IB History Unit 2

WWI

Long Term Causes

Militarism

Alliances

Imperialism

Nationalism

Short Term Causes

Ferdinand

Black Hand

Blank Cheque

Austrian Mobilization

Militarism

Creation of new weapons

arms races

industrialization

mobilization

stronger military for deterrence

conscription

high military spending

military focused gov.

Ex: Dreadnought, Anglo-German Naval Race, Industrialization

France & Germany doubled their military; competition for naval superiority

Alliances

opposing sides

countries agree to go to war for others

Ex: Allied & Central powers

Imperialism

nationalists

colonies in foreign land

need for new markets & resources

Ex: Scramble for Africa, Moroccan Crisis

Nationalism

independence efforts

desire to expand (colonialism, trade, politically)

Ex: The Balkans

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Member of Austrian royal family

assassinated visiting Bosnia (1 of 8) → uncontrollable chaos

Black Hand

Bosnian terrorists

Desired a break-up with A-H and S.-Slav so they could combine with Yugoslavia

supported by some Serbian military

Conrad Hotzendorff & Leopold Von Berchtold used to crush S.-Slav nationalism

Assassinated Ferdinand b/c he was a threat to Serbian independence

Blank Cheque

Germany’s pledged support given to A-H b/c of Serbian/Russian conflict

permitted Austrias ultimatum to Serbia

Austrian Mobilization

threatened Russia → mobilization → Germ. mobilization

Austria declared war on Serbia within hours of ultimatum response

Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum

Technological Developments & Strategies — Air

Dropped soldiers behind front lines

Air to air combat

Bombings, Airships

New form of war, helped support other military techniques

Technological Developments & Strategies — Land

Tanks, machine guns, trench runners, pigeons

Trench warfare

• no proper waste disposal

• decomposing bodies

• disease

• watery/damp climate (foot/boot rot)

• shellshock

• stalemate (mental warfare, suspense → anxiety)

Chemical Warfare

• German scientists created mustard gas

• drove soldiers out of trenches → shot and killed or died from gas inhalation/exposure

• Caused fear and psychological damage

Technological Developments & Strategies — Sea

British advantage & German weakness b/c their problems with building ships

Submarines: enemies got blockaded, stop armies from receiving resources, Germany had hit-and-run tactics against the British

Key Operations

Belgium

Battle of the Marne

Battle of Verdun

Battle of the Somme

Passchendaele

1918

Gallipoli

Belgium Operation

Liège: defensive forts placed

Germans bomb-dropped Zeppelins to take city

To neutralize forts, they used siege howitzers

In 11 days, Germany captured forts

• Schlieffen Plan worked for Belgium

• Aircraft tech developed

Battle of the Marne

German attempt to take over Paris

Their rapid offensive turned to their weakness, everything delayed

One part of the German army went N. instead of W., leaving a weak spot in their lines

France took advantage of the weak spot and attacked, Germany started to fail

Schlieffen plan fails

German forces retreat (shows Central’s cautiousness) and face loss

Leads directly to development of trench warfare through Race to the Sea

WW1 turns into a long war, new strategies needed

Allies gain territory, reevaluated

Battle of Verdun

German attempt to break W. stalemate

Required stockpiling of resources

Goal: kill as many Fr. as possible around Verdun

Both sides had around 350 000 casualties

German failure

Central powers lose resources, self-imposed what they wanted to do to Allies

Both sides drawn into war of attrition

Battle of the Somme

Attack by Fr. & Br. arm along Somme river

Goal: end stalemate by targeting barbed wire and artillery so much that there wouldn’t be any less to defend against infantry

Before battle: both sides had time to amass resources

loss of 420 000 Br., 194 000 Fr., 500 000 Germ.

Construction of things the Fr./Br. could use to win/get upper hand

Passchendaele

Allies took village and surrounding German-defended areas

Br. wanted to push Germ. troops back rather than break through

Tanks used successfully at 1st, not later on

Australian & N.Z. troops used

270 000 Allied and 200 000 Germ. casualties

Br. colonies brought into war

Development of tanks

Caused goals and expectations of battles to change

1918 Operations

Allied powers were exhausted

US started offering troops, involved in war now

German wanted quick defeat to avoid US → failure

German gains stopped at Amiens, def not far enough to win

Reprieve for Allied powers & hope b/c US aid

Defeat of Germany/Central powers

Allies powers & US power reinforced

Gallipoli

French seek a new front and plan attack on Ottomans using older battleships

Turkish troops used

many casualties

Russian forces → weakened

Ending of war

Western Front

English channel → Swiss Alps (198 miles)

Opening moves: A-H fired on Serbia, Russian mobilization, Br. forces prepare, Schlieffen Plan from Germ., French plan XVII

Race to the Sea → stalemate → trench warfare

Eastern Front

Russia

A-H

Germ.

