WW1 8th grade SS

Militarism

The belief that a country should have a strong military and be prepared to use it if necessary. Aggressively for both defense and offensive purposes

Arms Race

Unhealthy competition among countries

Weapons acquired from militarism

• Artillary

• Canons

• Boats/Submarines

• Machine guns

• Spying & surveillance

• Poison gas

• Tanks

• U boats (underwater)

• Airplanes

• Barbed Wire

Alliances

Agreements among countries to cooperate with, protect, and defend one another. Alliances can lead to competition

Alliances leading up to WW1

• Russians + Serbians

• Germany + Austria-Hungary

• Belgium + Britain

• France + Russia + Britain

Why was Germany + Austria-Hungary allies?

They share a common culture and language

Why were the Russians allied with Serbia?

Slavic bond - dominant ethnicity in eastern Europe

Why was Belgium allies with Britain?

Trading partners - $$$ and defense

Why was France allied with Russia + Britain?

Political alliance

Imperialism

• (empire-ism) - A nation or country working to create an empire

• Occurs when a nation increases its world power, influence, and territory internationally through military force or diplomacy

Diplomacy

Communicating + negotiating with other countries

Nationalism

• Extreme blind pride in one’s country

• Extreme desire in national independence

Armed Peace

Describes a situation where nations are technically at peace but remain heavily armed, maintaining stability through military strength and the threat of force rather than a mutual trust

Blank Check

An expression or metaphor meaning to extend one’s full support. With this assurance and pledge from Germany, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.

Mobilization

To prepare for war.

Ex: Gather heavy artillery; position troops and equipment near the point of attack

Preemptively

Taking action before someone else does, before something unwanted happens, to stop it, or gain an advantage, often as a defensive or strategic move. (Before the fact). Germany declares war on Russia preemptively.

“Fronts”

Are an area of battle. Germany has a war on two fronts; the eastern front on Russia and the western front with France.

National sovereignty

The principle that a nation has the authority to govern itself and its territory without interference from outside powers

Stalemate

A situation in a contest, war, or negotiation where neither side can make progress or win, resulting in a deadlock; neither side can move. No one is gaining ground.

Trench Warfare

Trench system can span 100’s to 1,000’s of miles

No Man’s Land

The area between trenches where soldiers are exposed to deadly enemy fire.

Casualties

Include deaths, serious injuries, and those missing in action.

Europe was a Powder Keg

Unable and ready to explode. There was competition and tension

What assassination leads to war?

• Occurs in the capital city of Sarajevo in Bosnia

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the throne

• Assassinated by the terrorist group called the Black Hand

The Black Hand

• A group of young Serbian nationalists

• Goal is to unite all Slavs in southern Europe

• Plans an assassination

Goal for murder of Ferdinand

Bosnia can join Serbia to join a larger Slavic nation

Why did the Black Hand aim to assassinate Ferdinand?

Austria-Hungary will be terrified and will grand Bosnia sovereignty

June 14th in Sarajevo

• Planned parade route to City Hall is shared in the news and alerted the assassins as to his whereabouts

• 8 members of the Black Hand line the parade route ready to kill

• Grenade is thrown and Franz Ferdinand escapes, races to city hall arriving safely

• Archduke leaves City Hall and drives to visit injured people in the hospital

• Driver makes a wrong turn in convertible and stops car, Principle shoots

• Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie die

Gavrilo Princip

• 19 year old member of the Black Hand

• Shoots Archduke and his wife

• 2015 Serbia erects statue to Gavrilo Princip in Belgrade, Serbia

Sequence of Key Events leading to Outbreak of War

• Serbian assassinates Ferdinand (1914)

• Austria Hungary holds Serbia accountable for death of archduke

• Austria-Hungary does not have a strong military and is hesitant to wage war

• Germany promises Austria a “Blank Check”

• Russia mobilizes for war against Austria-Hungary

• Germany sees war w/ Russia as unavoidable

• Germany declares war on Russia

• 2 days later… Germany declares war on France

• Germany is now committed to fighting a war on two fronts!

