Shaping The Modern World - World War I

nationalism

• Countries believed their nation was superior to others.

the influence of nationalism on Great Power rivalry by the end of the 19th century

• Created competition and tension, especially in Europe.
  
  

• Ethnic groups sought independence, increasing instability.
  

imperialism

• Major powers competed to acquire colonies worldwide.

the influence of imperialism on Great Power rivalry by the end of the 19th century

This rivalry created distrust and conflict between nations.

militarism

• Nations built up large armies and navies.

the influence of militarism on Great Power rivalry by the end of the 19th century

• Military strength was seen as essential for power and security.
  
  

• Preparedness for war increased tensions.

alliances

• Countries formed defensive agreements to support each other.

main alliances

• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
  
  

• Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia
  

the influence of alliances on Great Power rivalry by the end of the 19th century

• Alliances meant a conflict involving one country could escalate quickly.

the outbreak of war in 1914

• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked a crisis.
  
  

• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
  
  

• Alliance commitments caused a wider war involving major powers.
  

Western front

• Western Front: Germany fought France and Britain, leading to trench warfare and stalemate.

Eastern front

• Eastern Front: Germany and Austria-Hungary fought Russia with more movement but heavy losses.

stalemate (and its relevance to WW1)

• A stalemate is when neither side can win or make progress.

• In WWI, trench warfare on the Western Front caused a stalemate because both sides had strong defences and couldn’t break through, leading to a long, deadlocked war.

why it became the world’s first global conflict

• European empires involved their colonies and allies worldwide.
  
  

• Countries from Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas contributed troops and resources.
  
  

• The war spread beyond Europe, involving nations on multiple continents.

battle of Verdun

• what it was

• conditions

• experience

• 1. Verdun (1916, France)

  • What it was: Longest battle of WWI between France & Germany.
    
    

  • Conditions:
    
    

    • Constant shelling, trench warfare, mud, rats, disease.
      
      

    • French soldiers rotated frequently (“noria” system) but still faced exhaustion.
      
      

  Experience: High death toll, little movement → feelings of hopelessness.
  
  

battle of The Somme

• what it was

• conditions

• experience

2. (1916, France)

• What it was: British & French offensive against Germany to relieve Verdun.
  
  

• Conditions:
  
  

  • First day = massive casualties (esp. British).
    
    

  • Mud, barbed wire, poor medical evacuation.
    
    

  • New weapons like tanks (unreliable).
    
    

Experience: Shock at scale of loss, trauma from machine-gun fire & artillery.

battle of Passchendaele

• what it was

• conditions

• experience

3. Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres, 1917, Belgium)

• What it was: British-led attack to capture Passchendaele ridge.
  
  

• Conditions:
  
  

  • Heavy rain → deep mud swallowing men & horses.
    
    

  • Gas attacks, poor sanitation.
    
    

Experience: Soldiers struggled to move, fear of drowning in mud, morale very low.

battle of Tannenberg

• what it was

• conditions

• experience

4. Tannenberg (1914, Eastern Front, Germany vs Russia)

• What it was: German victory over Russia.
  
  

• Conditions:
  
  

  • Rapid troop movement, less trench warfare.
    
    

  • Harsh weather, poor Russian supplies & communication.
    
    

Experience: German soldiers had morale boost; Russian soldiers suffered encirclement, starvation, mass surrender.

battle of Beersheba

• what it was

• conditions

• experience

5. Beersheba (1917, Palestine Front)

• What it was: Allied (including Australian Light Horse) victory against Ottoman forces.
  
  

• Conditions:
  
  

  • Desert heat, dust, water shortages.
    
    

  • Cavalry charge used successfully.
    
