World War 1

militarism

1. glorification of military power, stories, and solutions to problems

2. Large standing armies, statues of generals, military parades

3. growing arms race ( esp in battleships)

Imperialism

1. French and Great Britain compete for colonies

2. Germany and France battle for influence in Morocco

3. German expanding in pacific

Bismarks goals for Germany 1870-90

1. Keep France isolates

2. Of 5 great powers, kept Germany allied with 3 ( Germany, A-H, italy)

   1. Creates triple alliance (germ, A-H, Russia)

   2. Treaty w/Russia ends (Russia allies w/France(

Triple Entente (1907)

1. Great Britain joins France and Russia

Kaiser Wilhelm II

1. Fires Bismarck

2. Very aggressive nature

3. Begins shipbuilding program - challenge to Great Britain

1. Austria -1908

• Takes Bosnia from Ottoman Empire with large Slav populations

Serbia

• seeks a bigger Serbia that includes all serbs including Bosnia

Russia

Mostly Slavic country, felt protective of fellow slavs

Ottoman Empire

In decline but the previous power in the area- protective of Muslim minority

Austrian Archduke Ferdinand + wife

1. Assassinated by Black Hand (serb nationalist group)

2. One week later:Germany pledges unconditional support to Austria

3. Austria demands Serbia to investigate + arrest Black Hand members

4. Austria gives Serbia ultimatum (brinkmanship)

5. Serbia oks most but not investigate - Austria declares war

Schlieffen Plan (2 front war)

1. Attack + defeat France in 6 weeks

   1. then go east and attack/ defeat Russia

2. The germans had to go through Belgium

   1. Avoids French forts but violates Belgium’s neutrality

   2. Forces British to declare war on Germany

      1. Germans successful until Battle of the Marne

Battle of Tannenberg

1. Russia attacks Germany

2. Germans push Russians back in Easy Prussia - Poland region of Russia

3. Complete Russian defeat

   1. Allies need to relieve Russia

Gallipoli -1915

1. Attempt by allies to land troops of the Dardanelles

   1. 1st amphibious landing

   2. knock O.E. out of war

   3. open supply route to Russia

New weapons/ new warfare

1. Artillery, poison gas, barbed wire, machine guns, wireless communication

Transportation weapons

1. planes, submarines, zeppelins, tanks

The Western Front Conditions = Trench Warfare

1. Defensive weapons dominate (machine gun, barbed wire)

2. Trench system set up

3. No mans land in between

4. Muddy, constant water, bleak

Political changes propaganda

1. Gov information designed to persuade or motivate citizens

   1. use of mass media = newspapers, posters, movies

2. Censorship + suppression of free speech

   1. Espionage Act (1917) + sedition act (1918)

      1. Passed to control info and anti war sentiment

Gov control: Rationing

1. Gov controlled supply of key materials needed for war

   1. food(butter, bread, ect) gas, rubber, steel

Gov control: wartime production

1. Govts plan what is produces

2. Unions prevented from striking

3. Consumer factories converted to war production

4. Social change = women become industrial workers leads to right to vote for women

A1917 America In: Pres wilson elected

1. elected to keep US out of war

   1. 2 big things push neutral Amer in

      1. Germans resume unrestricted sub warfare

         1. attack had stopped after Lusitania sunk in 1915

   2. Zimmerman note

      1. Germans try to get Mexico to join war effort

      2. Promises help to recapture land lost in Mexican American War

1917: Russia Out

1. Russia not industrialized, poorly supplied: 5.5 million casualties

2. Revolution 1 (feb) = Tzar overthrown provisional govt takes over

   1. allies convince new govt to continue war but, Russia July offensive collapses

3. Communist Revolution 2 (oct)

   1. Lenin had promised peace, signs treaty w/Germany (Brest-Litovsk)

      1. Russia gives up land for peace

The End 1918: Germans

1. Attempt to break through allied lines July/Aug 1918 before 140k fresh Americans troops arrive + 350 British tanks stop Germans and begin to push back

   1. Germans = 168,000 + short on resources

2. Revolutions in A-H + Germany

Social Changes = effect on soldiers

1. The stress of combat made worse by the industrialization of killing

2. “Shell shock” today = PTSD