OE

Russia mobilizes fast → Germ. troops diverted to East

Limited Russian success (could’ve defeated A-H, but not Germ. who kept aiding them)

Turkey’s additional aid to A-H worsened Russia’s chances (cut Dardanelle supply route)

Diversionary Front

Balkan Front (Bulgaria joins Central; Allies launch offensive)

Italian front (joins allies in 1915, weakened Austrians)

Turkey & Middle East Front (Allied attempts at Turkish surrender, Colonial wars, Japan-secured shipping lanes)

Gallipoli Battle

Effects of WWI

Russian Revolution

Treaty of Versailles

Creation of League of Nations

Human & Economic Costs

Political & Territorial Changes

Russian Revolution

Lost land to Germany

Ottomans blocked trade

no help from Allies

high mobilization rates and high casualties rates (76%)

Political & economic instability on home front

Tsar Nicholas: Incompetent and overconfident

• went against advisors

• unprepared for war, lacking war supplies

• ignored dom. problems b/c of war

• Forced to abdicate and Russia withdrew from war

Lenin

All reasons which led to Revolution

Treaty of Versailles

Germany forced to admit full blame → allowed LoN to punish them

eventually led to WWII

Creating the League of Nations

June 28, 1919 → 5 years after the assassination

414/440 articles dedicated to punishing Germany

US opted out (desire for isolationism, staying out of Euro. affairs) → UK and Fr. got main control over LoN

LoN called for allies between all joined countries

WWI Human & Economic Cost

Human: Germany & Russia had highest rates of mobilization/killed/wounded

• 76% Russia’s soldiers dead

• 65% Germany’s soldiers dead

Economic: UK replaced as main economic power by US (WWI losses)

• infrastructure damage (Belgium occupation, bombings, railways)

• working population declined; employment issues

• Decline in healthcare; psychological damage

• inflation

• rise in national debt

• new tech/industry

WWI Political & Territorial Changes

Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czechoslovakia become independent

German milt. reduced

France/UK split colonies & territories captured from Germany & Turkey; Allies control Rhineland

Alsace-Lorraine returned to France

Poland becomes independent

Danzig → free city

Russia formed their own separate peace with Central Powers, not connected to the Allies or LoN

The US Neutrality reasons related to WWI

War endangers “vital interests” (peace)

Wilson believed he spoke for all peaceful, neutral nations

US Neutrality impact

Economic growth for US

Foreign countries dependent on the US (which would later lead to Great Depression spreading to other countries)

US reasons for WWI Involvement

Public support → Lusitania and more ships sunk by Germans

German attempt at Mexican alliance to bring WWI onto American continent (Zimmerman note)

Many organization created to keep economy afloat

Wilson went into isolation for 10 days to decide whether to join WWI

US Mobilization & Prep for War

High taxes for military growth (covered 30% of war costs)

Congress-authorized loan ($7bil) to lessen burden on Allied powers

Naval Expansion Act:

• 10 Dreadnoughts

• 16 Cruisers

• 50 Destroyers

National Defense Act, 1916: Updated Militia Act 1903, President could call upon National Guard for extended amount of time, expanded Army and National Guard; state militias under fed. control

Merchant Marine Act 1916: Fed power over merchant ships

Selective Service Act 1917

Sedition Act: Updated Espionage act 1917

Military Expansion Act

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps

Wilson’s Peace Ideals

Made 14 points:

• open treaties, agreements made in public view

• freedom of the seas

• free trade

• universal disarmament to just meet the needs of domestic safety

• impartial adjustment of colonial claims

• Russian territory evacuations

• Belgium evacuation and restoration

• French territory restoration

• Italian borders clearly established where people feel a sense of Italian nationality

• autonomous development of A-H people

• Serbian/Montenegro/Romanian evacuation; Serbian sea access; Balkan independence and territorial integrity, friendly alliances

• Turkish autonomous development from the Ottoman empire as long as the people under Turkish rule are treated well; Dardanelles are free to move through

• Independent/free Poland encompassing those of Polish nationality; Poland has free access to the seas and assurances from the international stage that they are a free and protected country

• Associations of nations to assure economic and political stability worldwide; LoN (although the US never joined in, Wilson wanted to and the US’s participation would’ve been essential)

These are the terms Germany agreed upon when requesting talks of peace and armistice; not happy when instead they were faced by a French and British dominated LoN, where Wilson did not have any influence

Struggle for the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles

US wanted for equality than UK or Fr. so there would be less things for Germany to be angry about

UK was crossed between punishing and letting Germany off the hook; desired payment but agreed with US’s pov

Fr. wanted to thoroughly punish Germany → UK & Fr. tag-team against US

US didn’t agree with Wilson → new pres. didn’t sign it (Harding, who pushed the isolationist agenda many officials agreed with)

Impact of WWI on US

Republicans will come into power → US did not sign ToV or enter League of Nations → UK & Fr. get control over LoN

Canadian reasons for involvement in WWI

Chance to prove they should gain more independence

Br. territory/dominion, automatically entered into war

Canada’s nature of involvement

Started organizations to help finance war

Rationed, produced ammunitions, grain production → employed teen boys to keep up demand

contribution of nurses

borrowed from US ( more financial and trade relations)

at 1st, canada military integrated into Brit. defense plans

strong military

Canada’s prep for war

Military Service Act (drafting)

Sam Hughes trains, equips → Ross Rifle

Imperial War conference (1917)

Canada’s impact of involvement

Political: canadian DOMESTIC independence, Brit. FOREIGN control

• women’s roles evolved (payed jobs, typically male, and war nursing)

• Canadian independence: PM Borden, Arthur Currie

Economic: in debt to US → higher/more financial and trade relations

Military: Ypres victory, picked up where Brit. army failed

• Vinny Ridge → retook after Fr. & Br. failed

• Strong military made up for Brit. failures