    

Experience: Australians had a rare sense of pride & success; conditions still harsh but movement faster than trench fronts.

changing nature of war to 1918

• scientific and industrial developments in weaponry

1. Scientific and Industrial Developments in Weaponry

• Mass production of weapons due to industrialisation
  
  

• New, more deadly weapons used:
  
  

  • Machine guns (rapid fire, high casualties)
    
    

  • Artillery (long-range, heavy bombardment)
    
    

  • Poison gas (chemical warfare – e.g. chlorine, mustard gas)
    
    

  • Tanks (introduced by Britain in 1916)

changing nature of war to 1918

• Mechanisation of Modern Warfare

2. Mechanisation of Modern Warfare

• Use of machines and vehicles in battle
  
  

• Tanks: helped break through trench lines, but early models were unreliable
  
  

• Aircraft: used for spying (reconnaissance), dogfights, and later bombing
  
  

• Submarines (U-boats): used mainly by Germany to attack Allied shipping
  
  

• Trucks and trains: used for transport of troops and supplies
  
  

changing nature of war to 1918

• Advances in Medicine

3. Advances in Medicine

• Development of mobile medical units near the front
  
  

• Use of antiseptics and improved surgical techniques
  
  

• Blood transfusions and early storage methods introduced
  
  

• Treatment of shell shock (early understanding of psychological trauma)
  

changing nature of war to 1918

• Advances in Communications

4. Advances in Communications

• Telephones and telegraphs used to send orders quickly
  
  

• Radio used more by 1918, especially in ships and aircraft
  
  

• Runners, pigeons, and signal flares still used when lines were down

the impact of the war on civilians, including women’s lives and the changing role of women

• Impact on Civilians

• Many civilians faced shortages of food, goods, and basic supplies due to war demands.
  
  

• Rationing and increased prices affected daily life.
  
  

• Civilians experienced fear, loss, and grief from war casualties.
  
  

• Cities faced destruction in some war zones, causing displacement.
  

the impact of the war on civilians, including women’s lives and the changing role of women

• Impact on Women

• Women took on new roles as men went to fight—worked in factories, farms, offices, and hospitals.
  
  

• Women’s involvement in war efforts challenged traditional gender roles.
  
  

• Many women served as nurses near battlefields, providing medical care.
  

the impact of the war on civilians, including women’s lives and the changing role of women

• Changing Role of Women

• Women gained more independence and skills through wartime work.
  
  

• The war accelerated social change, leading to increased support for women’s suffrage (voting rights) in countries like Australia, UK, and Canada.
  
  

• After the war, some women lost jobs when men returned but the idea of women in the workforce remained stronger.

• marked a turning point in women’s social and economic roles.

the scale of recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in World War I

• Recruitment

• At the start of the war, recruitment was voluntary.
  
  

• Large numbers enlisted in 1914–15, motivated by patriotism, adventure, and duty.
  
  

• Numbers declined as war dragged on and casualties rose.

the scale of recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in World War I

• Recruitment

  • Germany

• Germany – Had conscription before WWI; all men required to serve a set period in the army, so less reliance on voluntary recruitment campaigns.

the scale of recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in World War I

• Recruitment

  • Britan

• Britain – Voluntary enlistment from 1914–1916; enthusiasm declined → conscription introduced in 1916.
  

the scale of recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in World War I

• Conscription

• Introduced when voluntary enlistments were insufficient.
  
  

• In Britain: 1916 Military Service Act required men of certain ages to serve.
  
  

• In Australia: Conscription referendums in 1916 and 1917 failed (remained voluntary service overseas).
  
  

• Many other nations also used conscription to maintain troop numbers.

the scale of recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in World War I

• Censorship

• Governments controlled information to protect morale and military secrets.
  
  

• Newspapers, letters from soldiers, and public speeches were censored.
  
  

• Photographs of battle and casualty reports were often restricted or altered.
  

the scale of recruitment, conscription, censorship and propaganda in World War I

• Propaganda

• Used to encourage enlistment, support for the war, and hatred of the enemy.
  
  

• Posters, pamphlets, films, and speeches portrayed war as noble and necessary.
  
  

• Also used to promote war bonds and rationing on the home front.

