: French and British troops stopped the German advance. This ruined Germany's plan for a quick victory and forced both sides to dig trenches, leading to a four-year stalemate.

Battle of Ypres

Purpose: A series of battles fought to control a strategic town in Belgium and the paths to the English Channel. Outcome: It is most famous for the first mass use of poison gas by Germany. It resulted in massive casualties and proved that technology had made the war much more "industrial" and terrifying.

 Battle of Gallipoli

Purpose: The Allies tried to take control of a sea route (the Dardanelles) to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war and send supplies to Russia. Outcome: The mission was a disaster for the Allies. They suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat, leaving the Ottoman Empire in the war and Russia isolated.

 Battle of Verdun

Purpose: Germany attacked a historic French fortress to "bleed the French army white" (killing as many as possible until they ran out of men). Outcome: It became one of the longest and costliest battles in history. France held their ground, but both sides suffered nearly a million casualties, showing the horror of a "war of attrition."

Battle of Somme

Purpose: The British and French attacked to pull German troops away from Verdun and break through the German lines.

Outcome: It resulted in over a million total casualties, including the deadliest single day in British history. Despite the massive loss of life, the Allies only gained about 6 miles of territory.

Why does the United States want to stay neutral

Purpose: The U.S. followed a policy of isolationism, wanting to stay out of European conflicts. Outcome: This allowed the U.S. to stay safe and grow its economy by selling supplies to both sides for the first three years of the war

Why does the United States enter the war

Purpose: Germany used unrestricted submarine warfare to sink American merchant ships and sent the Zimmermann Telegram to Mexico. Outcome: The U.S. joined the Allies in 1917, providing the fresh soldiers and money needed to break the stalemate and defeat Germany.

What is propaganda and why was it utilized

Tools: The use of posters, news stories, catchy slogans, and movies that use "loaded" language or emotional images (like the "I Want You" Uncle Sam poster). Objectives: To recruit soldiers, get people to buy Liberty Bonds, save resources (like food), and make the enemy look like a villain to keep public support for the war high.

Why is the Selective Service Act enacted

Purpose: The U.S. military was too small to fight a major war in Europe and didn't have enough volunteers. Outcome: It started a draft, requiring men to register for service. This grew the army from 200,000 to nearly 5 million soldiers.

Why does Congress pass the Espionage and Sedition acts

Congress passed these acts during World War I to protect the war effort by making it illegal to physically interfere with the military or the draft (Espionage Act) and by making it a crime to say or write anything "disloyal" about the U.S. government (Sedition Act).

Why are certain immigrants discriminated against in the United States during the war?

-Gerard Speech objectives

During the war, German-Americans were heavily discriminated against due to fears that they were not fully loyal to the United States, a sentiment fueled by Ambassador James Gerard’s speech objectives which warned that "half-loyal" citizens would be treated as traitors. This led to intense "Americanization" efforts where German culture was suppressed, the German language was banned in schools, and even food names were changed to show 100% patriotism.

How does the war come to an end

The war ended after a failed German offensive led to a collapsed German economy and a revolution at home, forcing Germany to sign an armistice (a ceasefire) with the Allies that went into effect on November 11, 1918. This stopped the fighting on the battlefield and paved the way for the Allied leaders to meet in France to negotiate the official terms for peace.

Paris Peace Conference:

-Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points

At the Paris Peace Conference, President Woodrow Wilson proposed his 14 Points, a plan designed to create a "lasting peace" by ending secret treaties, reducing militaries, and ensuring national self-determination. His main goal was to prevent future global conflicts, and his most important point was the creation of the League of Nations to help countries settle disputes peacefully.

Georges Clemenceau “The Tiger” & French goals

The Treaty of Versailles was the official peace agreement that ended WWI, but it focused more on punishing Germany than on Wilson's "lasting peace." It forced Germany to pay billions in reparations, significantly shrink its military, and give up territory, which ultimately left the German people feeling humiliated and bitter.

David Lloyd George & Great Britain goals

David Lloyd George represented Great Britain and held a middle-ground position; while he privately worried that punishing Germany too harshly would lead to future trouble, his public goal was to make Germany pay for the war to satisfy British citizens. He focused on protecting the British Empire, maintaining naval supremacy, and ensuring Germany remained strong enough to trade with but too weak to ever threaten Europe again.

Vittorio Orlando & Italian goals

Vittorio Orlando attended the peace conference with the primary goal of gaining new territories for Italy that had been secretly promised to them by the Allies earlier in the war. However, when the other leaders refused to give him all the land he demanded, he left the conference feeling extremely disrespected, which led to deep resentment and political instability back home in Italy.

Treaty of Versailles:

- What happens to Germany? Austria-Hungary? Russia?

The treaty fundamentally reshaped the map of the world by forcing Germany to give up its colonies, shrink its military, and pay massive fines; meanwhile, the Austria-Hungary empire was completely dissolved and broken into several new independent nations like Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Russia, despite being an original Ally, lost the most total territory of any nation, with its land being used to create new "buffer" states like Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.