Schlieffen Plan (Developed in 1905, executed in 1914)

Germany needs to plan to fight a war on 2 fronts

Part 1: Germany will quickly invade France and quickly defeat France

• Based on speed

• The French will expect an invasion through Alsace Lorraine (fastest route) Germany will ove through Belgium to get to France

• Use overwhelming force

• Plan is to take Paris and France will surrender

• Germany sends a few soldiers through Alsace Lorraine as decoys

Part 2: Once France surrenders Germany can focus all its troops on the eastern front against Russia

• Germany defeats the Russian army

The First Battle of the Marne

• September 6th, 1914, the French engage the German army at The First battle of the Marne

• The British arrive and join forces with the French to defeat the Germans

• The German forces are stopped (not defeated) at what becomes the Western Front

Results of the Schlieffen plan

The War in Europe expands

Central Powers 1914

Motivation: Gain more power in the Balkan peninsula

• Germany

• Austria-Hungary

• Ottoman Empire

• Bulgaria (1915)

Major Allied Powers

Motivation: Italy joins the Allied Powers because Britain and France promise a portion of land along the coast of Austria-Hungary

• France

• Russia

• Italy (Treaty of London - 1915)

• Britain

• Belgium

• Serbia

The Battle of Verdun

• February 21, 1916 → December 18, 1916 (almost a year)

• Germany intends to make this a war of attrition

• Battle is a stalemate with over 700,000 casualties

• To distract the Germans from Verdun, the British began an attack in Somme on the Germans

The Battle of the Somme

• July 1st → November 13, 1916

• Deadliest battle of the war

• British fired off 1.6 million shells

• Shells did relatively little damage to the Germans

• British walked confidently through no man’s land towards German lines

• Largest British loss in the history of the British Empire

• Battle is a stalemate with 1.1 million casualties

Third Battle of Ypres

• July 31 → November 6, 1917

• Town of Ypres is located in Belgium

• Heaviest rain in 30 years turns soil into a marsh, clogging rifles and stopping tanks

• Essentially, another stalemate with 325,000 Allied and 260,000 German casualties

Chlorine Gas

• Suffocating can last for days

• Bronchitis or pneumonia can develop

Mustard Gas

• Gets its name from yellow appearance and mustard-like smell

• Gas masks useless against mustard gas

• Causes blisters

• Can lead to lethal respiratory infections or deadly pneumonia

M.A.I.N causes of WW1

1. Militarism

2. Alliances

3. Imperialism

4. Nationalism

The “Blank Check”

A country’s support for another country

Stalemate

A fight in which neither country is winning or losing

Trench Warfare

Germans first began to dig trenches, France and Britain follow

Terrible conditions

Western Front

Germany fighting against France & Britain

Eastern Front

Germany fights against Russia

“Dulce et Decorum Est”

Poem by Wilfred Owen, a British soldier

Wrote about witnessing a man die of poison gas

“The old lie: It is sweet and proper to die for your country”

Wilson’s declaration of neutrality

As fighting erupted in Europe, Wilson addressed Congress to proclaim America’s neutrality.

Hope was that America could remain “impartial in thought as well as in action”

British naval blockade

• Britain blocks Germany—no food, clothing, or money 4 Germany → physically & figuratively starving them

• Exports to Germany vs. Great Britain DRASTICALLY change although both countries need resources

Totalitarianism

A gov’t has almost complete control over people’s lives

The Lusitania

• German U-boat sinks British passenger ship, the Lusitania. Americans on board DIE → Americans see Germany as the bad guy

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Since Germany was blocked from trade and was pretty much starving, Germany decided to release their U-boats onto Great Britain and any ship that entered their territory.

The Zimmermann Telegram

• Early 1917, telegram intended to be forwarded 2 gov’t of Mexico—British intercepted, but waited 3 weeks before publicizing

• “We intend on the first of February unrestricted submarine warfare”

• “We offer Mexico a proposal of alliance…make war together, make peace together, generous financial support”

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

• March of 1918

• Russia surrenders to Germany

• Russia gives up land to Germany

Blockade

An act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods from entering or leaving

Merchant ships

Botas used for trade, carries goods and supplies

Revolution

To rise up against and to make change

Communism

Group of people living as a community and working towards the betterment of each other in order to solve the struggle between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. An economic system with no profit based economy and no private businesses.

Bolsheviks

A political party in Russia that believes in communism

Bourgeoisie

Individuals who control the means of production. These individuals are able to enjoy wealth without “working” or “producing” anything.