Effectiveness of Propaganda & Censorship

• Propaganda

• Propaganda – Highly effective early in the war at boosting enlistment, sustaining morale, and securing financial/public support; influence declined as the war’s realities became more apparent.
  

Effectiveness of Propaganda & Censorship

• Censorship

• Censorship – Successful early in preventing panic and maintaining confidence; less effective later as soldiers’ accounts and casualty lists revealed the truth.

Effectiveness of Propaganda & Censorship

• Overall

• Overall – Both were vital in sustaining the war effort but became less persuasive over time.

an overview of the reasons for the Allied victory

• Military/Strategic factors
  
  

Military/Strategic factors

• Allied naval blockade weakened Germany (food shortages, morale collapse).
  
  

• US entry (1917) brought fresh troops, resources, money, industrial capacity.
  
  

• Failure of German Spring Offensive (1918) → exhausted resources, overstretched army.
  
  

• Superior Allied coordination under Foch (unified command).

an overview of the reasons for the Allied victory

• Economic factors
  
  

Economic factors

• Allies had greater access to resources (colonies, US industry).
  
  

• Germany isolated, shortages of food and raw materials.
  

an overview of the reasons for the Allied victory

• Morale & Homefront

• German civilian starvation + strikes.
  
  

• Collapse of German allies (Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire)

the effects of World War I in giving rise to the Russian Revolution

• War strain on Russia
  

War strain on Russia

• Huge casualties + military defeats (Tannenberg, Masurian Lakes).
  
  

• Food shortages, inflation, economic collapse.
  
  

• Tsar Nicholas II’s poor leadership + loss of legitimacy.

the effects of World War I in giving rise to the Russian Revolution

• Social & Political unrest
  
  

Social & Political unrest

• Rising discontent among peasants, workers, and soldiers.
  
  

• Bolsheviks gained support with “Peace, Land, Bread.”
  

the effects of World War I in giving rise to the Russian Revolution

• Impact

Impact:

• February Revolution (1917) overthrew Tsar.
  
  

• October Revolution (1917) brought Bolsheviks to power, promising to end war.
  
  

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) → Russia withdrew.

the idea of ‘total war’, the end of ‘empire’, and World War I as ‘the war to end all wars’

• Total War

Total War:

• Entire societies mobilised (civilians, industry, propaganda, rationing, conscription).
  
  

• Women entered workforce; technology + science directed toward war effort.

the idea of ‘total war’, the end of ‘empire’, and World War I as ‘the war to end all wars’

• End of Empires

End of Empires:

• Collapse of Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, German, and Russian Empires.
  
  

• New nation-states emerged (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, etc.).
  
  

• Redrawing of borders under Versailles + peace settlements.

the idea of ‘total war’, the end of ‘empire’, and World War I as ‘the war to end all wars’

• “War to End All Wars”
  
  

“War to End All Wars”:

• Phrase used to justify the war as a fight for lasting peace.
  
  

• Failure: punitive Treaty of Versailles sowed seeds for WWII.

the nature and legacy of World War I and its influence on modernity

• Nature of the War

Nature of the War:

• Industrialised, mechanised warfare (tanks, machine guns, poison gas, planes, submarines).
  
  

• Trench warfare → stalemate, mass casualties, psychological trauma.

the nature and legacy of World War I and its influence on modernity

• Legacy

Legacy:

• Political: rise of communism (Russia), fascism (Italy, later Germany).
  
  

• Social: women’s roles expanded, new rights movements, class shifts.
  
  

• Cultural: “Lost Generation,” war poets, disillusionment, questioning of progress.
  
  

• Technological: advances in medicine, weapons, transport.

the nature and legacy of World War I and its influence on modernity

• Influence on Modernity
  
  

Influence on Modernity:

• Shattered belief in inevitable progress.
  
  

• Redefined warfare, state power, and society’s relationship to war.
  
  

• Birth of international institutions (League of Nations).