Proletariat

Refers to the wage earners, laborers, farmers, and industrial workers in society. Those who are recognized for their ability to do work.

Means of production

• Land

• Raw materials

• Factories

• Business

The Communist Manifesto

Pamphlet that urges oppressed workers (the proletariat) to rise up against the wealthy (the bourgeoisie) and end the capitalist system.

Abdicate

To resign, renounce one’s throne

Armistice

A formal agreement to stop fighting - stopping of arms

Vladimir Lenin

• Leader of the Bolsheviks

• Russian dictator

Karl Marx

German philosopher and “inventor” of communism

Friedrich Engels

German philosopher who co-wrote “The Communist Manifesto” with Karl Marx

The Big Four

1. Woodrow Wilson - U.S

2. Georges Clemenceau - France

3. David Lloyd George - Britain

4. Vittorio Orlando - Italy

Who is not at Versailles?

Vladimir Lennon - Russia

Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau - Germany

Wilson’s War Message

Wilson’s presentation to Congress saying…

1. If no one goes to war, no one gets killed

2. The U.S is a nation of immigrants—which side would they even choose?

3. America should be an example for other countries, and show that they’re better than other countries by not going to war.

Wilson’s idealism vs. Realism

• Wilson’s approach emphasized a moralistic view toward international relations, combatting nationalistic fervor with a vision of global cooperation and understanding.

German Spring Offensive

• 1918

• Following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germany redirected forces from the Eastern Front to the Western Front.

• The goal was to break through Allied lines using concentrated troop strength.

• Initial offensive were somewhat successful but ultimately faced resistance (U.S marines)

Battle of Belleau Wood (1918)

• Fought in France, primarily involving American Marines against German forces

• Critical in halting the German advance on the Western Front.

Meuse-Argonne Offensive (1918)

• Launched by Allied forces following the successful stop of German offensives.

• Significant American-led operation that aimed to push towards Germany.

• Marked by strategic complexities and resistance from remaining German forces.

Stalemate on the Western Front following the First Battle of the Marne in 1914

• After stopping the German advance, both sides entered a prolonged state of trench warfare.

• This situation lasted until the final months of the war in late 1918.

U.S. Historical Context

• The U.S. initially adopted a stance of neutrality based on various factors, including diverse immigrant populations and a desire to avoid internal conflict.

• President Woodrow Wilson emphasized that the U.S. would serve as a moral leader by not engaging in war.

Transition to War

• Later, Wilson cited direct attacks on American interests (e.g., German U-boats sinking American merchant ships) as justification for war

• He described the war as a fight to safeguard democracy, declaring “The world must be made safe for democracy.”

Overview of Wilson’s 14 Points

• Wilson’s peace plan proposed post-war resolutions focusing on open diplomacy, disarmament, and self-determination among nations.

• Emphasized creation of a League of Nations to promote peaceful resolutions globally.

• The phrase “peace without victory” encapsulated Wilson’s approach, advocating for fairness rather than punitive measures against nations like Germany.

Rejection of the Treaty of Versailles

Senate rejection:

• Wilson faced opposition from the Senate, particularly regarding the League of Nations, which was part of the Treaty of Versailles

• Critics like Senator Henry Cabot Lodge argued that involvement in a league would undermine U.S. sovereignty and parliamentary rights, specifically regarding military engagement.

• The treaty was viewed as an all-or-nothing proposition; senators couldn’t amend parts they disagreed with.

• The absence of ratification by the U.S. significantly affected the League of Nations’ credibility and effectiveness post-war.

Impact of Nationalism

• Nationalism played a complex role in mobilizing troops and influencing attitudes toward warfare, as seen in literary critiques such as “Dolce eat Decorum Est”, which highlights the harrowing reality of war against the glorified notion of dying for ones country.

The October Revolution

• In Russia, in February of 1917, a democratic government rose to power and overthrew the Czar. Just eight months later, a new government staged a second revolution with ideas of communism.

The Bolshevik’s slogan

“Peace! Bread! Land!”

The U.S.S.R.

• The Bolsheviks gained power

• 1922, Russia incorporated neighboring territories

• AKA The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Soviet Union

• World’s first communist country, lead by dictator Vladimir Lenin